Revelation 2:12-17 (NLT)
12 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one who has a sharp two-edged sword: 13 "I know that you live in the city where that great throne of Satan is located, and yet you have remained loyal to me. And you refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you by Satan's followers. 14 And yet I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you who are like Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to worship idols by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In the same way, you have some Nicolaitans among you--people who follow the same teaching and commit the same sins. 16 Repent, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

With a sword in hand, Jesus is prepared for battle if necessary to fight the hard heartedness of the church of Pergamum. But like Jesus so often does He first extends His care and love to compliment them on the things they have done right; you have remained loyal; you have refused to deny me. Then Jesus offers His complaints, which includes the people tolerating worshiping idols, and sexual sin. Jesus calls for these Christians to repent. Those who are victorious will eat of the manna reserved in heaven for the saints and angels. The white stone represents absolution from guilt, where there was a custom that a white stone meant innocent and a black stone meant guilty in a trial. The same custom has even made it to modern times where a black marble pulled instead of a white marble means you have been chosen for the unwanted task. And the new name is the new name given for the adoption into the family of God.

Here is the problem with some churches of today; they want to tolerate what others are doing because they don’t want to offend others. It’s the same problem the church of Pergamum was having; they were tolerating people who were not following the principles set forth by Christ. They were following the principles of the Nicolatians, which meant they were teaching and committing the same sins. Jesus was calling the church of the past into repentance and He still calls churches to repent even today. But repentance starts with each of us as individuals. As Jesus works within each of us we are able to stand up and acknowledge what is sin and stand against it. Jesus made Peter a promise, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of ****** shall not prevail against it”. Pray for our churches that they would stand against sin. Pray for yourself that sin might be revealed and repentance would come from your heart.