공동체와 양육

Wholly holy (Rev 2:12-17)

2010.05.02Rev. Eddie Byun

Jesus knows both our commitment and our compromise, and he calls us to be wholly consecrated to him as his holy bride, not merely committed to him among many other things.

Jesus knows our commitment even in hostile places (12-13)

Jesus opens his letter to the church in Pergamum by saying he knows their works and their commitment. Pergamum was a place where Satan's throne was, since politics, medicine, and religion there were all bound up with idolatry and demonic influence. Yet the believers held fast to Jesus' name and did not deny their faith, even when Antipas was killed. Many of us live in unbelieving homes or hostile places where following Christ costs us dearly. Jesus says he knows our surroundings and our commitment to him.

Jesus also knows our compromise (14-15)

But Jesus also knows our compromise. Some in Pergamum held to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, which sought to lord over people and led them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to practice sexual immorality. Like the Trojan horse, this danger came from inside the church. Compromise often begins in the mind through rationalization, with the thought that it is no big deal. But no spiritual activity that does not honor Jesus as Lord is neutral, so horoscopes, tarot, and other occult practices must be renounced.

Sexual sin breaks the union God designed for us

Sexual immorality is not merely a physical act. In 1 Corinthians 6, our bodies belong to the Lord, and sexual union makes two people one. Sex is a good gift from God, meant to be given within the covenant of marriage, and when it is taken outside that covenant it is stolen from God's altar. Today a sex-saturated culture has entered the church, and believers sing of Christ on Sunday and sleep with their partners on Monday. Jesus calls such sin to repentance and to a return to purity.

Jesus desires our consecration, not just our commitment (16)

Jesus wants more than a commitment from us; he desires consecration, which means being set apart wholly for him. As a married person's affections are set apart for a spouse, we are called to be holy and wholly his. Jesus' call to repent in verse 16 is a loving rebuke, and he will fight against compromise with the sword of his mouth, his word. That sword is also grace, because he is committed to defending and purifying his bride for the wedding day.

Hidden manna and the white stone for those who overcome (17)

Jesus promises those who overcome hidden manna, God's provision at the wedding feast, and a white stone with a new name. In ancient courts a white stone declared innocence, and a new name signals a new identity in Christ. These promises belong to those who are truly saved, and such believers will be troubled by sin and turn from it. Because we are pure in Christ, we belong in the palace of purity, not in the slums of immorality.

Apply to Life

  • Let us hold fast to Jesus' name in every hostile place where we live, study, and work.
  • Let us renounce horoscopes, fortune-telling, and any other spiritual practice that does not honor Jesus as Lord.
  • Let us repent of sexual sin and honor God's design for marriage or purity before him.
  • Let us offer ourselves wholly to Jesus in consecration, not merely as one commitment among many.
  • Let us live out of our identity in Christ and remain in the palace of purity.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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