Assurance | Daily Devotion
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches."
Revelation 3:7-13 NLT
To the pastor of the church in Philadelphia, Jesus identifies Himself as “the one who is holy and true.” He is the One who has perfect character, with no sin present, and the One who is true – there is no error within Him. Everything He says is truth. He can be trusted.
He is the One who has the key of David; thus, He is the One who opens the door to heaven. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one can enter God’s presence apart from Him – John 14:6.
Jesus’ perfect trusted character – His holiness, He as Truth, His Sovereignty – is the only One powerful enough to open a door, no one else has the strength to close, and the only One powerful enough to close a door, no one else can open.
This truth is comforting. So, as Jesus speaks to the pastor of the church of Philadelphia, He is saying “I am for you, and no one has power beyond mine.”
He is not only all-powerful, omnipotent, Jesus goes on to say “I know all the things you do,” He is also all-knowledgeable, He is omniscient. And He states, “And I have opened a door for you that no one can close.”
Many people have life verses that – this is one of mine. I personally love Jesus’ perfect knowledge of my life and that He alone holds the power to open doors for me that no one can close, and this promise here states, He has opened a door for me to serve Him in the capacity to which He has called – and no one can close that door.
I am able to do everything Jesus asks, as He gives me the strength and the very fact that He opened the door, tells me He wants me to walk through it. He is for me and He is for you.
Here, Jesus tells the pastor, He is for them. He says this before He acknowledges their little strength. Their life’s trials have weakened them, but they refused to deny Christ and continued obeying the word of God.
Jesus goes on to state His power over those who belonged to Satan’s synagogue – these people claimed to be Jewish, yet they were pagans and were spiritually dead. These individuals were seeking to stop the Christian faith from moving forward advancing the Kingdom of God and were targeting Christians causing great suffering. When Satan moves through people to cause suffering, his goal is to defeat people in the Christian faith, making Christians question God’s love.
But it is here where we see Jesus Christ step in with assurance, assuring the weakened Christians of His love and power over the enemy and His commendation of their faith amidst trial as they refused to deny His name. And Jesus states, I will force these pagans – these spiritually dead ones – to bow at your feet, acknowledging you are the ones I love.
This shows Jesus confronting the pride in the spiritually dead pagans, forcing them to bow and to acknowledge Christ’s love for the ones they were targeting and abusing.
We are told in Isaiah 54:17 NLT, “But in that coming day no weapon formed against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
There are benefits for loving Jesus Christ, for remaining faithful to Him amidst trial and hardship. His defense being the main benefit.
His defense of His own, who refuse to deny His name, is revealed in the strength He gives His own to bear up under trial and hardship.
Jesus provides the psychological strength needed to remain faithful, He provides the wisdom and supernatural power.
Jesus continues stating in Revelation 3:10, “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.”
This verse speaks of the rapture. Every Christian is protected from the time of testing found in the tribulation. No Christian has to fear facing the hardships and increasing destruction the tribulation brings. As the tribulation is testing those who belong to the world, it is not testing those who are faithful to Jesus Christ.
Jesus protects us by removing us.
The wrath of God will increase in severity and intensity throughout the tribulation due to continual defiance to Him and His ways. But all who believe in Jesus Christ prior to the rapture, will be saved from this time of testing.
Today, many may wonder – why hasn’t Jesus Christ returned yet?
2 Peter 3:9 NLT gives us an insight, as Peter says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want you to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
God does not delight in the death of the wicked, He wants all to repent, as He says in Ezekiel 18:30-32 NLT, “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live.”
Turn and live.
To the church in Philadelphia, Jesus says, “I am coming soon. Hold onto what you have so that no one will take away your crown.”
Years ago, as I was going through the Revelation Bible study curriculum that I have written with a small group of ladies and I asked them, “how do we hold onto our crown?”
Dora responded with a brilliant answer, saying something to the effect, “I believe it’s like the parable of the talents. We have to use our gifts, in order to not lose them.”
It’s in the very act of giving away, in investing, that we retain what we have.
I believe it is also in seeking to remain faithful to the Lord, refusing to deny Christ’s name with increasing trial and tribulation, as Satan uses anyone to persuade us away from a pure devotion to Jesus Christ.
Another way we hold onto our crown, according to the apostle John in 2 John, is we refuse to participate in the evil agenda of false teachers. We have nothing to do with the promotion of false teaching. False teachers prey on the vulnerable, so anyone in a weakened condition is targeted by their agenda.
Jesus says, “All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God and they will never have to leave it.”
The strength of character shown in resisting the enemy and relying on Jesus Christ, ends in victory and the people known as strong pillars, those who can be relied upon to uphold the church are secure eternally in the Lord.
Jesus then states, “And I will write on them the name of my God.”
Thus Jesus states to the pastor of the church in Philadelphia, that as he and his church become more like Christ in resisting the enemy, upholding the church, Jesus will affirm their Christlikeness by writing on them the name of God. In heaven, we will experience affirmation for our life lived on earth – we will experience various rewards. When we live lives on earth with our identity in Christ, we will be identified by Him in heaven as His own.
We will be citizens of the new Jerusalem, receiving from Christ His new name – a name we will know in heaven. As the weight of some mysteries only eternal knowledge can handle.
Prayer: Abba, thank You for Your words of truth, may we all seek to live lives pleasing You and only You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
