How Do We Finish Well? (Revelation 2:8-11)
Not everyone finishes well. A few years ago, after the death of a well-known speaker and apologist, evidence of his hidden sins came to light. Investigators, who were examining allegations of misconduct, uncovered a pattern of abuse that lasted for decades. This speaker, who professed to be a Christian, did not finish well at all. His sin found him out. Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case. The danger of not finishing well is all too real. The Bible doesn’t shy away from speaking of such examples. Last week, I mentioned Demas, who made shipwreck of his faith because he was “in love with this present world” (2 Tim 4:10). We may know of others who have turned away from the faith they once professed. It saddens me that some of them were once among us here in this church. They seemed to start well, but didn’t continue.
How are we to persevere in Jesus and the gospel until the end? We cannot take finishing well for granted. Some give in to the temptation of worldly pleasures and pursuits. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches can draw us away from the Lord. Others give up due to trouble and trials. They turn away when tribulation or persecution arise on account of the gospel. Suffering can catch us off guard. Tough times can shake our faith, leading us to doubt or even deny God.
The late John MacArthur, who was a faithful pastor for many years, wrote before he passed away last year: “Sometime before I entered my eighties, I began to realize that I am now in the final chapter of my life and ministry. I want to finish well… Scripture and church history are full of tragic examples of men who showed great promise but didn’t finish well… Living the Christian life faithfully is no more trouble free the older we get. Sanctification doesn’t come any more easily with advanced age. The number and intensity of the fiery darts the powers of evil aim at us does not diminish. The obstacles we face do not get easier to overcome.”
Be faithful not fearful, for the Lord gives life.
What challenges and difficulties are you going through in your life now? How will you press on and finish well? This is Jesus’ concern in His words to the church in Smyrna. We have been making our way through our sermon series on Revelation 1-3. Our aim is to listen to the Lord, to hear what He has to say to us in His words to these seven churches. May His words encourage us to patiently endure through trials, to keep our faith in Him until the end. Our text is Revelation 2:8-11. This is the big idea: Be faithful not fearful, for the Lord gives life.
Be faithful not fearful (Rev 2:9-10)
All seven letters have a similar structure with three main parts: a description of Jesus, His diagnosis of the church’s condition, and His direction for how the church should respond to its situation. Who Jesus is shapes the church’s response to its condition. Likewise for the Smyrnaean church: Because the Lord Jesus is the one who gives life, His church is to respond by being faithful not fearful.
What is Jesus’ diagnosis of the church in Smyrna? He has only commendation, no criticism. This is the case for only two of the seven churches. (The other being Philadelphia.) Jesus says in Revelation 2:9a, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)”. Jesus knows and cares. He is not ignorant of or indifferent to what the church is going through. Jesus walks among the lampstands; He is always present with His churches. Jesus has promised to never leave us. Beloved, cling to this precious truth, especially in tough times. One of the hardest things about suffering is not just the difficult circumstances, but also the sense of loneliness. We can feel very isolated, as though our troubles are ours to bear alone. Maybe we think others will not or cannot understand, or that they do not care. But even if our family and friends forsake us, the Lord will not. So, do not lose heart. The Lord is ever near. He is acquainted with our grief, for He walks with us in the valley. He can carry our sorrows. May the hymn we sung earlier encourage us to turn to the Lord:
Afflicted Saint, to Christ draw near
Your Saviour's gracious promise hear
His faithful word you can believe
That as your days your strength shall be
The church in Smyrna was suffering for the faith. It was bearing the cost of following Jesus in a culture that was unfriendly to the faith. The city of Smyrna was well-known for its loyalty to the Roman Empire. Known as Izmir in modern-day Türkiye, Smyrna was located around 60 kilometres north of Ephesus. It was a centre for the imperial cult, in which emperors were venerated as gods. Pagan practices were pervasive, deeply entrenched in the city’s economic and social life. If you wanted to get ahead and succeed, you had to take part in pagan practices. For example, you had to demonstrate your devotion to Rome by participating in temple rituals. To join a guild and practice your trade, you had to worship the patron idol of that guild. If you refused to be a part of such practices, you would be left out and left behind. Revelation 13:17 refers to such a situation: “No one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”
Like the Smyrnaeans, we also face a lot of pressure to conform to the culture. Do you have a fear of missing out or losing out? The world tells us to be hungrier, greedier, more ambitious, more driven, more ruthless. To make it in the world, we must value what the world values. We must worship what the world worships — the idols of work, wealth, success and self. The church in Smyrna refused. It stood firm in the faith. Because they did not compromise with the culture, they had to count the cost of following Jesus. Discipleship affected their livelihoods. The Christians in Smyrna were poor because it was harder to make a living while still being faithful to Jesus. Will we still follow Jesus if it cost us our careers or material comforts? I am encouraged by how some of you have turned down better jobs and higher salaries to more faithfully serve Christ in your families and the church. Some of you have resigned from jobs that made you do underhanded and unethical things. Indeed, if we confess Christ, it means putting our money where our mouth is.
