The Church of Philadelphia has a peculiarly interesting character. Nothing is said of its works; but what is interesting in it is, that it is peculiarly associated with Christ himself. Christ, in the last three Churches, is not seen in the character in which he walked in the midst of the Churches; but in such as faith peculiarly recognizes when ecclesiastical, organization has become the hotbed of corruption. Here it is the personal character; what he is intrinsically—holy and true; what the word displays and requires. and what the Word. of God is in itself—moral character “and, faithfulness. Indeed, this last word includes all; faithfulness to God within and without, according ‘to what is revealed; and faithful to make good all he has declared, Christ is known as the Holy One. Then outward ecclesiastical associations or pretensions will not do. There must be what suits his nature, and faithful consistency with that word, which he will certainly make good.
With this he has the administration, and opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens. ‘See what his path was on earth; only then graciously dependent’ as we are. He was holy and true; to man’s view had a little strength, kept the word—lived, by every word that proceeded out of God’s lips—waited patiently for the Lord, and to him the porter opened. Ile lived in the last days of a dispensation, the Holy and the True One, rejected, and to human eye, failing in success with those who said they were Jews, but were the synagogue of Satan. So the saints here; they walk in, a place like his; they keep his word; have a, little strength; are not marked by a Pauline energy of the Spirit, but do not deny his name: that is the. character and motive of all their conduct. It is openly confessed, the word kept, the name not denied. It seems little, but in universal decline, much pretension and ecclesiastical claims, and many falling away to man’s reasonings, keeping the word of him that is holy and true, and not denying his name, is everything; And this element is noticed Christ, the Holy, and True One, is waiting. Here on earth he waited patiently for Jehovah. It is the character of perfect faith. Faith has a double character-energy, which overcomes; and patience, which waits for God and trusts him, (See the first in Hebrews 11:23-34; the latter, Hebrews5: 8-12.) It is the latter which is found here; t the word of patience kept. But as regards the former substantive qualities, keeping the word and not denying Christ’s name, though with a little—strength, in presence of ecclesiastical pretensions to a successional; God-established religion, promises were given. Christ would force these pretentious claimants to Divine succession to come and own that he had loved those who kept his word. An open door was given at present, and no man could’ shut it—just as the porter had opened to him—so that, scribes, and Pharisees, and priests could, not hinder it. In the future they would have to own themselves humbled; that those who followed the word of the Holy and True One were those he had loved. Meanwhile, his approbation was sufficient. This was the test of faith, to be satisfied with his approbation content with the authority of his word. But there was a promise, also, as to the Lord’s judgments in the earth. Christ is waiting till his enemies be made his footstool. We must wait for it to see the world set right. We have to go on where the god of this world has his way, though under Divine limitation. The thought that good is to have its rights in this world, is to forget the cross and Christ. We cannot have our rights till he has, for we have none but his Judgment, since Pilate had it, and Christ was the righteous One before him, has not yet returned to righteousness. Till then, Christ waits, though, at the right hand of God, and we wait.
It is not persecution and martyrdom, as in Smyrna. It is as hard a task, perhaps, or, at any rate, our task now; patience and contentedness with Christ’s, approbation, keeping his word, nor denying his name. But there were other and blessed encouragements. There was an hour of temptation coming upon all the world, to try those who belonged to earth, who dwelt there as belonging to it. Some might be spared, victorious in the trial; but those who kept the word of Christ’s patience would be kept from it. On the whole world it would come; and where were they—out of the world. They had not belonged to it when in it. They had been waiting for Christ to take his power, waiting his time to have the world: They belonged to heaven to him who was there; and they would be taken to be with him, when the world was to be in a time of terrible, trial.
There was a special time before he took his power; and not only would, they reign with him in result, they would be kept from that hour, and had the assurance of it in the time of their trial. And hence the Lord points them to his coming as their hope; not as warning; that unrepentant, they would be treated as, the world when he appeared. He came quickly, and they were to look for the crown then, holding fast what they had, feeble, but spiritually associated with him as they were, lest anyone should take it. We have now the general promise in heavenly places, ‘marked by special association’ with Christ; and they are publicly owned in that in which they seemed on earth, to have nothing. Others had the pretension to be the people of God, the city of God, to have Divine, religious title; these were only consistent with his word, and they waited for Christ. Now, when Christ takes his power, when things are real according to him in power, they have it according to God. It was the cross and contempt below; it is the display of God’s name and heavenly city above. Let us examine the promise to the overcomers here. He who had but a little strength is a pillar in the temple of the God, in whom and with whom he is blessed. He was held perhaps, for outside the ecclesiastical unity and order. He is a pillar in it in heaven, and will go no more out. On him, who was hardly owned to have a part in grace, has the name of his rejected Savior’s God been stamped publicly in glory; he who was hardly accounted to belong to the Holy. City, has its heavenly name written on him too, and Christ’s new name—the name not known to prophets and Jews according to the flesh, but which he has taken as dead to this world, where the false churchapter settles down, and risen into heavenly glory.
The careful association with Christ is striking here, and gives its character to the promise. “The temple of my God,” says Christ; “the name of my God, of the city of my God, my new name.” Associated in Christ’s own patience, Christ confers upon him what fully associates him in his own blessing with God.
This is of peculiar blessing, and full of encouragement for us. —An Extract.