THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCH IN REVELATION – PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

In approximately AD 96, during his exile to the island of Patmos John the Apostle received instructions to record what Jesus revealed to him in a book (Revelation), including seven letters to seven congregations in Asia minor (Revelation 2-3; see the map below).  The Table below summarizes the messages to these congregations, highlighting Jesus praise (commendation), reproof (condemnation), exhortation (counsel) and promised reward to the overcomer (compensation).

Table summarizing Revelation 2-3

Church	Character	Commendation	Condemnation	Counsel	Compensation
Ephesus	Loveless	Patiently enduring persecution, hate deeds of false teachers	Left your first love	Repent, do again your 1st works	Eat of Tree of Life
Smyrna	Persecuted	Rich in faith and good works in spite of tribulation and hypocrites	NONE	Be faithful unto death	Receive crown of life, not be hurt of second death
Pergamos	Compromising	Held firm to Jesus’ name and did not deny the faith	Tolerance of Nicolaitanes, Balaamism, compromise,idolatry, and immorality	Repent	Receive hidden manna, white stone, new name
Thyatira	Tolerance	Love, faith, patience, and good works	Tolerance of Jezebel,idolatry, immorality	Hold fast what you already have	Power over nations, Morning Star
Sardis	Dead	A few are not defiled	Dead works	Watch, strengthen what remains, hold fast, repent	White raiment, keep name in Book of Life
Philadelphia	Faithful	Kept the Word and not denied Jesus	NONE	Hold fast to the faith	Pillar in temple, keep from hour of temptation Have name of God
Laodicea	Lukewarm	NONE	Lukewarm, spiritually poor, blind, and naked	Secure gold tried in fire, white raiment, eyesalve, be zealous, repent	Sit with Christ on His throne and eat with H

 

Personal reflection questions

Considering the table above, prayerfully consider what Jesus would (1) write to your personally  or (2) to your congregation, would he write a letter such as the seven in Revelation 2-3:

1.a) Which of these commendations (or praises) could be said of you personally?  Why would you say so?

1.b) Which of these condemnations (or rebukes) convict your own heart? Why do you say so?

1.c) What will you do in response to this conviction?

2.a) Which of these commendations (or praises) could be said of your congregation as a whole?  Why would you say so?

2.b) Which of these condemnations (or rebukes) would be most for your congregation as a whole? Why do you say so?

2.c) In response to your answer above (2.b) what could you do to reform your congregation in response to your convictions above?

Prayer

Pray as the Lord leads you (a) for yourself and (b) for your congregation, and pray that you may be a bright light for Christ in your community.

 

Covenant 3 – The Old and The New

The aim of this devotional study is to reflect on Paul’s comparison between the Old and the New Covenant.

Observations

2 Corinthians 3:6-18

6  [God] has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7  Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8  will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.

10  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.  11  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.  12  Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,  13  not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.

14  But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  15  Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.  16  But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Observations and reflections

Context:  Paul contrasts the New Covenant in Christ to the Old Covenant through Moses.  It is helpful to consider announcements of the two covenants as in these two cases

Exodus 31:18  And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Jeremiah 31:33  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, they my people.

1. Read through 1 Corinthians 3 and make a comparative table

Old Covenant	New Covenant
Letter	?
Kills	?
Ministry of death	?
On stone	?
Temporal glory	?
Ministry of condemnation	?
No glory	?
Shame of fading glory	?

2. What does Paul mean with the phrases “ministry of condemnation” and “ministry of righteousness”?
3. Jeremiah’s prophesy promised “the law within them… [written] on their hearts”? [Jeremiah 31:33] How?
4. What was the basis of the Old Testament? (What was the conditions of the Old Covenant or Pledge?) How was it managed?
5. What is the basis of the New Testament (or the New Covenant) according to this Scripture? How is it managed?
6. What does Paul say about the glory between the Old and New covenants? What does that mean?
7. What is the sign of the New Covenant at work? (v17)

Personal reflection

In which ways can you identify the following in your relationship with God:

A. “condemnation”: a feeling of being in trouble when you are found to behave wrong.

vs “righteousness”: a sense of being tested and approved of, being found acceptable

B. “law on stones”: measuring yourself based on what you are taught in Mosaic Law

vs “law on heart”: testing your motives based on the conviction of the Spirit

C. “ministry of death”: fear of failing God’s standards and threat of hell

vs “ministry of life”: anticipation for Jesus’ return to receive the fullness of our salvation – life with God forever

D. “veiled by Moses”: all you know about God is what he expects through the knowledge of the Law

vs “freedom in the Spirit”: a relational knowledge of God’s heart and will through the Holy Spirit.

Application and prayer

Considering your answers above, pray to God for a revelation of the New Covenant in Christ, assuring God’s satisfaction and our forgiveness and righteousness based on His shed blood.

This worship song will greatly enhance your time of prayer and reflection. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI]

Salvation 11

The aim of this module is to grow in understanding and appreciation for the fullness by which God saved us in the death of his Son Jesus Christ.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:1-21

1  For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3  if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

4  For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.  5  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6  So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7  For we walk by faith, not by sight.

8  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  9  Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences…

14  For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Observation

There are several terms used to describe a certain part of the process by which God saves us.  Consider the following terms with a simplified definition of each.

• Eternal life describes both life without end in days, as well as the experience with which we live to the fullness without reservation – the very life of God.
• Glorification refers to the fullness of our salvation we will receive when Christ returns to deliver us of the presence of sin and Satan and transform our bodies to resemble his.
• Identification means to identify with the position of another: Christ identified with us in our humanity and carried the punishment of our sins – even death; we in turn identify with his righteousness and life.
• Inheritance refers to what we will partake of as children of God, that which is rightly ours as children of God – both now and when Christ returns to take us to him.
• Justification is a legal term meaning that no fault (or sin) is found in the accused.
• Condemnation is a legal term which implies that the accused is found guilty and has been sentenced for punishment.
• Reconciliation means to arbitrate and bring peace between two parties.
• Regeneration or recreation means to bring to life, to make new.
• Repentance means a 180 degree turn-around in will, attitude and behavior – to go the other way. Biblically it is used to mean one turns from sin towards God’s way of life.
• Righteousness refers to what is right in the sight of God, and is often spoken of as a garment by which we are clothed to appear pure before God.
• Substitution or propitiation with regard to our salvation refers to another who takes the punishment of sin on our behalf.

Now read through the text again and fit each of the following verses with one (or two) of these salvation terms that fit best.

• V1 ————–
• V2 ————–
• V3 ————–
• V5 ————–
• V10 either ————– or ————–
• V11 ————–
• V14 ————–
• V15 ————–
• V17 ————–
• V18 ————–
• V20 ————–
• V21 ————–

Application and Prayer

Which verses in today’s sccspeak the clearest to your conscience today?  Why does it press on your heart?  Spend some time to pray to God about that aspect of your salvation.  Then make time to worship God for this great gift of salvation in his Son Jesus Christ!