The church of Smyrna was purified by suffering.

The price for being a Christian in that city (Smyrna) was very, very high. It was a very anti-gospel, anti-God place.

Believers in Smyrna loved Christ and never left their first love; they continued to love Him zealously.

Persecution does not destroy the church; but it makes it strong.

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10, NASB)

True faith endures to death.

The faith that pleases God is based not on convenience, but on deep and abiding conviction.

The church that left the first love.

Revelation 2:1-7

This church toiled for the kingdom of God, they never gave up on the word of God; they were active. It was a church which understood their yoke of salvation. They were persistent, hardworking.

They were intolerant of sin; they resented evil doers, they hated all that was spiritually bad.

They gave no place for evil inside church.

They had the knowledge of truth and thus they were able to discern false prophets and doctrine.

Revelation 2:4

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

The flaming love that they had for Christ on the day they were delivered from the kingdom of darkness; the day when they felt like Peter when he said that Lord you that I love you as he said three times in John 21.

The heat of the first love was gone and they left it. It’s a danger for all of the believers to persevere, know the truth, endure, have discernment, work hard, hate sin and we are capable of exposing error but leave the first love.

"For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD."But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.(Isaiah 66:2,NASB)

‌ God finds His home in a humble heart, He finds his home in a trembling heart. A heart humble before Him, a heart broken over sin before Him and a heart that trembles at His word. A humble heart, a trembling heart and a broken heart is what defines a true believer, it's what defines true Christians. God is looking for those who are in awe of his word, those who know his word, those who believe it and love it, those who obey; proclaim and defend it. One with a humble heart; a heart that trembles at his word is where God dwells, it is here where God lives.

‌ God comes to churches built with human hands because those with humble hearts come,When they come God also comes.

What price did Christ pay?

He bore our griefs.

He carried our sorrows.

He was pierced, chastened and scourged for us.

Verse 4 is our wrong attitude and Christ died in order that we have the right attitudes.

Verse 5 is our behavior, but Christ paid the price with His life that we have the right behaviors.

Verse 6 is our nature; Christ died that we have the right nature.

Many times as believers when we are saved and have spent weeks, months; years and decades in salvation we tend to shift the focus from the true message of the gospel which is the reason why Christ died, we tend to shift our focus from the price that Christ paid and put all our focus on what is meaningless. We focus on what God can give us and forget the precious gift He gave us.

Christ took the punishment of our sin.

We should have suffered for our sin but Christ took it away. He takes our sin and removes having paid for all.

The price that Christ paid is something every believer must ponder about and make it his foundation of salvation because it's indeed the foundation for salvation.

Christ was reviled and never reviled back. He bore our sins in His body on the cross.

The price Christ paid not many can pay.

He had no stately form or majesty that could attract anybody. Remember I told you that he grew up in a family of a humble background. His peasant upbringing, His poverty, as well as his lack of association with the aristocracy that's the all religious, political, and economic power in Jerusalem.

What price did Christ pay?

He left all glory, all honor in heaven to die for us. He chose to be called a son of a carpenter; He was born in a manger.

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.(lsaiah 53:3, NASB)

And because he was from a family of a humble background with no social status; he was despised. He was rejected and still today many reject him. And why did they reject Christ, because he was pure holiness and they pure corruption.

Today people reject Christ not because they are forced, but because they are pure corruption and he is pure holiness. Today people reject and despise Christ because they are too selfish; deeply rooted in their own unholy practices and actions and immorality to believe the message of life.

People are too evil to turn away from their sinful lives and lusts. Believers are too eager to adapt the standards of the world deviating from the word of God and thus rejecting Christ.

When God looks at any sinner, he doesn't see his/her sins but sees the fully paid price which is his beloved Son Jesus Christ.

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3, NASB)

Spurgeon, who struggled deeply with physical illness and severe depression throughout his life, knew firsthand that fixing his eyes on Christ was the only way to endure suffering.

"I am persuaded, beloved brothers and sisters, that if we looked more to Christ, our troubles would not become anything like so black. In the darkest night, looking to Christ will clear the ebony sky."

We all have races to run as believers, to some it's 100m, to others it's 250m and to others it's 1000m...

The focus must not be the race, but fixing our eyes on Christ must be the real deal.

You Reap What You Sow

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7, ESV)

What you sow, you reap.

Paul here speaks about the realm of spiritual life.

If one sows to the flesh, you reap corruption, death, destruction, decay, ruin. But if you sow to the spirit, you reap eternal life.

Sowing to the flesh

Sin has consequences;

It has person consequences

It has physical consequences

It has relational consequences

It has national consequences

It has global consequences and eternal consequences.