In Revelation chapter two, verse
12 this evening, it says, unto the angel of the church in Pergamos
write, these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with
two edges. The Lord describes himself in
different ways to these different churches in these letters appropriate
to the circumstances and the message to that particular church.
But as we've said before in this study, all of these different
scenarios are applicable to every church everywhere at any given
time. The problems in one of these
churches might be different than they were at that time, and in
another one, they might have the problems that one of the
other ones had before. But we're all susceptible to
all of these things, and most importantly, the Lord Jesus Christ
is all and in all to all of his people, and we need him to be
that. We need him in every circumstance
to be who he is. And to the Ephesian church, for
example, he's the one that holds the seven stars in his right
hand. He had a problem with them losing
their first love. And that's not something to be
taken lightly. There's a thread attached to that in that letter
to them. But it's also comforting to know
that it's his love that saves us, not ours. It's us being in
his hand. That is our hope. And so he presents
himself that way to Smyrna where they were under threat of death
from their enemies. They were under great persecution
and were afraid that they might be killed for the faith. He's
the one who was dead and is alive. He's the beginning and the end.
And that was no doubt comforting to them to hear him presented
in that character particularly. He said to them in that character,
don't be afraid. If you do die for me, be strong,
be faithful, be true to me, and I'll give you a crown of life.
And to this church that had false doctrine in the midst of it,
as we'll see, that was their problem. They had some in their
midst who embraced false doctrine, and to them, he's the sharp two-edged
sword. He's the word of truth. This
is a threat to those who love not the truth, Also a comfort
to those who do We we love to hear him Speak to us in that
character but to those who Were embracing the false doctor there's
a grave warning about them, and we'll see that But this is referring
to Christ the Word the incarnate Living Word Hebrews 412 the Word
of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He describes himself
the same way Paul did there in Hebrews, as the two-edged sword,
he has that two-edged sword. And he's pictured also in the
book of Revelation as having that sword coming out of his
mouth. It's clearly the word, him as the incarnate word, but
his spoken word and his written word, you can't separate him
from his word. It's sharper than any blade that
man could forge, And that just simply means it gets the job
done. A sharp instrument is made for cutting. And if man makes
one, it may cut the mustard and it may not, but when God wills
his sword, it's gonna get it done. It's gonna get the job
done. That's what's clearly taught all through the scripture. It
pierces. When those listeners in Acts 2 heard the gospel, it
says that they were stabbed in their heart. And they said, men
and brethren, what shall we do? And 3,000 souls were saved. that
day because they were stabbed in the heart with the sharp two-edged
sword of God's word, the gospel. It divides and it discerns. People are divided from one another
by the gospel. There's division even among families
because of the gospel. Our Lord said there would be,
and there is. And as Paul was even divided
against himself in Romans 7, there are two Pauls in Romans
chapter 7 that are at war with one another. And all who believe
experienced that same battle. There was a warring against the
flesh against the spirit within the apostle that was not there
until the gospel came. So it's a dividing influence. And it's discerning. The word
of God knows you better than you know you. Only the word of
God can discern. You can't. That's why we trust
his word, we trust what God said about us. If you wanna know yourself,
don't look to yourself, look to the word of God. It's a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of your heart. And you're not, your
heart is deceitful to you and desperately wicked, who can know
it? Well, God does and his word reveals what we are and who he
is. The two edges might well refer
to the fact that the word both destroys and heals, it cuts both
ways. It kills and makes alive. It's
the saver of both life and death, not only in different people,
but in the same person in the case of believers. It both destroys
and heals. Within the elect of God, certainly
in churches, there's division because of the word. There was
at Pergamos. There were those who were faithful.
even in the face of death, and then there were those who had
embraced false doctrine. There was a division. A church
is not a group of people that attend in the same building or
have their name on some list. God's church is those who know
and love the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel. The Lord begins
with all of these churches by saying, I know thy works. And this is interesting. There
are a couple of lessons here. being simply that nothing is
hidden from the Lord. And as we've seen, that can be
a comfort or a fearful thing or a little bit of both. But
also think of it this way, I know your works, he knows we don't. If we wanna know our works, we
need to hear from him. I wonder how many of these churches
would have assessed themselves the way the Lord did. We need
to know the Lord's assessment, not our own. He said, I know
your works. And then he describes it. And
we couldn't have done that without him. We couldn't have perceived
that. And all of these things apply
either as rebuke or as warning or comfort or all of that to
all of his churches. Verse 13, I know thy works and
where thou dwellest. even where Satan's seat is, and
thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even
in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was
slain among you where Satan dwelleth." He said, I know where you live,
it's where it's Satan's seat, it was a terribly wicked place. And he acknowledges that, he
knows that that was That was what they had to deal with. Why
does the Lord start with works? He said, I know thy works in
every case here. Well, he doesn't start with that. He starts with
the church. Tell my angel in the church this. He starts with, you're the congregation
of my chosen elect people, and that's why I'm speaking to you.
