Being faithful unto death

In Revelation 2, our Lord, who is the first and the last, who died and came to life, tells the church in Smyrna: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2:10, ESV). This church was experiencing tribulation and poverty. In church history, it has been recorded that Polycarp, who was a bishop in Smyrna, died a martyr, while saying about Jesus, "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior?" Thus, one meaning of being faithful unto death is certainly being faithful to the point of dying a martyr for Christ.

There may be three other meanings that we can find some evidence for in the Bible. The second meaning may be to be faithful for one's entire life till the last breath is exhaled. Moses was certainly a faithful servant in God's house (Heb. 3:2,5) ever since he met the LORD God in the burning bush, until he died at the age of 120 (Deut. 34:7). Enoch, after he begat Methuselah at age 65, walked with God for 300 years (Gen. 5:21-24), before he was taken by God, without seeing death (Heb. 11:5). The very definition of faithfulness demands constancy and steadfastness. If one can be faithful and steadfast for one's entire life, what more can be asked of him? The LORD's love is steadfast and endures forever (e.g., Psalm 118, 136) and steadfastness is what a man of God should pursue (1 Tim. 6:11).

The third meaning of being faithful to death may be to be faithful with my own self dying, so that it it no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Paul confesses to the Galatians, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). Israelites in the days of the judges did not serve the LORD as their King and "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25, ESV). They repeatedly ended up doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD (Judges 2:11, 3:7,12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1). I must acknowledge that as the heavens are higher than the earth, the LORD's ways and His thoughts are higher than my ways and my thoughts (Isa. 55:9), so that He can reign in my life.

Lastly, the fourth meaning of being faithful to death may be to be faithful while being dead to sin, dead to the desires of the sinful flesh. As Christ died to sin once for all and now lives to God, so we must also consider ourselves "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 6:11, ESV). Having died to sin, we should not let sin have dominion over our lives by yielding to the desires of the sinful flesh. We are no longer slaves to sin. The Truth has set us free (John 8:31-32). Rather than the desires of the flesh, we should follow the desires of the Spirit and walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-24). We "who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal. 5:24, ESV).

Lord, I often falter, bowing to the desires of my flesh. Be merciful to me. Reign in me, so that I may follow Your desires and obey your commands. Let me be steadfast in obeying You till my last breath. Let me be faithful to You, even if I should be threatened with loss of my earthly life. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.