Romans 14:17-20 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”

Here, Paul explains the meaning of the Work of God. We define “the Work of God” as the way we serve Christ and please God, as this passage says. The Kingdom of God has righteousness, peace, and joy as three of its defining characteristics, and these three things should always be pervasive in God’s Work.

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Revelation 2:2-3 - ”I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.  I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.”

THE AFFIRMATION -  In most of the Letters, Jesus points out some things that the church in that era got right.  These are the ways they pleased the Lord.  These are sometimes different aspects than historians or scholars focus on, but they are the things that God considered important from that period.  With the period of Ephesus, Jesus acknowledges and compliments them for five good traits.

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Revelation 2:14-17 – “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Repent therefore!  Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”

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Revelation 2:20-25 - ”Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.  I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.  So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.  I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.“

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Deuteronomy 22:9 - “You shall not sow your vineyard with different kind of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.”

This regulation was taken literally by the Israelites in the Old Testament period, but we understand that every command in the law pointed to Jesus and the Work of Salvation, which he now accomplishes through the Holy Spirit.  John 5:39 “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.”  Colossians 2:17, “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

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