He starts with unto him that loved us and washed us from our
sins in his own precious blood. He starts with what he did. for
us and then as he said in Matthew 7 of the false prophets by their
fruits you shall know them and so it is here I know thy works
James said in James 2 18 yea a man may say thou hast faith
and I have works show me thy faith without thy works and I'll
show thee my faith by my works that's the only way you can see
faith is in action The Lord says in this verse, you haven't denied
my faith. And the way he expresses that
is I know your works. They go together. The evidence
of that is what they were doing. They haven't denied the faith.
And that's seen by what they were doing. They were preaching
the gospel. They were holding fast the name
of the Lord. You haven't denied my name, he
said, my character, who I am. You've been true to who I am
in the preaching. It's never that works are meritorious
or have anything to do with our righteousness before God. Christ
is all of our righteousness before God. Good works are a result
of that, not the cause of God's acceptance of us. We're created
in Christ Jesus, not because of good works, but unto good
works. Ephesians 2.8, for by grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God, not of works. lest any man should boast, for
we are his workmanship. It's not about our works, it's
about his work, what he did. We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Even our good works are a good
work of his. We don't look to our works for
any confidence or comfort, we look to Christ alone. If we ever
look to ourselves, we'll be nothing but discouraged. I wanna know
what God says about my works because I want to honor him.
Psalm 139.23, listen to what David cried. Search me, O God,
and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and
see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me, teach me,
guide me in the way everlasting. And notice that all of the works
mentioned, they don't have to do with personal behavior, although
that is mentioned in the letter, but notice in the context in
which it is. And we might well need rebuke
for that, but it all has to do with Christ and honoring him. That's the context of it, both
in the commendations and in the rebukes. He said, you hold fast
my name. You have not denied my faith. Those are the commendations.
They have to do with Christ himself and honoring him. Even under
threat of death, you haven't denied my faith. Even when one
among them was murdered for his faithfulness to Christ, it was
for Christ's sake that this man Antipas was killed. And it was
for Christ's sake that the rest of them persevered in spite of
that. The name of Christ is his attributes,
his character, who he is. They would not compromise regarding
who Christ is. And of course, his work of salvation
is inseparable from his person. Verse 14, but I have a few things
against you because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine
of Balaam. who taught Balak to cast a stumbling
block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed
unto idols, and to commit fornication. So fornication is mentioned there,
but it's in the context of false doctrine. Whenever the truth
of Christ is compromised, it's made manifest in action. Balaam was a false prophet whose
characteristic evil was compromising the truth for personal gain.
And it wasn't so much what Balaam said, it's what he didn't say.
And here's the opposite of Balaam. Sometimes you can define something
by exactly what it's not. Listen to Acts 20, 25 and now.
Behold, I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the
kingdom of God shall see my face no more. This is Paul speaking
to the church at Ephesus. Wherefore, I take you to record
this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." That's
what Balaam did do. He shunned to declare all the
counsel of God because it wasn't popular. It wouldn't have been
beneficial to him. He sacrificed and compromised
the word of God for his own personal gain. But Paul said, I haven't
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed
therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church
of God. To do the same, to be faithful to the word, to all
of the revelation of Christ in his gospel, which he hath purchased
with his own blood, to feed God's church, which he purchased with
his own blood. and then it was just the withholding
of truth that resulted in this horrible sin, idolatry and fornication. Listen to this very carefully,
the gospel of Christ, the truth of God as it's revealed in his
word concerning his son Jesus Christ, our understanding that,
him giving us faith in Christ and having his Holy Spirit within
us to teach us the things of Christ, That's the only thing
keeping us from being absolute monsters. It's the gospel. There's no difference in men.
The difference is made by God. In verse 15, so hast thou also
them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing
I hate. You'll remember the church at
Ephesus was commended because they hated the deeds. of the
Nicolaitans, which God also hates. There were some in Pergamos who
were just the opposite. They held this doctrine. They
embraced the idea of what's called antinomianism, no law. It just
simply means this. It's, again, listen to Romans
6.1. What shall we say then? Shall
we continue in sin that grace may abound? The Nicolaitans would
say yes to that. We're saved by the grace of God,
and so it doesn't matter what we do. God forbid, though, is
the answer that the child of God gives. How shall we that
are dead to sin live any longer therein? What is unthinkable
to the believer, they embraced. The idea that since salvation
is all of grace, it doesn't matter what we do. What we do has nothing
to do with our salvation. Salvation is all of grace. God's
elect being saved by God's free sovereign grace want to honor
him and all they do it does matter to them Not for righteousness
before God Christ is all of our righteousness But because by
his grace we love him Because he first loved us so they were
commended for being true to Christ and rebuked and Warned because
some were embracing false doctrine Which is what? What's false doctrine? It's anti-Christ. It's everything
but Christ. And so as we've said, all of
this has to do, those who know Christ are jealous of his glory
and can't tolerate that, which is contrary to him. If you've
received the love of the truth. Now, if your doctrine is just
that, just doctrine, just head knowledge, just an understanding
of some facts, well, your understanding is unreliable. But if you've
received the love of the truth from God, then nothing else,
everything else will be repulsive to you if you love Christ and
his truth. And that comes from God. You've
got to receive that from God. You don't just figure that out. It's not just a matter of knowing
some things. To know him is more than head knowledge. God given
faith in him and love for him. Verse 16, repent or else I will
come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword
of my mouth. Now this seems to imply that
these were beloved members of the church. These apparently
were some people that they cared about that were embracing this
false doctrine that had fallen into error. Maybe some of their
family, their earthly family, or the church, and the reason
I say that is this, you might think that what the Lord threatens
here, we would want to happen. I'm gonna come fight against
them with my word. You might say, well, good. The truth needs
to be known. But that word against is a dreadful
word. If God be for us, who can be
against us? But if God be against us, I don't
want the Lord fighting against. someone that I love with his
word. And so we remember that the sword
cuts both ways. It's life and death, isn't it?