Following Jesus is no loss at all.
But in reality, following Jesus is no loss at all. The Lord wants the Smyrnaean church to know this. The world sees them as poor, yet Jesus calls them rich. Do not judge wealth as the world does. How rich a treasure we possess in Jesus Christ, our Lord! We enjoy His steadfast love and boundless grace. His mercies are new every morning. We have new life, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and holiness. We have true community. We belong to the church, which is God’s family. Our future is secure. We have a sure hope of glory. Most of all, we have Jesus Himself. The Lord is our refuge, our help, our portion and reward. James 2:5 says, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”
Do you know the grace of the Lord Jesus? Though he was rich, yet he became poor in order to save sinners. By His poverty, we become rich in faith if we believe in Him. All of us are spiritually bankrupt, dead in our sins. God made us in His image, but we have traded His glory for the filthy rags of rebellion. But God, in His grace and love, sent His beloved Son for us. Jesus humbled Himself, laying aside the glories of heaven. He came as a man to die for the ungodly. Jesus became poor, dying on the cross to bear God’s judgement against sinners. God exalted Jesus by raising Him from the dead, so that those who trust in Him might receive the true riches of new life in Christ. Do you know Jesus? What does it profit you, if you gain the whole world and forfeit your soul? Worldly wealth will not last. But Jesus gives us an eternal inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. So, boast in Christ, not in our bank accounts, budgets, or bottom lines.
The church in Smyrna also suffered from opposition. Look at Revelation 2:9b — They suffered the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The Jews provoked persecution against Christians. The Romans recognised Judaism as a legal religion. For a while, Christians could live and worship under the same protection. But this became impossible as the Jews stirred up trouble. They reported Christians to the Roman rulers, saying they were not true Jews and thus disqualified from any legal protection. The Jews accused Christians of disloyalty, prompting the Romans to arrest and even execute them.
But the Lord knows His own, so fear not. Being an ethnic Jew does not automatically make one a member of the people of God. By opposing Jesus and His followers, the Jews proved that they actually belonged to the devil, not God. Jesus had said something similar to the Jews in John 8:44: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.” God’s people are defined by spiritual relationship, not ethnic or biological descent. It is a blessing to grow up in a Christian family, but that does not automatically make you a Christian. Romans 2:29 says, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” We need genuine conversion. We must repent and believe in Jesus. He is the only one who can make us clean from the inside-out. The Smyrnaeans were rejected by the world, but they belonged to the Lord. The world will hate us, just as it hated our Lord. But do not fear man. In Christ, we can be assured of God’s approval and acceptance. We are His forever.
Do not be afraid, even though the tribulation will get worse. Look at Revelation 2:10a — “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.” Jesus prepares the church in Smyrna for more suffering to come, just as He strengthened His disciples before going to the cross. Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Beloved, expect to suffer for the gospel’s sake.
