“I know where you live–a place where Satan sits enthroned. Ye you are clinging to and holding fast My name, and you did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) in your midst–where Satan dwells.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap and a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. To entice them to eat food that has been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves over to sexual vice].
You also have some who in a similar way are clinging to the teaching of the Nicoliatans [those corrupters of the people] which thing I hate. Repent then! Or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it.” (Revelation 2:13-17)
The Bible says that a little leaven will leaven the whole loaf. A bit of compromise in one area will eventually shipwreck your faith. The church at Pergamum had a few people who loved sexual pleasures and found these false beliefs so they could justify their sin.
Today’s society is full of temptations to sin in this area. The acceptance of it is even in the churches of today. But Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. It was sin then and it is sin now. He is coming back for a pure and spotless bride. Holiness is the standard.
Today, many churches have embraced this same teaching. They say “grace covers it!” “Grace is your license to sin so go for it guys!” Sorry to bust the bubble but, grace and REPENTANCE go hand in hand. It is grace that covers sin AFTER true repentance comes. Repentance is more than perfunctory “I’m sorry Lord.” It means to make an about-face and go in the opposite direction. A follower of Jesus Christ has standards of behavior to live by. Our behavior is supposed to be markedly different from the rest of the world.
The pressure to conform to current society is great. Even many churches are conforming by accepting worldly standards. This is what the church of Pergamum did–they compromised. Compromise is the leaven that will shipwreck your faith. Jesus says to repent. In fact He is very adamant about it. He says “Repent then!”
People of God, now is not the time to play in the world. Now is the time to run back to God and to push further and further into God than ever before. Those whose lives are hidden in Christ in God are the overcomers–and they are the ones who will eat the tree of life, who will be given the white stone….who will have eternal life. Get the leaven out of your life today. Lord help your people conform to YOUR image and not the image of the world!
Blessings everyone…
From the Heart of God... 