Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. – Revelation 2:16
Repent – what a powerful and relevant word for the times in which we live. Resist, exist, present, extend, navigate, terminate – these are all a part of the word repent. We should always resist temptation and terminate the wrongdoings in our lives.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John.
John was banished to the isle of Patmos where it was thought that he would die all alone, but man’s ill winds and adversities are changed to blessings for those who would endure, so it was John and to all those who would endure.
While there, John received messages for seven churches. I found Leslie Brandt ‘s interpretation to be very interesting, for it is the church that has the story and message for the many ills of the nations of this world.
The Church at Ephesus: Your congregation, from its very inception, has been a hardworking congregation, you have held firm to the faith amidst numerous adversities. Your pastors have been strong, doctrinally sound leaders who have led you deeply into the word and have implanted within you a genuine appreciation for the theology of the church.
You have reflected this in your life and worship together, yet something is sadly missing in your fellowship. While you have been correct in discerning false teachings and in avoiding those who peddle them, something equally insidious has crept in among you.
You are apparently more concerned about the letter of the law than the spirit of the gospel. You are becoming dogmatic – even arrogant – in your insistence that you are the possessors of exact truth and, therefore, will have nothing to do with people who have somewhat diverse ideas about God and his word for the world today.
This attitude may have shielded you from false doctrines and kept your teachings properly orthodox, but it has resulted in something even more grievous. You have not learned the most important lesson of all – how to love your fellow beings in your sisters and brothers in Christ.
If your love for God as revealed through Christ does not resolve in the compulsion to love your fellow man – irrespective of their inability to totally accept and abide by your precepts – then your love for God is in question.
Thus, you are enjoined to examine yourselves, to recognize and repent of your lovelessness, and to embrace anew God’s great love as demonstrated in Jesus Christ and then reach out in love to the human family about you.
It is only then that the faith you profess and the doctrines you so zealously protect and expound will become living and redemptive in the lives of others with whom you come in contact.
Indeed, 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 forgive their sin, and will heal their land. The relevancy of the word of God for the people of God!
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