CHAPTER FIVE

TO OVERCOME THE TREND OF NOT KEEPING THE LORD’S WORD, THE TIDE OF DENYING THE LORD’S NAME, AND THE LUKEWARMNESS IN THE LORD’S TESTIMONY

Scripture Reading: Rev. 3:7, 8b, 10-13, 14-21; 2:20; 3:2; 1 Pet. 1:7; Exo. 25:11; Rev. 1:20; 21:18; 1 John 2:27; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Eph. 3:8; Rev. 20:4, 6

OUTLINE

1. To overcome the trend of not keeping the Lord’s word:
   1. In Catholicism the Lord’s word is put aside and even locked; they keep the word of the prophetess Jezebel’s teaching of heresies-Rev. 2:20.
   2. In Protestantism the Lord’s word is unlocked, but it is not kept with absoluteness-Rev. 3:2.
   3. In the recovery the Lord’s word is kept absolutely, even as much as by the “little power” that we can afford-Rev. 3:8b.
2. To overcome the tide of denying the Lord’s name:
   1. The Lord’s word is the Lord’s expression; the Lord’s name denotes the Lord’s person.
   2. In Protestantism there is a strong tide of denying the Lord’s name by replacing it with many other names, such as Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc.
   3. In the recovery the Lord’s name, Jesus Christ, is unique, without any replacement.
   4. The reward for keeping the Lord’s word and not denying the Lord’s name:
      1. To be kept out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth-Rev. 3:10.
      2. To receive the crown-Rev. 3:11.
      3. To be made a pillar (for the building of God) in the temple of God, upon which are written the name of God, the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, and the new name of Christ-Rev. 3:12.
3. To overcome the lukewarmness in the Lord’s testimony-Rev. 3:15-16; 12:17b:
   1. To hate and abhor the pride and boast of being wealthy and rich in the vain doctrinal knowledge-Rev. 3:17a.
   2. To realize our spiritual condition-wretched (because of the pride and boast of vanity), miserable (because of the poverty, nakedness, and blindness), poor (in the experience of Christ and in the reality of God’s economy), blind (lacking spiritual insight in the genuine spiritual things), and naked (without the covering of Christ as the subjective righteousness)-Rev. 3:17b.
   3. To buy at a cost-Rev. 3:18:
      1. Refined gold, signifying the living faith (1 Pet. 1:7) for the gaining of the Triune God embodied in Christ as the pure gold (Exo. 25:11), that we may be the pure golden lampstand (Rev. 1:20) for the building of the golden New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:18) to make us truly rich.
      2. White garments, signifying Christ lived out of us as our subjective righteousness to cover our nakedness.
      3. Eyesalve, signifying the anointing life-giving Spirit (1 John 2:27; 1 Cor. 15:45b), that we may have the sight to see the divine and spiritual things for the healing of our spiritual blindness.
   4. To open ourselves to the Lord, who is shut outside the door of the church-Rev. 3:20a.
   5. The reward:
      1. To feast with the Lord, signifying the rich and full enjoyment of the unsearchable riches of Christ-Rev. 3:20b; Eph. 3:8.
      2. To participate in sitting with Christ on His throne for the fellowship in His kingship in authority-Rev. 3:21; 20:4, 6.