Gratitude by David Jeremiah

Gratitude    Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10 Every day in courtrooms, individuals breathe a sigh of relief when a judgment or sentence is not levied upon them for some reason. The judge chooses to dismiss the charge for any number of possible reasons. Relief, joy, gratitude—the response of the defendant is overwhelming.

Recommended Reading: Revelation 3:7-13

Perhaps that is how the church in the ancient city of Philadelphia responded when the apostle John delivered a message from Christ telling them they would be spared from the hour of judgment coming upon the whole world. Were they sinless? No—the reason was that they had persevered patiently and faithfully in the face of persecution. In the grand scheme of biblical interpretation, the church at Philadelphia is a picture of the modern Church in our current age. What applied to that church applies to us. Why? Because, in the words of the apostle Paul, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Thank God today that Jesus Christ bore our judgment on the cross that we might inherit salvation through Him. God’s wrath is his righteousness reacting against unrighteousness.  J. I. Packer