Philadelphia was a city midway between Sardis and Laodicea located on a Roman mail route that looped through the part of Asia Minor today known as Turkey. Having written to five cities, Jesus is now addressing the city of Philadelphia. In Revelation 3:7-13 we find John recording the Lord’s Words concerning the spiritual condition of the “city of love.” He begins by giving a powerful and direct command to those who call themselves by His name relative to their “walk”–their lifestyles.

Jesus introduces Himself as “… He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David, He that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens.” Note that He begins by calling Himself “holy.” Throughout both Old and New Testaments He is held up as the One God-seekers are to look to as their life’s pattern. He is the Example we are command to emulate in word, thought and deed. This command is graphically voiced in 1 John 2:6: “He that says he abides in Him–professes to be a Christian–ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” This is the goal one must be diligently “walking” toward if one is to have any hope for salvation (1 Thes. 5:8). See Hope and Salvation. We all fail, but sin should be so rare that it sends a spiritual shock through us, causing us to immediately go to the Father in self-revulsion, begging for forgiveness. Also, we must use God’s definition of sin, not religious man’s watered-down version.

Notice that in John’s first letter to the church he says that IF, not when, we sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus the righteous (1 Jn. 2:1). Contrary to universal church opinion, Jesus did not die so that church people could sin and get away with it. Rather, He died to provide His saints with the Spiritual power necessary to overcome Satan’s temptations and to walk in victory over him. Only those who do so will join Him in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:21). Few, He warned in Matthew 7:13,14, would that walk. The “I am (present tense) just a sinner saved by grace” crowd will not be among those sitting with Him on His throne as He tells us through John’s epistles: “And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that says, ‘I know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the Truth is not in him.” The Counterfeit Church has nailed those commandments to the cross, thereby declaring them null and void. “Whosoever abides in Him sins not; whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither knows Him. Little children, let no man deceive you; he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that commits sin is of the devil. Whosoever is born of God (not born again) does not commit sin, for His seed (Word) remains in Him and he cannot sin (“can”–dunamai-has power to/ “not”–ou-no, no, absolutly not, under no circumstances). “Cannot” (dunamaiou) means that one can sin but refuses to do so. The Counterfeit Church denies these Scriptures, declaring them irrelevant. She also declares that those who believe them are delusional and live outside the realm of reality. This describes the prophets, Jesus, the apostles and the few who believe the Scriptures today. I happily admit to being of that number. To be continued. L.J.