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12 "To the
angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the
sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know
where you live?here Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You
did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful
witness, who was put to death in your city ?here Satan lives. 14
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold
to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin
by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise
you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent
therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them
with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who
overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white
stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
Nevertheless,
I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the
teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by
eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:14
I
stood in a video rental store the other day surveying the latest movies and
wondering, "Is this a place I should be?" With all the sometimes
subtle and often blatant messages of my culture which are diametrically
opposed to God's word in full view in my current surroundings, was this place
for me? Was my presence an accommodation in and of itself? Would the angel of
my church have warned of this place? Was I being legalistic in my thoughts or
sensitive to God's conviction? The
word to the church in Peramum cut two ways. The believers were commended for
remaining true to their faith in a very difficult environment. These were
anything but easy days to be a believer. One of their brothers had been
martyred, and Satan was having a field day in their city. Their faithfulness
to the name of Jesus in these circumstances was noteworthy. Yet
God called His own to a higher standard. He wanted more out of His church
than willingness to not bail. He expected lifestyles above reproach. He
desired His own to resist accommodation to a bent culture. Though
they lived in a place where Satan had his throne, God must reign supreme in
their lives. Avoiding blatant betrayal of faith was not enough. These
believers were being called out by God to stand strong. They were to be
separate and holy in the middle of an ungodly culture. If the kingdom to come
were to be theirs, they needed to live as members of that kingdom now. There
are few messages to our culture that are as relevant and profound as this
one. The siren call of our culture is not to abandon Christ in name, but
rather to accommodate our Christian convictions to the mores of our culture
and thus to abandon Him in lifestyle. How else can we explain the lifestyles
of the average person who calls him/herself as Christian, but lives anything
but holy? The great danger of our day is precisely the one faced by the
church in Pergamum. It is the danger that compromise and holiness are like
oil and water. They do not mix no matter how much we try to shake them
together. For the believer, they are mutually exclusive terms and lifestyles.
So
let us who have ears hear the Spirit. In view of the coming kingdom for which
we eagerly wait, let us give His Spirit free reign to convict us of any
compromise, to rid our lives of any accommodation to sin, and to let holiness
reign.
Lord,
You know my weaknesses like no other. You know my blind spots to this culture
You have me in. Free me to live a holy life. Create in me tenderness to the
call of Your Spirit when temptations to compromise knock at my door. Keep
working in me to refine and purify my life. Amen.
It
is often difficult to recognize our accommodations to the culture we live in.
Like smoke, it seeps into the fabric of our lives. Though we can get used to
the smell, it stinks. Others around us notice. Most importantly, the
compromised lifestyle stinks to the nostrils of God. So
how do you get rid of it? Begin with honest, naked prayer. With the psalmist,
pray "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting." Invite
a peer whose walk with Christ you admire to examine your life, to keep you
accountable to holiness and talk to you honestly about your decisions and
patterns of living. Ask an elder or leader of your church to help you examine
your life and to pray with you. If
you are serious about holiness, it will cost you. It will cost you potential
relationships, friendships, financial opportunities and it will cost you a
big hunk of your selfishness. The reward will far outweigh all these costs,
but don't forget that compromise is always the easiest road. It is seldom the
road that leads to godliness. [Top] [Living Life Home] [SWIM Home]
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Copyright (c)1995-2000 Tyrannus Press & SWIM.All rights reserved. |
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