"Working And Tolerating"

"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."  Revelation 2:19,20

 

For the last several days we have been talking about using our God-given authority and the control we have over things/sins/attitudes in our own lives.  We said that we don't have to allow certain things to control us.  We said they only can if we relinquish control and give them that authority.  We said the way that happens is by not taking authority over then but permitting them to stay in our lives-- co-habatating with them.  We also said the root of why we allow them is lack of faith and trust in God.  We gave examples of what happens if we allow them to stay and if we take authority over them through the Bible story of David and Goliath.  We also learned that if we don't take authority over them, they will take authority over us and wind up destroying us.  Today I want to bring out one last point on the subject.  We are going to look at this from God's perspective.

 

The church of Thyatira had a lot going for it.  The Lord commended them for their works, charity, service, faith and patience.  They did much good.  But He had something against them.  They "suffered"-- which means:  to allow, permit, to allow one to do as he wishes, not to restrain, to let alone, tolerate-- something that God did not permit.  What He had against them was the very thing we have been talking about all week.  They permitted the wrong spirit to influence and lead them.  They listened to a leader who appealed to their flesh and manipulated them to compromise.  They allowed false doctrine.  They were swayed by lies and sin.  They compromised with sin and error.  They were involved in sexual immorality.  They were compromising Godly standard.  They were involved in idolatry-- they had begun to put other things before God.  They were being led by false reasoning.  They rejected the Lord's authority.

 

As a result, God would bring judgment upon their sin if they did not repent.  The judgment described in the scriptures is very serious-- it even involves death if not repented of.  We may tolerate sins, etc., but God will not tolerate it.  Why?  Because He loves us and is jealous over us with a pure love.  He will not tolerate it because He knows it will destroy us in the long run.  He does not tolerate it because He is the only one who deserves our worship-- because He is the only one who died for us so that we can live. 

 

You may be doing wonderful works, great works, commendable works for the Lord but if you are tolerating/allowing/co-existing with those things in your life that God hates, that God condemns, that God does not permit, that God calls sin, that are contrary to His Word, His standard of living and Christ-like character, then you need to repent.  It is not a light thing with Him.  It is serious.  Just look at Thyatira if you don't believe it is.

 

Have a great day.  Your good works and deeds won't be enough to save you if you are tolerating sin and ungodly attitudes in your life.