In Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus, through the Apostle John, addresses seven churches that were in Asia.  In each of these letters, the Lord commended where He could, He rebuked where He needed to, and He warned against the consequences where it was necessary.  Let’s read John’s address to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

The Lord addresses this church as “he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David.”  Christ is the very embodiment of holiness and truth, and the key of David indicates his authority to rule.  With that authority, the Lord “openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.”  This door is a door of service that the Lord opens and shuts as He sees fit.  The Apostle Paul speaks of the Lord opening doors in 2 Corinthians 2:12, “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord.”  The Lord only is sovereign to reign in His church.

We now have some of the characteristics of this church.  While there is much that could be said of this church, and I encourage you to spend time studying about all these seven churches, because of space, I will keep my remarks to what is said in verse 8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”  The Lord tells them, “I know thy works.”  Perhaps the world didn’t take notice of their service to the Lord, but He did!  Hebrews 6:10 tells us, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name…”

It is then said of them, “…for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”  What an incredible commendation!  Their strength was small in the world, but it was the Lord’s strength.  Obedience to God’s Word and faithfulness to His name is what characterized this church.  In today’s society, we find such disobedience to the Word and such disrespect to the Lord’s name, even among professing Christians.  How dishonoring to the Lord that those who claim to know Him could be so careless and apathetic towards Him.

Dear fellow believer, do you bear the characteristics of the Philadelphian church?  Are you living in God’s strength?  Do you take the time to prayerfully learn God’s Word and then obey what the Lord has shown you?  Do you uphold His name and all that it stands for in this evil and God-hating world?  1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”  The Lord desires faithfulness from us.  In His strength and guided by His Word, we can keep His Word and not deny His name.  We can, indeed, be faithful.  (175.6)