Faithful or Faithless

The Faithful Church

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 

10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

Are we of the faithful church?  What is the key of David?  Do I have an open door set before me?  Have I kept His word?  I have little strength; that is encouraging.  I don't think I've denied His name.  Will I be kept from the hour of trial?

I went to the sheepfold of John 10.  The sheepfold is representative of the safe place where the sheep, the followers of Jesus, are gathered together with the Shepherd.

John 10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 

There is no other way into the sheepfold except through the door.  It is a stone wall inclosure to keep the sheep safe from predators at night.  Only thieves and robbers climb over the wall.  The Shepherd and the sheep use the door.  The door is opened by a doorkeeper.  The Doorkeeper is the Father.  So who is the key of David?  Thinking about the "key of David," my attention was drawn to: 

Isaiah 11 

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

This Rod from the stem of Jesse speaks of the shepherd David who ultimately speaks of the Shepherd Jesus.  Jesus is both the Rod (Shepherd) and Branch.  The Spirit of the Lord rests upon Him.  The Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.  This leads me to understand that key of David is the Spirit of the Lord Himself.

Jesus the Shepherd leads His sheep through the door opened by the Father, with the key of David, the Holy Spirit.  Safety in the sheepfold is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What is this one door?  Who is the door?  There is only one way into the sheepfold.  There is only one way to the Father.  John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Jesus IS the DOOR.  The Shepherd Himself stands at the opening and keeps watch over the sheep.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  (He is speaking to the Jews, and the ones not of this fold, are the adopted sons and daughters of Israel, the Gentiles.)

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Jesus is the door, because Jesus gave His life for the sheep.  He laid down His life for His sheep.  In laying down His life, Jesus became the mediator between man and God.  

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

Jesus, the I AM, the Alpha and Omega, the Word, became flesh to be the intercessor, mediator, redeemer, savior.  Why?  Because there was no man, no way, except through Himself.

Isaiah 59:16

16 He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

Philippians 2:5

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

John 3

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Luke 22

19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 

Without the blood, there is no remission of sins.  There had to be an atoning sacrifice.  Sin brings death.  Life can only be redeemed by a life.  The life is in the blood.  Blood had to be shed.  There was no blood sacrifice adequate to cover all our sins.  Jesus, Himself was a sacrifice for sin, once for all.  

Hebrews 7:27

who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

This is a finished work.  There is no more sacrifice for sins.  There is no work that we can do to earn this salvation.  Salvation is the gift of God.  

We can not be good enough.  We can not be counted worthy by our own merit.  We inherit the sin of Adam.  There is no goodness at the heart of man.  The best of us are wrapped in selfishness and pride.  Those of us that are "good people" pride ourselves in our own self-righteousness.  We all like recognition, praise of men, to be noticed, to glory in our selves.  There are none that are righteous. There are none that seek God.   There are none that fear Him.  (Romans 3)

But, He first loved us!  He worked salvation for us!  He died for us!  He seeks us!  He chose us!  He draws us to Himself with lovingkindness.  His loving kindness leads us to repentance.  Repentance is a turning to Him, a bowing down before Him, a complete surrender of ourselves to Him in all His holiness and righteousness.  We see ourselves, naked, impoverished, miserable in our sin, wretched in our pride before this Holy, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Good, Awesome Creator, Heavenly Loving Father.  He loves us so much that He became flesh; the triune God, left His place in heaven as the Son at the right hand of the Father, and humbled Himself, becoming flesh to suffer every affliction, pain, and sorrow of mankind.  He became the Beloved of the Father, the firstborn, sacrificed on the alter, taking the whole judgment of the world upon His shoulders, as a criminal at a time of Roman execution in the form of horrific crucifixion.  He poured out His blood for us.  All He requires of us is that we receive His finished work of salvation.  All He asks is that we receive HIM.  He has completed the work.  Your only work is faith.  You must believe on Him.

John 6:29

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

This is a work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Come to the Father through the Door, the Son, by the work of the Holy Spirit drawing you to Himself.  Be covered in the blood for the remission of sins by faith and be washed in His Holy Spirit.  This is the open door that no one can shut when it has been opened by the key of David.

Any spirit that tries to take you into the sheepfold without going through this Door is a thief and a robber.  Any spirit that does not go through the Door of the blood of Jesus, the Beloved of the Father, the I AM, is counterfeit, of cults and demons.

If you have believed on Jesus, be found faithful.  Those who have been forgiven much, love much.  They love Him and love His Word.  The believer's desire is to be washed continually by His Word and to live in the righteousness of Christ Jesus.  They are clothed with Christ and they love others as an outpouring of His love made manifest in their lives.

We are to to be found faithful.  Many of us fall short.  Many of us will not be found worthy because we are not hidden in the worthiness of Christ.  Many of us have stayed in our own self-righteous stinky clothes.  Many of us have found grace an excuse to sin.  How many of us can stand upright and blameless before Him?

But do not lose hope.

2 Timothy 2

11 This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

He is always making a way for us.  He remains faithful.  He says, "Come.  Return to Me.  Seek Me while I am near.  Repent and I will forgive your sins, removing them from you as far as the east is from the west.  Let me wash you clean again."  "Come under the wings of My grace and know the depths of My love, for you are Mine."

Listen for His voice!  He is calling you!