Last week, a friend of mine was forced to leave a country in Asia because he had been preaching the gospel there. After more than a decade in that country, the authorities suddenly forced him and his family to leave. His co-workers were also rounded up, interrogated and threatened. In many parts of the world, this is not unusual. Living in a safe and peaceful country, it is easy for us to take our ease for granted. We may even feel entitled to comfort and a good life. Do not have the wrong expectations of the normal Christian life. Otherwise, tough times will shake our faith. Do not be surprised when trials come.
Behind the opposition of the Jews is a fiercer foe — the devil. He is the evil provoker of persecution. He troubles us to tempt us to give up, to compromise with the world. But do not fear. The Lord is able to turn the devil’s destructive temptations into constructive tests that refine and build us up. The devil means evil against us, but the sovereign Lord can work through our deepest distress to purify us for our eternal good. As James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
The Lord means to grow us, not crush us. So, do not fear, but trust Him. He is still in control, even in our suffering. The devil can only do what the Lord lets Him. The Lord limits how long the trouble will last: ten days. In Revelation, such numbers are symbolic. The ten days represent completion. Our suffering will not last forever; it will end at God’s appointed time. Patiently endure and wait upon the Lord. Compared with eternity, our trials are only for “a little while”. “This light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Cor 4:17)”
Therefore, be faithful unto death (Rev 2:10b). Regardless of our circumstances, the Lord is with us. Respond to Him with faith, not fear. Keep trusting in the Lord. Do not give up, but hold fast to Jesus until the end. The Lord does not promise ease. In fact, things will get worse for the church in Smyrna. The persecution will intensify. Some of them will die for the faith. But Jesus says to keep believing in Him, even to the point of death. He Himself showed the way. Jesus is the faithful witness who obeyed His Heavenly Father all the way to the cross.
We are to persevere in Jesus through tribulation and trials, to keep believing in Him until the end.
This is what it means to finish well: We are to be faithful, not fearful. We are to persevere in Jesus through tribulation and trials, to keep believing in Him until the end. We may not suffer a martyr’s death. But we are to count the cost of discipleship. To follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Grace is free, but it is not cheap. The call of Christ is a call to repent and believe. How is Jesus calling us to die to sin, to self, and to the world? Die that we may live. Whoever loses their life for Jesus’ sake will save it. He says to us, “Be faithful unto death. and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev 2:10b)” We may lose all things, but we gain everything in Christ. If we share in His death, we shall also share in His resurrection. We suffer with Jesus, that we might also be glorified with Him. Jesus is worth dying for, because He gives us a life worth living.
For the Lord gives life (Rev 2:8, 11)
Therefore, be faithful not fearful, for the Lord gives life. The Lord promises that if we remain faithful to the end, He will give us the crown of life. The crown is eternal life, which Jesus gives to all who keep believing in Him. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” True, saving faith is not once-off; it is a continual, abiding trust in Christ. Perseverance is like the hand that keeps holding on to Jesus. True faith perseveres. It keeps running the race to win the prize. Enduring through trials reveals the tested genuineness of our faith. It shows that our trust in Jesus is true, not mere talk.
Some of us became Christians years ago. Praise God for His work in our lives then! But if we are to finish well, we must not be content to merely look back on past faith. The vital question to consider for every one of us, regardless of how long we have been a Christian, is this: Are we still trusting in Jesus today? To help us think on this question, reflect on these other questions too: How is your daily walk with the Lord? Do you love Him and His people? Are you trusting in Christ’s righteousness, not your own, to make you right with God? Do you turn to Him in prayer? Are you still obeying His word and becoming more like Him? Are you looking forward to His return?
To finish well, we are to behold the glory of our Lord and Saviour.
