Jesus sees and knows his Church.
In the message to the congregations, Jesus assures the believers that he knows his Church; he does not only know about her. To know his Church means he is with her and among the congregations wherever they are. To each of the seven assemblies, Jesus says, “I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance.” Revelation 2:2, NET. Jesus is not criticizing the assemblies for their actions and labor. He, in a way, commands the congregations for their efforts. Revelation 2:2 – 3. They did not accept anyone who came to them with a good-sounding story. They investigated those who claimed to be apostles and found they were liars. The Judaizers relentlessly attacked those who accepted Jesus Christ but did not practice the rules and rituals of traditional Judaism. It is the same today. Many clever and self-proclaimed experts promote well-sounding theories that do not present Jesus Christ as he is.
Jesus does not condemn the churches, denominations, and congregations for what they do. Instead, Jesus objects to the attitude in which the Christians perform their works. He objects to what the various Christian congregations think of themselves. Often, Christian groups promote themselves as ones who “have it.” They have figured it out correctly. They have the only viable answers to all the troubling questions. They have inside knowledge because they are the “remnant” to whom God has given the right Spirit and truth. And He favors them. However, they forget that God loves all people equally. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, not of one group only. There is one Jesus Christ; therefore, there is one Gospel and one truth. Anyone who proclaims a gospel different from what Jesus passed on to the Apostles is a liar and a deceiver of God’s children.
Jesus knows our deepest thoughts and motives; therefore, he knows the basis of our benevolent works before we even perform them. Right actions performed in the flesh could not substitute for a converted and changed mind. A new creation must display a new way of thinking by its new nature in Jesus Christ. The new birth is a radical change in attitude. It is not a change in what and how we do but a fundamental change in how we think. When such a radical change occurs, the deeds of flesh will reflect conformity to the new birth. A believer who performs good works with a wrong attitude, he has fallen into a snare of self-deception.
What does Jesus Christ expect? Read the next blog.
