Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:7-13 is about the church in Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:7
3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
There are three kinds of Jesus’ appearance for the church in Philadelphia as follows.
Physically, the key of David refers to the one of the kingdom of Israel that was held by David and given to the person who was worthy to get it, namely Solomon.
Spiritually, the key of David refers to the one of heavenly kingdom that is held by Jesus and given to the people who are worthy to get it. Who are such people?
Mark 10:15
10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little childwill by no means enter it."
The spiritual little child means the people who experience the life renewal.
1 Corinthians 15:50
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
The physical birth results in human in blood and flesh who is not worthy to enter heavenly kingdom. Therefore, we must experience the life renewal to be the spiritual little child or baby. We become the sons of God who are worthy to enter heavenly kingdom.
John 3:3-5
3:3Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"
3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
The logic cannot receive the birth of water and Spirit. We must receive it with our faith. The faith is higher than the knowledge. If our faith can receive it, our logic will be able to receive it.
The process of being the spiritual little child or baby is in the water and Holy Spirit baptism.
Romans 6:2, 4
6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
6:4 Therefore we were buriedwith Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raisedfrom the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The requirement of being baptized of water correctly is being dead to sin or repenting.
The right execution is the person who has died to sin or repented is buried in water with Jesus and raised or comes up from water with Him to receive the new life or heavenly one.
There are two mistakes about the water baptism as follows.
Holy Spirit baptism results in new life.
Thus, the water and Holy Spirit baptism results in new life. We become the same as spiritual little child or baby and the sons of God.
Matthew 3:15-17
3:15But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
1 Peter 2:1-2
2:1 Therefore, laying aside all (1)malice, all (2)deceit, (3)hypocrisy, (4)envy, and all (5)evil speaking,
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
The signs of the spiritual little child or baby are as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 3:7-13 is about the church in Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:7
3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
There are three kinds of Jesus’ appearance for the church in Philadelphia as follows.
- Jesus as He who is true, for justifying or calling the congregation.
- Jesus as He who is holy, for sanctifying or choosing the congregation.
- Jesus as He who has the key of David.
Physically, the key of David refers to the one of the kingdom of Israel that was held by David and given to the person who was worthy to get it, namely Solomon.
Spiritually, the key of David refers to the one of heavenly kingdom that is held by Jesus and given to the people who are worthy to get it. Who are such people?
- The people who persevere in the faith and willingly suffer [Acts 14:22].
- The obedient [Matthew 7:21].
- The spiritual little child.
Mark 10:15
10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little childwill by no means enter it."
The spiritual little child means the people who experience the life renewal.
1 Corinthians 15:50
15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
The physical birth results in human in blood and flesh who is not worthy to enter heavenly kingdom. Therefore, we must experience the life renewal to be the spiritual little child or baby. We become the sons of God who are worthy to enter heavenly kingdom.
John 3:3-5
3:3Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"
3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
The logic cannot receive the birth of water and Spirit. We must receive it with our faith. The faith is higher than the knowledge. If our faith can receive it, our logic will be able to receive it.
The process of being the spiritual little child or baby is in the water and Holy Spirit baptism.
Romans 6:2, 4
6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
6:4 Therefore we were buriedwith Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raisedfrom the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The requirement of being baptized of water correctly is being dead to sin or repenting.
The right execution is the person who has died to sin or repented is buried in water with Jesus and raised or comes up from water with Him to receive the new life or heavenly one.
There are two mistakes about the water baptism as follows.
- One has not died or repented yet, but he is buried. Consequently, he becomes rebellious.
- One has died or repented, but he does not want to be buried or baptized. Consequently, he gets rotten more.
Holy Spirit baptism results in new life.
Thus, the water and Holy Spirit baptism results in new life. We become the same as spiritual little child or baby and the sons of God.
Matthew 3:15-17
3:15But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
1 Peter 2:1-2
2:1 Therefore, laying aside all (1)malice, all (2)deceit, (3)hypocrisy, (4)envy, and all (5)evil speaking,
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
The signs of the spiritual little child or baby are as follows.
- Throwing away five main sins.
- Malice or evil.
