Passage Read: Revelation 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:24-25
Thought
There are a number of different false teachers mentioned in this chapter, but they all seem to have one thing in common: They justify sexual immorality and lead the church into this sin. They bring some new teaching, here called "Satan's so-called deep secrets," some supposedly hidden knowledge that turns all the rest of God's Word on its head. The Truth condemns sexual immorality, so anyone who comes as a teacher and permits sexual immorality is a false teacher, an unbeliever, a servant of Satan. How can a believer be led astray by such patently false teaching? The pull of the flesh is strong. Even God's elect can stumble, but God's elect will repent, otherwise there would be no need to warn them. Those that refuse to repent, however, will be lost; they do not belong to Jesus Christ.
Application
There is no missing knowledge that can overthrow what is already written. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and so also the Holy Spirit. He doesn't change His mind, especially in any teaching that has remained consistent from Old to New Testament. So He will not change a thousand or two thousand years after the last book of canon. Any "newly discovered" teaching that contradicts any consistent teaching of Scripture is from the devil, not from God, and it should be treated as such. Anything that permits what Scripture rebukes is demonic and should be condemned. Any teaching that suddenly allows me to follow my flesh is not from God. And if I stand firm on God's true Word, I too will share in the promises given to these churches. I'd rather have those promises, than the pleasures of sin for a short time and after that, eternal torment!