Revelation 2:9-11 (AMP)
I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty--but you are rich! and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death.
Listen defined:
• To pay attention to something and take it into account.
Many times we hear God but are we listening with the intent to do. In order to be faithful one must first hear instruction. How can a person be faithful or loyal if they won’t listen? Faithfulness is partner to passion. If a person is not passionate about a cause they are generally not faithful to it. When a husband or wife lose their passion or excitement about each other and their marriage vows they will soon become unfaithful. When a person is passionate about something it usually is a priority to them. When something is priority you will fight for it. God said you would be willing to die for it. The cause of Christ is a greater priority then our feeling during a time of persecution or suffering.
Faithfulness is a fruit of the spirit therefore it cannot be accomplished in the flesh. The bible says that the flesh profits nothing. A person can never be faithful to anything or anybody apart from God. God enables us by His grace to be faithful unto death. That’s why when people make promises out of their flesh thy soon renege.
I believe being faithful unto death speaks more than just about physical death. I believe it is also speaking of dying to self in order to be faithful to God. We must deny fleshly desires and lust and cleave to God. We must be faithful to God above our feelings and selfish thoughts and ways. Jesus said if any man will come after me let him first deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. When something is important to us we will chose it over other things. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. How can we say that we love God or others when we habitually are unfaithful to them? Unfaithfulness is a characteristic of love of self or selfishness.
We must be willing to suffer for godliness rather than deny Christ.There is nothing we could go through or suffer on this earth that would be worth being unfaithful to Him.
God knows our struggles here on the earth and therefore He has given us access to everything we need to win in this life.
2Peter 1:3-4
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Remember to be faithful to the one who has never been unfaithful to you! God is forever faithful.
Amen*
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