6 Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest.
The nicolaitans were a group of religious people who set up a ruling class over the rest of the people. Basically teaching and believing that everyone is not equal. Think about how Jesus acted when He was here on the earth as a man with the people. Jesus never required people to bow down to Him. People called Him by His name, Jesus. He took on a servants towel and washed their feet. He prayed that everything that He was would be ours as well. Think about how Jesus is right now, He ever lives to intercede for us so that we might be saved to the uttermost. Jesus hates when people try and make a select few higher or better than others. This is happening all over religion today. Pastors are set up way to high. Church names and buildings are elevated and worshipped. We have bishops and popes who are proclaimed to be Christ on the earth, when the Truth is that all who are saved are one with Christ on this earth. The thoughts and practices of the nicolaitans are all throughout religion today and Jesus hates it. These practices are the beginning of the anti-christ’s end time church. He will perfect these evil practices and people are being prepared right now to welcome them and even expect them.
7 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
How exactly does a believer, a child of God, overcome? We overcome the world, because the Truth is that we are more than conquerors through Christ Who loves us, Romans 8:37. We are conquerors because our Father keeps us on this earth, John 17:15. Christ does not fail! Our Father does not fail! The actual church at Ephesus had a form of godliness, but they denied the power of it, 2 Timothy 3:5. Jesus knew this Truth. He knew that without Him the church would fail. It is impossible to repent and act in true righteousness without Jesus being the force that is driving the change. It is impossible to continually live in righteousness without Christ being the power that enables it.
The Book of Revelation speaks a great deal about the false prophet and the anti-christ, both will be experts at false religion. If the church of Ephesus would have truly been of God, He would have kept them from leaving their first love. I believe many in Ephesus were truly saved. History seems to show us that John actually was part of this church at one time. The things that the Holy Spirit showed this church through Paul in the Book of Ephesians were definitely for the chosen, as well as for us today. But the church, the organized church, with its leaders and boards could not have been, or it would still be around! Our Father’s Truth never dies off. Jesus ever lives to declare God’s Name to us, John 17:26 and He ever lives to intercede for us so that we are saved to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. The Ephesian church ended; the Church of Christ will end, Methodist will end, Catholicism will end, the Church of God will end, and yes, even the Baptists will end, but the true Church, those who have been called and chosen will never end!
There are so many who really believe that Jesus is a stand by Savior; that He can only act in our life’s if we first act to allow Him to. But the Truth is that He is our Head, He is our Shepherd, He is control and He is directing our paths, every path! Jesus is not reactive, He is active! Many are called, yet only a few are chosen. Jesus doesn’t choose in error! Think about the act of grafting a branch into a vine. Who picks the branch to be grafted? The gardener does and our Gardener is God, John 15:1. Our Gardener knows the beginning and the end. Do you think that He will pick out a branch, graft it into Jesus, and then realize that He had made a mistake? There were saved people here in Ephesus, yet as for the organized church, even though God had used it, it was never actually part of Him. Because what is truly a part of our Father, and who is truly chosen to be one with Him, can ever leave Him, Romans 11:29.
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