But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. (Revelation 2:24-25)
Thyatira was a thriving and successful church for the most part. Still, it gave in to what is tempting for many long-time Christians: they gave heed to strange doctrines and excessive ideas that overreach Scriptural boundaries. If you ever think you need something more than what God has given you in Christ to manifest the fruit of the Spirit, you’re heading down the wrong path.
2 Corinthians 11:13 tells us not to allow our minds to be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ as Eve did. Eve was tricked into believing that she needed something more than what God had already given her. The serpent convinced her that her relationship with God was not enough. This, Jesus explained, was what was happening in Thyatira. He said they had many good things going for them except for this one thing. They allowed false doctrine into their church and were off-balance when it came to putting trust in their works over Jesus.
Jesus said they had faith, love, and patience working together. That would have brought them success if they balanced it and went back to the fundamentals. They needed to establish strong, basic doctrine and not permit people to stand in their pulpit who spoke against God’s Word.
In plain language, Jesus’s message to them was essentially, “Don’t throw away what you are doing; just fix it.”
Practical Application – Regardless of how long you’ve been saved, or how many Scriptures you’ve memorized, you will never outgrow the basic tenets of the faith. Stick with the Word and don’t get led into error.
Hebrews 6:1; Ephesians 4:14