Devotional 18 January 2025

Revelation 2:19-23 ESV “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.’”

Christ begins His message to the church in Thyatira by commending their love, faith, service, and endurance. He acknowledges their growth, as their later works surpass their earlier ones. Yet, despite these commendable traits, Christ cannot overlook their tolerance of sin. The church has allowed a false teacher, symbolically referred to as “Jezebel,” to lead His people into moral and spiritual corruption. This rebuke reveals a profound truth: Christ’s love for His church includes His hatred for evil.

Christ’s hatred of sin is not a contradiction to His love but a reflection of it. As the head of the church, He is deeply committed to its purity and holiness. Ephesians 5:25–27 reminds us that Christ gave Himself up for the church to sanctify her and present her without spot or blemish. Any sin that undermines this purpose is met with His righteous anger because it jeopardizes the spiritual well-being of His people. His rebuke of Thyatira is a call to repentance, demonstrating His desire for their restoration rather than their destruction.

The passage also highlights Christ’s patience. He gave Jezebel time to repent, but her continued defiance led to severe consequences. This reminds us that Christ does not tolerate sin indefinitely. While His patience is great, His justice will not be delayed forever. His judgment against sin serves as a warning to others, ensuring that “all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart” (Revelation 2:23). His intimate knowledge of our innermost thoughts underscores the seriousness of His call to holiness.

As members of Christ’s church, we are called to reflect His love by rejecting what is evil. Romans 12:9 urges believers to “abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” To tolerate sin within ourselves or the church is to compromise the very holiness Christ died to secure for us. His hatred of sin is not an act of cruelty but a demonstration of His fierce and faithful love—a love that purifies, restores, and preserves His bride. May we heed His call to repentance, knowing that His discipline leads us to life and holiness. Let us examine our own hearts today, knowing that Christ sees all. Where have we grown tolerant of sin? What evil practices have we allowed to take root? The time for repentance is now.

-steve