Called to be Faithful

KEY VERSE: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” —Revelation 2:10

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Revelation 2:8-17

THE CALL TO faithfulness is the ultimate objective of each of the messages to the churches of Revelation. Each church mentioned has its own temptations and opportunities, and the two churches of our Selected Scripture are no different from those of our day.

Those in the church at Smyrna were generally poor and without much means, but the Lord said of them, “I know thy affliction and poverty, (but thou art rich),” (Rev. 2:9, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott) They were rich in faith toward God and the Gospel.

The Christians not only in Smyrna but also in Pergamos faced much persecution, and they could have been imprisoned or even killed because of their faithfulness in following in the footsteps of the Master. In answering their call to faithfulness, they had heeded the Lord’s words to take up their cross and follow him, and to remain faithful even unto death.

The Apostle John wrote to the churches of Revelation seven letters of exhortation for them to remain faithful to their calling. The Apostle Paul also wrote many epistles to the brethren to continue steadfast in the faith. To Timothy he said, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”—I Tim. 6:12

Paul reminded Timothy that it was God who had called him, and “who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (II Tim. 1:9) This calling of God was for the purpose of selecting from among the Gentiles, a people for his name. (Acts 15:14) These are to be heirs of God together with his only begotten Son, and during his kingdom reign to participate in the blessing of all the families of the earth.

Being faithful to this calling, those who will be heirs will, in the words of our Key Verse, receive ‘a crown of life’ which fadeth not away. In the full meaning of the word, this is the ‘crowning life’ of glory, honor, and immortality.

What an honor this will be! We are told that “to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”—Rev. 3:21

The words of both the apostles, Paul and Peter, are most encouraging to those who are called to be faithful. Paul said, “Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thess. 2:14); and, Peter said: “The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”—I Pet. 5:10

This suffering, or enduring—emulating the Master in all things—is that which prepares each one for their place in the kingdom. To be with the Lamb we must be called, chosen and faithful.—Rev. 17:14

Thus, as admonished by the Apostle Paul, “Let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”—I Cor. 7:24

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