REVELATION 2:18-29



“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the
times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine
heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:22).
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every
where to repent” (Acts 17:30).
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will for-
give their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron.7:14).
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him re-
turn unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abun-
dantly pardon” (Is.55:7).
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my
statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die”
(Ezk.18:21).

5. Note why Christ is going to judge those who compromise with the world and corrupt the church.

“All the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I
will give unto every one of you according to your works” (v.23).

g159 Christ is going to judge those who compromise so that all the churches may know and acknowledge that He
is the Christ, the Sovereign head of the universe. He is the One who searches the minds, thoughts, and
hearts of people.
g159 Christ is going to judge those who compromise so that every person will be treated fairly and justly; so that
justice will be executed within the church and the world—perfectly executed.

“Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to
his work” (Ps.62:12).
“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer.17:10).
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he
shall reward every man according to his works” (Mt.16:27).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive
the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2
Cor.5:10).
“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every
man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Pt.1:17).
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev.20:12).
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according
as his work shall be” (Rev.22:12).

6
(2:24-25) Faithfulness—Stedfastness: there is the counsel to hold fast. Note the reference to the “depths of Satan.”
Compromise with the world—refusing to separate from the world and to live a pure and holy life—is living in the depths
of sin. It is being planted and imbedded, immersed and enmeshed in the depths of Satan, in the very depth of Satan’s life-
style.
But note the glorious promise to the faithful believer who has separated himself from the world and its pleasures and pos-
sessions: Christ will put no other burden upon him. What does this mean? It means two things.
1. No other burden can refer to the prohibition laid upon the Gentile Christians by the Jerusalem Council. They were
forbidden to eat meat offered to idols (v.20; cp. Acts 15:19-29, esp, 20, 28-29).
2. No other burden can mean that Christ does not expect the believer to completely separate himself from the world,
not in the sense that he has to live as a hermit. We are to live in the world but not of it. There are obvious pleasures and sins
of the world and of the flesh that we must not touch. But there is much upon earth that we are to use and enjoy as we walk
from day to day. Christ does not put the burden of extreme restrictions upon us; He only demands that we separate and have
nothing to do with things that harm and destroy our bodies, minds, and souls.
Now, note the counsel: we are to hold fast until Christ comes. We are to hold fast...
• to the commitment that we have already made to Christ.
• to the spiritual growth that we have already achieved.
• to the ministries that we have already launched.
We are not to give in to the seductions of the world no matter how appealing and attractive.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal.5:16).
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