Hope for a Compromising Church

To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15–16). And as we’ve seen in the church in Pergamum, this type of compromise invokes the righteous and furious judgment of God (Revelation 2:12, 16). So what deliverance remains for a church in that position? Is there any hope for a compromising church?

The Lord spells out the remedy to Pergamum’s spiritual compromise in no uncertain terms: “Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:16). In essence, He’s saying, “Stop the worldly compromise. Stop tolerating the unequal yoke. Purge the church of these ungodly, immoral influences, or I will do it for you.” This command applies to the whole church—both the heretical corrupters and all those who tolerated their deviations. They were all guilty of compromise.

The church must not accommodate the sins of professing believers who insist on living as close as possible to the corrupt culture. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6). We must confront such worldliness.

And we must be willing to risk offending unbelievers for the sake of the church’s purity. Of course, we want to reach out to the lost and welcome unbelievers to hear the gospel. We hope earnestly that “God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25). But we also know that only occurs when they “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil” (v. 26)—not when they’ve been lulled into a false sense of acceptance by a compromising church. For the sake of their souls, we must be willing to confront them with the truth about sin, its eternal consequences, and their need for a Savior.

Pergamum also ought to be a warning to every church and every Christian who believes that sound doctrine is enough on its own, that God is interested only in what we affirm, not in how we act. That attitude has grown in popularity in recent years. Pergamum is a reminder that knowing the truth and living the truth are equally important in the eyes of the Lord. “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22, emphasis added).

Finally, we must remember the words of Leviticus 18: “I am the Lord your God. You shall not do what is done in the land . . . you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God. So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord” (vv. 2–5). God’s design for His redeemed people is complete separation from everything that characterizes the world. We don’t do what they do. We don’t think the way they think. We don’t talk the way they talk. We don’t share the world’s values. And we certainly don’t need to borrow from worldly belief systems. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). This world is by definition an alien environment for those whose eternal home is heaven.

A Parting Encouragement

The Lord closes His letter with a note to the wider audience. Though each of the letters in the opening chapters of Revelation is specifically addressed to one local congregation at the end of the first century, our Lord’s message has implications that reach far beyond those seven local churches. All seven of Christ’s letters speak to the whole church throughout its entire history.

We were meant to learn from these examples, both good and bad. But we’re also meant to leave encouraged, with our eyes fixed on the eternal privileges of knowing and loving Christ. To that end, the Lord writes, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).

To all faithful believers (see 1 John 5:4–5), Christ promises three things. The first is “the hidden manna.” Manna was the bread that God supplied to Israel to feed them during their wandering in the wilderness. And like many elements of Israel’s covenant with God, the manna pictured (and pointed to) something greater, something eternal and heavenly. Specifically, the manna was one of the great Old Testament symbols of Christ (John 6:48–51). He is the Bread of Life who provides spiritual sustenance to His people. So when He promises faithful believers that He will give them “some of the hidden manna,” this is a promise of the spiritual benefits of knowing and loving Him (Ephesians 1:3).

Christ also promises His overcomers “a white stone.” In the ancient world, victorious athletes received a trophy in the form of a stone with their names inscribed. Not only did it signify their victory, it served as their admission into the great banquet of victors. In terms of eternity, this is a reminder that God’s faithful servant will be welcomed into God’s lavish provision and blessings in heaven.

Finally, Christ promises “a new name written on the stone, which no one knows but he who receives it.” Whenever I have preached on this passage, someone will invariably ask what I think the secret name is. The whole point is that “no one knows” (emphasis added). It is no doubt a name of personal affection and honor—a name that marks out God’s triumphant overcomers and reflects His love for His adopted children.

There is the glorious hope for the compromiser who repents. Christ has promised, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). But if you, personally, don’t know Jesus Christ, the hidden manna isn’t for you; the white stone is not yours, and all you have is the sword of His judgment. Perhaps you’ve convinced the people around you that you are worshiping Christ, but you go from your church straight back into idolatry and immorality. If that is the case, the Lord will come and make war with you sooner or later, unless you repent and believe on Christ alone for your salvation.