Pergamos: Compromising Truth or Seeking Repentance?

Revelation 2:12-17 

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,  ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The lord speaks to this kind of church with the sharp two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 1:16), which is the word of God Himself.  This beginning of the letter to the church at Pergamos shows God’s word is not being followed, and is about to reveal how their thoughts and actions are not acceptable to God as it is written.  God knows their spiritual state, but begins first by commending them on the things they do well, not leaving the rebuke undone, however.  He praises them for holding fast to their confession of Christ even to dying for His name among the devil’s playground of the world around them.  But He then points out His wrath on allowing false teaching and practices of ungodly sacrifices to idols and sexual immorality.  It is not only the sin of doing these things, but of holding to the teachings and allowing perverse and blasphemous ideas to continue.  This is analogous to the current problems in some of today’s church circles where the immortality of homosexuality to the point of so-called ‘gay marriages’ and ‘gender identity’ have been allowed into church doctrine and allowed practices.  The message is simple, repent.  Turn from what God calls sin to follow Him according to His word.  If we are listening to God, we hear these things and act on them as His children.  He gives us of Himself to eat and identifies us as His in Christ!