How important is it to hold on to the truth of the Bible? How do we hold to the great truths of Scripture when the world is constantly telling us that there is no truth? How do we make a stand for the infallibility of the Bible when we are slandered and accused of being short-sighted and people with little intellect? Holding to the deep truths of Scripture is a must for all Christians because these truths provide the very foundations to our faith. The Scriptures provide us with clear teaching as to who our God is and what matters to Him above all else. The Scriptures show us exactly who we are when seen through the eyes of God. The Scriptures point us in the direction we must go if we are to have a living and eternal relationship with God. The Scriptures tell us the way to salvation through Jesus. Jesus is the truth and all of Scripture leads us to Him!
The church in Pergamum was praised by Jesus for how they faithfully held on to the treasures of Scripture. They held on to the great truth concerning Jesus as the only way to God no matter how difficult this proved to be for them. They withstood slander, persecution and even death. They refused to follow the world’s logic and reasoning to take them away from the centrality of Christ! Jesus applauded them! However, He also criticized them for allowing asceticism to take hold in the church. Asceticism is where we not only hold on to the truths of Scripture but also allow other teaching and beliefs to rule our lives that are in opposition to the Lordship of Christ and His teaching. Ancestor worship is one case in point. A softening to Jesus’ commands is another particularly in the area of sexual sin.
Jesus is therefore calling all churches to a holy and faithful relationship with His Father through Him. The centrality of Jesus and the living out of His teaching is of paramount importance to all Christians. Let us therefore be a church that holds on to all truth and let us be a church that does not soften our stance on pursuing holiness in our personal lives. Let us guard what teaching and practices are permitted in our church so that we will not face the same criticism of the One who is the head of our church!