Knowing Jesus as He truly is will encourage us to cling to Him. To finish well, we are to behold the glory of our Lord and Saviour. Be confident in Christ to persevere in Him. Rest assured that He will not disappoint our trust and hope. He will not fail to give us life. The glorious Lord is bigger than death; He is bigger than all our fears. Listen to how Revelation 2:8 describes Jesus: And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. Consider who is speaking to us. These are the words of the one who is the first and the last. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is fully God. Jesus is the eternal Son, through whom God created all things in heaven and on earth. Therefore, He is the first. He is before all things, for He made all things. The one who gave life at creation is the same Lord who gives us life in the new creation.
Jesus is also the last. He will bring history to an end when He returns. Jesus will accomplish God’s purposes and fulfil God’s promises. As Revelation 5 tells us, Jesus is the only one who is worthy to take the scroll of God’s plan and open its seals. Jesus is the sovereign Lord who rules over all of history. Our trials and tribulations are not beyond the reach of His reign. Jesus knows what we are going through, because He is always in control. Therefore, we can trust Him to work all things together for the good of His church.
Jesus is coming back. When He returns, He will judge the world in righteousness. The Lord will uphold His justice and put right all the wrongs. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. He will repay. We do not have to take matters into our own hands. We can wait patiently for the Lord, who will surely vindicate and save his people. What a comfort this is to persecuted and suffering Christians! Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more crying or pain. This present evil age will end. The new creation will come with the glory of the risen Lord.
Jesus is worthy because He is the sacrificial Lamb that was slain. By His blood, He has ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people and nation. Jesus gave His life to pay the penalty for our sins. In Him, we are forgiven and made right with God. Jesus’ death was not the end of the story. He died and came to life, for God raised Him up, never to die again. Therefore, Jesus is the risen Lord who can give us life. Jesus is the living one who has defeated sin and death. Because Christ has conquered, we can conquer. Revelation 12:11 speaks of our victory in the Lamb: “And they have conquered (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” We conquer by being faithful witnesses for Jesus, even unto death.
Each of the letters to the seven churches ends with an exhortation to hear and a promise to those who conquer. Similarly, the letter to the Smyrnaeans concludes in Revelation 2:11 with a call to listen: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Jesus speaks to His people through the Spirit. Listen to the Lord, who tells us how to finish well. He urges us to continue being faithful not fearful. This is what it means to conquer. Christ is our confidence. Because He has risen, we need not fear. Because He has risen, we can be faithful even to death, certain that we shall rise again to a better life.
Indeed, Jesus promises life to those who persevere to the end: The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. There is a fate worse than death in this life. The second death refers to the eternal punishment of the lake of fire, hell. Those who conquer by remaining faithful to the Lord until the end will be saved from His judgement and wrath. If we trust in Jesus as our Saviour now, we will not have to face Him as our judge when He returns. Turn to the Lord today.
Polycarp was in his late-twenties when the Book of Revelation was written near the end of the first century. According to early church tradition, he was personally discipled by the Apostle John. No doubt, Polycarp was familiar with Revelation. Polycarp became the pastor of the church in Smyrna at a relatively young age. He had a long ministry, serving for around 50 years. In his later years, the worsening persecution that Revelation had warned about came to pass.
Polycarp was an old man when soldiers showed up at his house to arrest him. But he did not flee. Instead, Polycarp welcomed them and served them food and drink. He also requested time to pray. It is said the soldiers waited two hours for him. Some even felt bad for arresting an old man. Afterwards, Polycarp was brought before the Roman governor in a stadium. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, a letter written by the church in Smyrna, tells us what happened next: “The proconsul sought to persuade Polycarp to deny Christ, saying, ‘Consider your old age.’ Polycarp refused. Still urging him, the proconsul said, ‘Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ.’ To which, Polycarp declared, ‘For eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?’”
The Romans killed Polycarp, who was faithful unto death. Polycarp finished well. He fought the good fight. He finished the race. He kept the faith. May we also be faithful not fearful, for the Lord will give us the crown of life if we hold fast to Him.