And so that word against, now this is a warning. It's not kindness to let someone
go on in their error concerning Christ and his gospel. Compromising and tolerance are
not kindnesses. when it comes to the truth of
God. It's not to be tolerated. Paul withstood Simon, Peter,
even to the face when he compromised the gospel of free grace by his
actions. Again, it was by his actions.
It was something that Simon did, that Paul observed in Galatians
chapter two, if you want to read that chapter. That's what our
Lord is teaching in our text now. It's not to be tolerated. That's what he had against them. It might be easy to let it slide,
you know, something like what Simon did there in Galatians
2, just being a matter of where he sat when he ate. It's just
who he sat with one time and then another time he did something
different. And just by that simple action,
there was more to it than that. The issue was how sinners are
justified before God. by grace through faith in Christ
or by the works of the law. That was the issue. And it was
revealed in just a simple action by Simon that he had compromised
on that. And Paul withstood him to the
face. And that's the way it's to be handled now. Verse 17,
he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches. To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone,
and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving
he that receiveth it. Remember, first of all, how it
is that we overcome. It's not by the strength of our
faith or anything, any virtue of ours. First John 5.5, who
is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. Our faith unites us to Christ,
and he wins the victory for us. And there are three precious
promises here to them that believe in Christ, to them that overcome
by faith. Hidden manna, the man is Christ. Christ is that bread that comes
down from heaven, hidden from the world, but given to the elect. It is given unto you. He's all
that we need spiritually and all that we desire. He's our
food, our spiritual food. Meat indeed and drink indeed. We have meat to eat that this
world knows not of. It's hidden manna. He prepares
a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Solomon sang
in 2-4, he brought me to the banqueting house and his banner
over me was love. This is consistent with the theme
of this letter having to do with the word and faithfulness to
it. And also, departure by some from
it. If you ever taste that the Lord
is gracious, you'll never want to eat anything else. Once you've
had the manna from heaven, nothing else will do. And then a white
stone. When the Romans passed judgment
on those who were on trial for whatever offense, they would
cast into a container either a white stone or a black stone
indicating their judgment as to whether the person was to
be condemned or let go. The Romans likely had given a
black stone or a majority of them, however that worked. I
think the different ones that sat in judgment may have each
cast in a stone, whichever one there was most of. It was something
like that. But I suspect Antipas, the one
who had died for his faith in Christ, was given a black stone,
and that's why the Lord refers here. He said, for me, though,
it's a white stone. Whatever this world thinks of
Christ and his gospel, what difference does it make what judgment this
world passes upon us if we're justified in Christ and by Christ. Paul asked in Galatians 1.10,
do I now persuade men or God? Do I seek to please men? For
if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Men may give me a black stone. That doesn't much matter. And
he said this, a new name. We've seen this in several places
in scripture, these names that the Lord gives to his people.
Remember Isaiah 62, we were looking into recently. We saw where the
Lord said, you'll no more be termed forsaken. Neither shall
thy land anymore be termed desolate. But thou shalt be called Hephzibah,
and thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee, and
thy land is married. We also are called in Jeremiah
33, 16, the Lord, our righteousness, the same name that he's given.
Also in the book of Jeremiah, the Lord, our righteousness.
I can't be sure specifically to what this refers here in our
text, but one of my favorite things that the Lord calls us,
his people, his elect is in Isaiah 43, one. But now thus saith the
Lord that created the old Jacob, you worm Jacob. And he that formed
thee, O Israel, he uses both names, Jacob, worm, supplanter,
wretch. But God changed his name to Israel,
didn't he? Prince with God, he said, you've
prevailed with God. And look, he said, fear not,
for I have redeemed thee and I've called thee by thy name.
Thou art And I never looked at it this way, whether he was actually
telling him what his name is. I've called you by your name.
You are mine. That's my name. And this name is in the stone
because it is because Christ is our righteousness and justification. We have the white stone from
him because in him we're just like him, we're perfect, we're
spotless, without blemish before God. And it's for that reason
that our old name is no longer appropriate. Now that we bear
his name and wear his robe and eat at his table, amen.