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The Limit of Tolerance

Words of Faith Final

The Limit of Tolerance

Words of Faith 11-25-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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Revelation 2

        [20]  Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

 

         The Lord had good things to say about the church at Thyatira. They had exemplified much of what the work of Christ is about—love, faith, service, and patient endurance. All this had gotten stronger over time. But there was one problem. Over time, false teaching had seeped into the fellowship.

          The believers' tolerant spirit in Thyatira had allowed a false prophetess to have a voice among the people. The Lord refers to her as a "Jezebel." This was not her name. But this was her character. This prophetess was apparently part of the church fellowship and had a testimony as a Christian believer, but she had gone badly astray.

          The image is vivid. In the Hebrew Testament of the Bible, Jezebel was the Canaanite wife of Israel's King Ahab. Jezebel led Ahab to worship Baal and promoted idolatry throughout all Israel. She was not identified with sexual immorality but she was a manipulator. The name Jezebel is synonymous with wickedness in the Bible.

          What was this wicked false prophetess teaching? She began by enticing believers to learn the “deeper things” (Revelation 2:24). She then taught tolerance to the point of compromise. It all probably sounded very innocent and practical.

          How can you not participate in at least some of these worldly things? How can you not be in the Trade Guilds? You will starve if you don’t. Is that what God wants? If you are going to live in the world and survive, you will have to mix in with some of the worldly things.

          If you are saved by grace, what is a little pagan festival or food? You need to be a little more tolerant of the ways of the world if you are going to live in the world and reach the world. You will need to be a little more participatory in society if you are going to influence it. And those parties and revelries? How can that hurt someone? Have some fun. After all, all is forgiven in Christ.

          The truth of God’s grace is quite different. Paul made it plain in his letter to Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It (Grace) teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…”

          Grace is not some sort of "Diplomatic Immunity" card that allows us to indulge in sin. This is a twisting and cheapening of grace. We are called to be in the world but not of the world. 

 

          Heavenly Father, I pray that Your grace in Christ would be my salvation. I also pray that Your grace would be my Teacher. Teach me to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions. Teach me to live a self-controlled life. Teach me to live in a way that is upright and godly in this present age as we await the blessed hope of Your return. In the Name of Jesus.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.