Lessons from Revelation: The church at Thyatira

The last church mentioned in Revelation 2 is the church in Thyatira.  Jesus tells them in Revelation 2:19-25:

19′ I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.  20’But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  21′ I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.  22’Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.  23’And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.  24’But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them — I place no other burden on you.  25’Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.

The church in Thyatira had a problem, and her name was Jezebel.  Or at least, she was leading God’s people astray into idolatry and immorality, just like the Jezebel of the Old Testament did.  Unfortunately, some were being carried away by her false doctrine and Jesus says they will be punished for it.

This should come as a stern reminder that we are responsible for our own actions, and have no one we can blame except ourselves.  As Paul writes in Philippians 2:12, we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  In 2 Corinthians  5:10, Paul writes

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

And in Romans 14:12, Paul writes

12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Time and time again, we are told that we are responsible for ourselves.  You will always have a choice:  right or wrong; good or evil; God or Satan.  Which do you choose?