Faith weakened through compromise
‘I know what you do. I know your love, your faithfulness, your service, and your patience. I know that you are doing more now than you did at first. But this is what I have against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a messenger of God. By her teaching she misleads my servants into practising sexual immorality and eating food that has been offered to idols.’ (verses 19, 20)
Read Revelations 2: 18-29
Even when we are doing well, and perhaps just because we are doing well, we are subject to temptation and testing and are in danger of falling away. The congregation at Thyatira had a lot going for it. They were faithful in worship, they were active in their deeds of love, and they were patient in suffering. Their activity and growth graph was pointing upwards. But they were not watchful or discerning. They were listening to voices that were contrary to the word of God, and they were tolerating sexual immorality and compromising practices in their midst.
That danger is always present in the church. In a multicultural society we are expected to be tolerant of people who have different beliefs and practices from our own. That is their freedom and right, and in a democracy we highly value that freedom. But as Christians we should not entertain any doctrine or practice that is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is our most precious heritage. The church has survived many persecutions and hardships through the centuries for the very reason that it remained faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
Don’t rest on your laurels when it comes to the Christian faith, and don’t allow yourself to be judged and influenced by the standards of the world around you. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the clear teachings of the holy Scriptures remain the sure foundation and guide for Christian living.
Save me, Lord God, from the perils of being influenced by the changing moods and fashions of human opinion. Keep my life and my behaviour firmly grounded on the teachings of Jesus. Amen.
by Kevin Schmidt, in ‘God’s Peace for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2005)
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