PERSEVERE THROUGH PERSECUTION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I know the evil things said against you by those who claim to be Jews but are not; they are a group that belongs to Satan! Don't be afraid of anything you are about to suffer. Listen! The Devil will put you to the test by having some of you thrown into prison, and your troubles will last ten days. Be faithful to Me, even if it means death, and I will give you life as your prize of victory.

“If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.”

Revelation 2:9b-11 GNT

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The Christian church of Smyrna, like many other first century churches trying to establish themselves among cultures with more established religious systems, face persecution. We know this through the words of Jesus Himself as He speaks through John in a letter found in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation. Here’s what we read in second half of verse 9 through verse 11:

“I know the evil things said against you by those who claim to be Jews but are not; they are a group that belongs to Satan! Don't be afraid of anything you are about to suffer. Listen! The Devil will put you to the test by having some of you thrown into prison, and your troubles will last ten days. Be faithful to Me, even if it means death, and I will give you life as your prize of victory.”

“If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.”

The matter of being mistreated for believing in Jesus wasn’t something new. Our Savior made it clear that it was coming while He walked the earth during His ministry in the flesh. Here’s what He said in the Gospel of John:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” 15:18-20a

Satan hates that He has already been defeated by Jesus but He really hates that this victory ends up extending to anyone who places their belief in Jesus. This is why he works so hard to persecute the church with the goal of eliminating any Gospel spreading, disciple making work. It happened in the day of the church of Smyrna and it has continued to our present times.

Who were the perpetrators of the Satan-driven persecution Jesus speaks of in our passage, those who spoke “evil things” against the church and its members?

We read where He identifies them as “those who claim to be Jews but are not”, a group that belonged to Satan himself.  Through them, Jesus promised that the devil would put the Smyrna church “to the test” with some members of the body even “thrown into prison”, a finite trouble that would “last ten days”. But note that Jesus assures that this momentary hardship and persecution would lead to a blessing. For we find Him making the following promise of encouragement:

“Be faithful to Me, even if it means death, and I will give you life as your prize of victory”...and...“Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.”

The call here is to persevere through persecution by keeping one’s eye on the cross and the saving, redeeming work Jesus did there to bring the victory to anyone who places their trust in Him as the Savior of the world. This meant victory for the Christians in Smyrna and it means victory for all Christian believers today. Through Christ, His disciples “will not be hurt by the second death” (aka Hell) which we read about at the end of this book in chapter 20:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Vv. 11-15

All Jesus followers will have their names found in the very book of life which validates them as a true child of God and a co-heir with Christ to the very Kingdom of Heaven (Romans 8:14-17). Yes, in this worldly existence, Christians can expect to face persecution from Satan and those who prescribe to his will and way but in the end, they win and gain the ultimate prize of victory where they will live with their Creator God and the Son He sent to bring salvation, forever.

As Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, thanks be to God for the indescribable gift of His Son Jesus (9:15).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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