Read Revelation 2:16.
So serious was the church’s offense of allowing the influence of false teaching to continue in their church, Jesus warned that He would remove those offenders Himself. Essentially Jesus was telling them, “Either you take care of this problem or I will!” As is often the case, God gives us the first shot at taking care of sin before He will step in to give perhaps stronger medicine due to an escalating condition. Like Sapphira who was given an opportunity to come clean before the apostles, she continued to lie about her misdeeds (Acts 5:7-11). The end result was God taking her life. That sounds like awfully harsh treatment especially considering that you and I probably can think of greater sins in our lives than that of Sapphira! But this is a case where God did not allow sin to continue by willful and sinful behavior.
Does God really step in to stop sin from continuing in our lives? Certainly God disciplines those He loves just as a father disciplines his children (Heb. 12:4-11). As we struggle with sin, God disciplines us to make us holy (Heb. 12:10) and to train us (Heb. 12:11). What kind of God would He be if He did not guide, direct, and correct our sinful ways? So it is with the church at Pergamum. If they continued to walk their current path, God would do something about it. While this is a warning to the church, it also serves as a reminder to us that God cares too much for His children and His reputation to allow sin to go unaddressed. As the writer of Hebrews argues, if we receive discipline from God, it proves we are His children. That is not to say we should continue to sin to prove God’s care for us, though! On the contrary, the pain of discipline ought to be a deterrent for sinful behavior – which is the point of this warning to the church.
Is there sin in your life that needs to be taken care of? Know that God loves you too much to allow it to continue. Take care of it because He never stops caring for you.