Spiritual Gifts part 274: satanic tactics designed to steal your crown.

Spiritual Gifts Part 274: satanic tactics designed to steal your crown.

3. Reward:
to each according to his deeds; crowns.
MAT 5:11-12; MAT 10:40-42; LUK 6:35-36; 1CO 3:8-15; COL 3:23-24; JAM 1:12; 2JO 1:8; REV 2:10; REV 22:10-14

At the Bema Seat judgment, the overcoming believers will be promoted.

With the Philadelphia church, “what you have” is the truth in your souls, the word of God.
“you have kept My word”

The Book of Revelation is the textbook of world history from the time of John A.D. 96 to the end of time.

PSA 110:1
The Lord says to my Lord:
"Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

Seven in the Bible is the number of spiritual perfection.

In Rev 2 and 3, we have letters written for the dispensation of the Church-age. The Church-age is located between the two greatest prophecies in history, the first and second Advents of Christ.

Some teach that the seven churches portray seven historical stages that the church would go through.

Others teach that it refers to the seven different types of churches or seven different types of individual believers that live in every generation.

For our purposes, we take the view that the seven churches portray seven different types of individual believers that live in every generation.

1. The Ephesus type believer who has some divine good production but has left their first love, REV 2:1-7.

2. The Smyrna type believer who is willing to accept suffering for blessing, REV 2:8-11.

3. The Pergamum believer is warned about compromising and becoming a stumbling block to others, REV 2:12-17.

4. The Thyatira type of believers tolerate false doctrine and false teaching even though in they have love and faith and service and perseverance, REV 2:18-29.

5. The Sardis types need to "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain," REV 3:1-6.

6. The Philadelphia type who have kept with doctrine and have not denied the Lord's name, REV 3:7-13.

7. The lukewarm Laodicean believer, REV 3:14-22.

With the Philadelphia church, “what you have” is the truth in your souls, the word of God.
“you have kept My word”

“hold fast” =
krateo
to use strength, i.e. seize or retain (literally or figuratively)

krateo =
to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties - 'to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.'

The difficulties are related to the angelic conflict, and our enemies in that struggle: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Each church is coming up against a different tactic of satan to halt the progress of God’s children in winning tactical victories in the angelic conflict.

Wearing down the saints, false apostles (Ephesus)

Suffering and tribulation, blasphemy (Smyrna)

False teaching (Pergamum)

False teaching (Thyatira)

Worldiness (Sardis)

Religion and legalism (Philadelphia)

Wealth and worldiness (Laodicea)