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This week on Tell the Truth, we continued our journey through the book of Revelation, diving into the letter to the church at Thyatira.

Still in the Church Age

Before we jumped into the text, we wanted to remind everyone where we are in Revelation. Right now, we’re still in the church age in the book of Revelation, with another chapter to go. After chapter three, we’ll see the church in heaven in chapter four, which takes place after the tribulation. Then the tribulation here on earth will start. But for now, Christ is still speaking directly to the churches.

The Promise to Overcomers

We also recapped the beautiful promise from the previous week’s passage: “To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on that stone be written a new name that no one can understand except the one who receives it.” This is the new name given to us by Christ—a deeply personal and intimate promise to those who overcome.

Living Out God’s Word

We opened in prayer with a powerful reminder that God’s Word isn’t just meant to stay in book form. Through the Holy Spirit, God writes His living Word in our hearts so that it lives in us. The things we do and say may not be an exact quote from the Bible, but they should mirror the Word of God. We can only accomplish this by studying Scripture and spending time in prayer.

Our prayer for this podcast remains constant: that the truth of God’s Word would penetrate hearts, direct the church, and guide our families—moms, dads, husbands, and wives—to be godly men and women who follow Christ with passion and compassion.

The Perfect Church… With a Problem

When we examined Christ’s words to Thyatira, we discovered something remarkable. Jesus commends them for their works, their love, their faith, their service, their patience, and their endurance through dark times. Even more impressive, their works had actually increased over time. This sounds like the perfect church!

When Good Works Aren’t Enough

But here’s where we discussed the challenge many modern churches face. Churches can get so focused on the works—showing up every Sunday, every Wednesday, all the kids’ programs, revivals, and special events—that they lose sight of something critical. They work hard at making everyone feel welcome and comfortable, inviting anyone to come in and sit down, making them feel like family.

We talked about how churches can look back at everything they’re doing and think, “Look at us! We’re working hard. We’ve got faith. We’re faithful to show up.” But Jesus was about to deliver one of the harshest rebukes to any of the seven churches—and it came right after acknowledging all these good things they were doing.

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Join us next week as we continue exploring the letters to the seven churches in Revelation!

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Episode 62: Revelation 2 – Smyrna and Pergamum

This week on Tell the Truth, we dove deep into a critical issue that plagued the early church and continues to challenge believers today: the misunderstanding of grace as a license to sin.

The Nicolaitan Heresy

We explored how the Apostle Paul addressed a dangerous teaching that twisted the concept of grace. Some were saying, “Let us sin more so that grace may abound” – essentially the core belief of the Nicolaitans. This heresy suggested that because we’re saved by grace, we can do whatever we want. But as we discussed, this completely misses the heart of Jesus’s message.

Jesus’s Consistent Command

One of the most striking patterns we examined was how Jesus consistently told those He forgave: “Go and sin no more”. Every single time Jesus forgave someone, healed them, or directly interacted with them, this command followed. It wasn’t just a casual suggestion – it was central to His teaching.

What’s remarkable is how quickly even the early church began to forget this. We talked about how believers – barely a century removed from Christ – were already saying, “Well, we have this grace thing. We’re not under the law anymore”. They were dropping the ball on Jesus’s clear directive almost immediately.

Eternal Perspective

We also reflected on the sobering reality of the “second death” mentioned in Revelation – the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment. As D.L. Moody wisely said, “He who is born once will die twice; he who is born twice will die once”. This reminder challenges us to consider: we know death is coming, so what are we doing while we’re waiting?

Grace is amazing, transformative, and free – but it’s never a license to continue in sin. Join us as we continue exploring what it means to live faithfully in light of God’s truth while studying Revelation Chapter 2 in the letters to the leaders in Smyrna and Pergamum.