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IS ETERNAL SECURITY POSSIBLE? - ENDTIMES CHAT with GJ and DAN 

Jesus says, “Write this to the angel of the church of Philadelphia.”

“This is the message from the one who is holy and true.” Rev.3:7

These two attributes, holy and true, are used to describe the Lord in Revelation 6:10 by the martyrs who appeal to God regarding His revenge on those who killed them and thought they would get away with it. God’s holiness demands justice be done, and the fact that He is true (genuine/faithful) demonstrates that His character can be relied upon. Justice will come in God’s timing.

The POWER of Jesus Christ has already won. He has the ultimate authority and control over heaven and the treasures there.

Because God is holy (will not lie) and because He is true (totally reliable), we can trust Him to reward us wonderfully when we respond to Him.

Rev 3:7 goes on, “the One who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.”

The “Key of David” is referred to in Isaiah 22:20-25. A man called Eliakim, who was the manager in King Hezekiah’s household, was able to open and shut the doors that led into the treasures of the King. Jesus is the one who holds the Key of David, and opens and shuts the door into His Messianic Kingdom. If the “door” is the symbol of opportunity and entrance, then the “key” is the symbol of authority and control.

Revelation 3:8 continues, "“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”

Jesus knows all of the things that we do that are in obedience to Him and he also knows all the things that we do that are not. This is seen in his words, “I know all the things you do.” The city of Philadelphia and the church there were located in a strategic city — a gateway to many areas of the ancient world. This was a city dedicated to the spread of Greek language and culture. What made this group of believers in Philadelphia so special that they would receive such a wonderful encouragement from Jesus? Three reasons are given, and they can be strong recommendations for us today.

Dependence on the Lord’s strength.

They were not the strongest Christians in the empire nor the most influential. They did not have great numbers of people, nor outstanding leaders or unusual talents. But their “little strength” brought encouragement from Jesus himself.

Dedication to God’s Word.

They guarded the Word of God in such a way as to bring a commendation from Jesus. They were loyal to God, proving the validity of their faith. Obedience to God’s Word is still proof of our love for Jesus (John 14:21, James 1:22-25).

Devotion to the Lord Himself.

They were loyal to the name and character of Jesus as they did not deny His name. They believed that Jesus is God in human flesh and that to deny His true nature means that you are not a believer and that you have the spirit of antichrist.

The Church in Philadelphia was the only one out of seven that did not receive a rebuke. As a matter of fact, they received and will receive divine protection. This is a security that no one can take away. But as we will see in a few weeks in part 2 of the Church of Philadelphia, the church had directions on how to keep this security.

PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.