1 Timothy 6:10
6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The root of all kinds of evil is the love of money that makes one unable to love God and others. Consequently, one is stingy and greedy. Stinginess means that one cannot give or pay attention to the others. Greediness means that one hunts money or looks for it in illegal ways. Consequently, there is no joy. - Deceit or lie.
- Hypocrisy or pretense.
- Envy or hatred without any cause.
These three sins are the bud of sin. - Evil speaking. The right is blamed and the false is justified, even there is blasphemy. Slander is the fruit of sin.
3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
It continues until someday we cannot sin anymore. We are as righteous as Jesus is. - Malice or evil.
- Always desiring the pure and spiritual milk.
1 Peter 2:2
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
It refers to the pure and spiritual shepherding Word that is trusted to a pastor.
Matthew 4:4
4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’"
The pure Word of God means as follows.- The Word written in the Bible.
- The Word coming out of God’s mouth or spoken by Jesus.
John 15:3
15:3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
It is the Word whose secret is revealed through a verse that explains other verses in the Bible or the revelation from God. - The word that is obeyed.
The Word that is revealed will result in the sanctification power.
The spiritual Word is in the anointing by Holy Spirit. We can understand it until it becomes faith. We can obey it.
The Word will only become a knowledge whose truth is discussed or debated if there is no anointing of Holy Spirit. In such condition, the Word cannot be the faith, but pride only.
Genesis 2:16
2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freelyeat;
Genesis 3:2
3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
For example, Eve took away the word "freely". It means that the preaching of God’s Word is without the anointing of Holy Spirit. The time and content are limited, so the congregation is still tied by sin.
Genesis 2:17
2:17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Genesis 3:3
3:3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touchit, lest you die.' "
Eve added the word "touch". It means that the preaching of the Word is added with joke, knowledge, fable, illustration, and so on to touch the emotion of the congregation. Their heart is never touched by God. Consequently, their life never changes.
The functions of the pure and spiritual teaching Word are as follows.- For making our life quiet and full.
If we can enjoy consuming the shepherding Word regardless of any problem we have to face, our life will be quiet, easy, and light. God preserves our life. - We have the spiritual growth.
1 Peter 2:2
2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may growthereby,
It means as follows.- We are shepherded well and correctly.
Acts 20:28, 32, 35
20:28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
20:32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
20:35 "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
It continues until we can feel more blessed to give than to receive and we can give our whole life to God. - We become the priests and kings who are used in the ministry for building the perfect body of Christ according to the ministry God has trusted to us.
1 Peter 2:5
2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The requirement is holiness.
The ministry that can be well pleasing before God is like Moses’ mother that was commanded to nurse Moses. The signs are as follows.- There is no fear or anxiety about the physical things. There is no fear to sacrifice all things.
- Not insisting the physical right or wage.
- Rejoicing, not feeling forced.
- Being full of responsibility and compassion.
- We are shepherded well and correctly.
- Crying or worshiping God with a broken heart.
Matthew 21:15-16
21:15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying outin the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant
21:16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?"
We confess that we are powerless as well as neither worthy nor precious, but we only rely on the hand of God’s mercy and goodness.
Exodus 2:6
2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
The baby Moses was powerless without the care of others in facing impossible problem, even the death.
Psalm 23:6
23:6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Moses cried or worshiped with a broken heart to drag the stretched hand of God’s mercy. The results are as follows.- The hand of God’s mercy and goodness is able to help and open the impossible doors. The door of beautiful and successful future life can be opened that a son of slave can be the one of king.
- The hand of God’s mercy and goodness uses our life in the revival of Holy Spirit at the latter rain like Moses who was used to bring the Israelites out of Egypt to enter Canaan.
- The hand of God’s mercy and goodness is able to lift us up from the valley of darkness, even to heaven like Moses was drawn out of water.
Deuteronomy 34:6
34:6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.
Jude 1:9
1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
We are sanctified and renewed. The dead will be resurrected and the alive will be renewed when Jesus comes a second time to become one perfect body that is ready to welcome Him and enter the heavenly kingdom.
- The hand of God’s mercy and goodness is able to help and open the impossible doors. The door of beautiful and successful future life can be opened that a son of slave can be the one of king.
God blesses you.