It Is Finished Audio
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
Revelation Friday Night Bible Study 04APR25 (Revelation 2:1-7)
Continued from last week...
Jesus required the church of Ephesus to repent so they would be in righteous standing with him. The same message of repentance is important for today because many self-professed believers think they will slide their unrighteous ways into Heaven, but this will never be. Sin will not enter in. Jesus did, however, commend them for not putting up with the teachings of the Nicolaitans.
The name Nicolas is derived from the Greek and means to subdue and conquer. Nicolas was one of seven men chosen and anointed to help run matters at the church. “Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith” (Acts 6:5). Some of the early church fathers contend that Nicolas had come from a pagan background, but he converted to Judaism and later to Christianity, as established in the New Testament. He would have undertaken fleshly circumcision, as required by the Mosaic law, but had later undergone a spiritual circumcision at the time of his appointment as a deacon.[1] However, early church writers describe Nicolas as combining Christianity, Gnosticism, and paganism in the church, thus bringing a spirit of compromise, which was like cancer growing within the church, causing sin and ungodliness. Followers of this sect taught a religion of secret knowledge for salvation instead of through Christ alone, a dualistic worldview of Christianity without change, God as impersonal, etc. Some early church leaders recorded some Nicolonian sects as having their false apostles who served as missionaries and prophets but were driven out by the church of Ephesus.[2] Some leaders even accused the Nicolatians of endorsing sinful indulgences by misappropriating the grace message, which led some to believe that the Apostle Jude was referring to the Nicolatians in his book. The Bible says: “For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4).
Unfortunately, the spirit of the Nicolatians is found in most of today’s churches. Many houses of worship want to be like the world, act like the world, talk like the world, dress like the world, and model themselves after the world while straddling the fence of Christianity. This, however, is not acceptable to Christ, and one must choose who they are going to serve – Christ or Satan. There are no in-betweens. Those who had the ear to listen to the Spirit would be victorious in the end and have a right to the Tree of Life.
Let’s address the main error within the church of Ephesus. They had lost their first love. Therefore, here are a few tips to renew our relationship with Christ.
1.) Rewire your brain and reflect on what brought you to Christ. The field of psychology often helps people rewire their brains to foster healthy relationships with others, resulting in more purposeful and meaningful connections. The Bible says: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee” (Proverbs 23:7). We must ask the Lord to help our minds to be sold out for Him where we will not grow weary and dim doing the things of the Lord.
2.) Be purposeful in spending time with the Lord. As with any healthy relationship, spending quality time with a person helps build trust and allows the parties to get to know one another. The Lord desires that we spend quality time with Him in study and prayer. The Bible says: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (1 Chronicles 16:11).
3.) Pray for enthusiasm in serving the Lord. Enthusiasm is crucial for a relationship to thrive. The Lord wants us to be excited about being in a healthy relationship with Him and not take Him and His goodness for granted. The Bible says: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:1-2).
4.) Be honest and communicate with the Lord first and foremost. A healthy relationship requires good communication and prioritization. The Lord does not want to be put on the backburner, but He wants to reign supreme in our lives. The Bible says: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). As with any relationship, we must make the person whom we profess to love or care about a priority in our lives. Therefore, the Lord expects the same and will not take a backseat to any other gods.
Think about ways to please the Lord daily. One way to avoid complacency in our relationship with God is to always have Him on our minds where we aim to continuously do things daily to please Him. The Bible says: “Bearing fruit in good works and increasing in your knowledge of God are pleasing to God” (Colossians 1:10).[1] Sara Louisas, "What Were The Doctrine And Works Of The Nicolaitans?," Salt of the Earth, last modified December 8, 2023, https://www.the-saltoftheearth.com/nicolaitans/.