The courage to be holy – Part 1

Believers are charged to maintain courage and conviction for holiness with commitment. In the message to the church in Pergamos, the Lord Jesus said: “I know thy works” because He is omniscient. Accordingly, He commended their steadfastness, but had “a few things against (them).” He knows everything about us as well. Whenever He corrects us through His word, it is for us to be ready for His coming. Therefore, we should not be offended, especially when servants of God are led by His Spirit to point out our spiritual state in a direct manner.

The right response is not to rebel, but to “repent” so that all the things that were wrong and brought controversy against the church, her ministers or members will be removed. Otherwise, it would attract “the sword” from Christ.

He is loving, merciful and compassionate to us when we believe in Him, toe the line and live by faith and grace in righteousness. However, for those who go astray or allow corruption and the works of the flesh to manifest in them, Christ says He would “fight against them.” Whatever the condition of the church, we can make amends, renew our lives and commitment, and become overcomers, especially as we continue in self-examination as the year moves to an end.

Jesus Christ our Saviour is the consummate commander and conqueror, and the pre-eminent Lord. He writes to us as He who was dead and is alive again. He has conquered death, Satan, evil and the world. He bears in His mouth, the sharp sword that conquers all adversaries.

When the renegade prophet Balaam in the Old Testament left his place to meet Balak the king of the enemies of Israel, the Lord sent an angel with a sharp sword in his hand with which he would have killed the seer if not for the ass’ intervention. The sword is an instrument of judgment against the adversary.

However, “sword of my mouth” refers to the word from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ against corrupters and people who bring in erroneous and damnable doctrines of devils into the church. As believers under the preeminent Christ, we have the same word to teach all nations. As we speak the word faithfully, the Spirit of God will use it to convict the people who ought to repent.

When the Lord anoints and empowers us with the Holy Ghost, He makes the word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit from our mouth to be convicting. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Through that sword, our Lord Jesus Christ brought conviction on those who wanted Him to judge the woman caught in adultery, during His ministry on earth.

Despite their conviction, they did not wait in His presence to obtain pardon like the woman. Those who stay with Christ when they were convicted of their sins receive mercy and grace from Him for salvation, peace of mind and a transformed life.

When Christ returns at the end of the great tribulation, He will “destroy (the Antichrist) unto the end.” More so, with the sharp sword that proceeds out of His mouth, He would “smite the nations” that would be deceived to accept the mark of the Antichrist and follow him.
• Further reading (King James Version): Revelation 2:12-17. Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12,13; John 8:7-11. Isaiah 27:1; Daniel 7:26; 8:25; 11:45; 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9; Revelation 19:15,16,19-21.