It Starts Small

Jesus concludes His letter by inviting the church of Smyrna to hear His words. He challenges the believers to heed His message. It is one thing to just read the Word of God, it is another thing to heed it. That word heed means to take it to heart and act upon it. James gave us encouragement in his letter:

²² But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:22-25

James compares hearing and doing as a person who looks in the mirror. He soon forgets what he sees. This is a person who only hears, but those who do are those who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts. James says, those who respond to the Word of God will be blessed.

Jesus then promises the believers at the church in Smyrna that the second death will not harm them.

 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14

Jesus promises that God’s people’s final home is heaven.

²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

John 10:28-30