PHILADELPHIA
[p. 358] PHILADELPHIA
I desire to point out what I think is indicated in this epistle. We get in it a return to the true relations between the church and Christ, and that is a very great thing. We get the attitude of Christ toward the church, and the attitude of the church toward Christ. Two things mark this return: one is, “Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name”; and the other is, “I will make them ... to know that I have loved thee”. Now it is very interesting to see this coming to light just at the close of the church’s history, to see the indication of a return of first principles. Philadelphia represents in the Lord’s eyes the whole church; when He says, “I will make them ... to know that I have loved thee”, that is true of the entire church. The church was left here to be for Christ — to display the characteristics of Christ, not to acquire a renown of her own. She was the depositary of the truth, to keep His word and not to deny His name. She was to be separate from the world. If there is no separation, there is no holiness. Holiness can only be preserved in separation from the contamination of the world, as we get in 2 Corinthians 6, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord”. The church characteristically is a company where His word is kept, and His name is not denied. It is a great thing to be found here faithful to the word of Christ, and walking here in rigid separation from all that is unworthy of His name.
I am bound to be exclusive. If there is a company of Christians who are keeping His word and not denying His name, it is a service to the whole church, because it maintains the standard. “I have loved thee”. It is everything to get back to the sense of the [p. 359] love of Christ to the church. If you want to be devoted to Christ, you must come under the influence of His love. If I may say so, what we lack is real devotedness of heart to Christ. In verse 10 we get a positive promise: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation”. There may be a company in the truth of Philadelphia, but the promise applies to the whole church. The hour of temptation will try the dwellers upon earth. You cannot help dwelling on the earth, but morally you can be out of it.
“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out”. It is a very great thing to have given up the idea of having any renown down here. I do not think our place is renown, the proper place of the church is death to all that is here. We cannot take a step without it. We shall have renown, because we shall be publicly identified with Christ in all these things promised to the overcomer. If we give up church-distinction here, we shall have it in the millennium, we shall be renowned in His renown.
“I will write upon him my new name”. It is what He is in relation to the church. It is a very great thing that there should be a company here who are true to Christ, and who realise that the church is the object of His love. The one thing is that our souls should be brought under the influence and power of His love. It will make us devoted. The Lord give us to be of that company who keep His word and do not deny His name, and to have a deeper sense of His love to the church — the pearl of great price. “He went and sold all that he had and bought it”. Just as the love of God produces confidence in Him, so the love of Christ produces devotedness to Him.