Spiritual Gifts part 276: Overcomers win tactical victories in the Angelic Conflict.

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
June 13, 2012

Spiritual Gifts Part 276: Overcomers win tactical victories in the Angelic Conflict.

3. Reward:
to each according to his deeds; crowns.
Mat 5:11-12; Mat 10:40-42; Luk 6:35-36; 1Co 3:8-15; Col 3:23-24; Jam 1:12; 2Jo 1:8; Rev 2:10; Rev 22:10-14

With the Philadelphia church, “what you have” is the truth in your souls, the word of God.
“you have kept My word”

Psa 110:1
The Lord says to my Lord:
"Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

In Rev 2 and 3, we have letters written for the dispensation of the Church-age.

We take the view that the seven churches portray seven different types of individual believers that live in every generation.

 

1. The Ephesus type believer who has some divine good production but has left their first love, Rev 2:1-7.

2. The Smyrna type believer who is willing to accept suffering for blessing, Rev 2:8-11.

3. The Pergamum believer is warned about compromising and becoming a stumbling block to others, Rev 2:12-17.

4. The Thyatira type of believers tolerate false doctrine and false teaching even though in they have love and faith and service and perseverance, Rev 2:18-29.

5. The Sardis types need to "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain," Rev 3:1-6.

6. The Philadelphia type who have kept with doctrine and have not denied the Lord's name, Rev 3:7-13.

7. The lukewarm Laodicean believer, Rev 3:14-22.

With the Philadelphia church, “what you have” is the truth in your souls, the word of God.
“you have kept My word”

“hold fast” =
krateo
to use strength, i.e. seize or retain (literally or figuratively)

krateo =
to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties - 'to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.'

The difficulties are related to the angelic conflict, and our enemies in that struggle: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Each church is coming up against a different tactic of satan to halt the progress of God’s children in winning tactical victories in the angelic conflict.

Wearing down the saints, false apostles (Ephesus)

Suffering and tribulation, blasphemy (Smyrna)

False teaching (Pergamum)

False teaching (Thyatira)

Worldiness (Sardis)

Religion and legalism (Philadelphia)

Wealth and worldiness (Laodicea)

 

 


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