The Offer of Salvation Before Judgment
Christ the Prince of life, Savior and Judge wrote to the church in Pergamos and commanded them to repent. He was ready to save the penitent ones among them. He did not present judgment first to them, rather He presented salvation. His will for them, to you and to us all is not to condemn but convince, convict and convert them. There is no heart too hard that cannot be surrendered to Christ, give up sin, or sin committed that cannot be pardoned. If you can believe the gospel, come to Christ’s light, you will be saved and not judged. You can only be fought by Christ and condemned if you believe not, love darkness, love the deed of evil, hate light, refuse to come to light or neglect the great offer of salvation.
‘Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth’ (Revelation 2:16).
‘How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him’ (Hebrews 2:3).
Christ gave the church at Pergamos the offer to repent, confess and forsake their sin of compromise for false doctrines. It is when you despise the offer, neglect, believe not, love darkness, and hate the light offered to you that Christ will fight you, condemn you and allow you to suffer eternally
‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).
‘But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die’ (Ezekiel 18:21).
‘Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 18:31).
The Consequences of Rejecting Christ’s Offer
Christ wrote to the church at Pergamos that if they humble themselves, repent of practicing false doctrine, pray, seek His face, turn away from every wicked practice, He will give them true life and they will be saved and not be judged. Everything the devil through false doctrines, evil association has stolen from them will be restored, if they repent. Their marriages, relationships and business will be healed. There are things God expects from you, every family or church to do so that deliverance will come. Deliverance does not come only through prayer. You need to humble yourself, believe in Christ, come to the light, walk in the light, pray, seek God and believe that your prayers are answered. No matter how wicked a wicked person is, if he turns from all his sins, keep God’s command, start living right, he will receive divine mercy, life, salvation and not judgment. That was what Christ told the brethren in Pergamos. If a sinner cast away his transgressions, pray for a new heart, he will be saved, no matter how unsafe he was
‘And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body’ (Mark 14:22).
‘And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son’ (Luke 15:21).
The Urgency of Repentance and Restoration
Christ know all things, your weakness and short comings. He knew that the church in Pergamos will fall to false doctrines and evil association. He made provision for their repentance and put it in writing. Even Peter, His closest disciple denied Him thrice, but He gave him another chance. No matter how sinful, wicked and abominable you are, if you repent and confess your sins and forsake them, Christ will give you a new life, save you and set you free. The consequence of every sin you have ever committed, all your wickedness can be removed and forgotten forever and ever
‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent’(Revelation 2:5).
‘As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:19-20).
God’s command to the sinful members of the church in Pergamos is repent. They are to repent in going after the world, false doctrine and evil associations. Check your life, find where you need to repent, confess and forsake now. Remember where you have fallen in faith, offended God and repent, do the first works, the right thing and your judgment will be reversed. It is out of love that Christ has for the church, the brethren in Pergamos that made Him to send this letter to them first. He sent the letter to warn them, rebuke them, chastise them and command them to repent. You have the same opportunity to examine yourself, be zealous and repent of all your sins and forsake them. As Christ stood at the door of the church in Pergamos, knocking with a letter in His hands, so He is doing today in every church. Every believer, leader, member of the church today must examine themselves, repent and examine the life that Christ gives. Today, if you repent, open the door of your church, your heart to Christ, He will come in and solve all your problems, He will deliver you from compromise, sin and their consequences. Without repentance, judgment will fall on all disobedience. If you wed yourself with the world, God will judge you, and fight against you until you repent or perish.