The church in Philadelphia, like the one in Smyrna, receives a letter in which Jesus does not bring any complaints. Jesus commends this church for its faithfulness to His word in face of Jewish opposition, and encourages them by several reminders of the spiritual strengths and blessings that are theirs both now and in the age to come. Christ continues to make this congregation useful for the gospel and His glory even though they are a struggling congregation. They may be feeling weary, and may be viewed by the world as weak, unsuccessful, and irrelevant, but in Christ and according to His promise they are conquerors wearing crowns of victory, viewed by Christ as pillars in the temple, and are citizens of the New Jerusalem . The world and even other professors may disown us but God places His mark of ownership on us. This letter encourages us to look upon our congregation through the eyes of faith. Success, reward, acceptance, usefulness, strength, and wealth all need to be evaluated by the standards of our Lord. We may appear to be weak and small, but it is in our weakness that the Lord of the Church is shown to be strong. |
