“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.” Revelation 2:19
There is a growth and a maturity in what they are doing. But there are problems. The Believer is always to have faith first, which is to be followed by good works. Jesus gave us this order, shows us many of the Believers in the church at Thyatira were attempting to produce faith by works, which is never correct. We see the same thing in our churches today. Many people feel that if they do enough good works, God will be pleased. God wants us to have faith in Jesus Christ and the work of the Cross first and then we can do the good works. If Christians today were asked how they are to grow closer to the Lord, most of them would say that attending church services, paying tithes and giving to the community in service. All of these things are good, but they will not draw you closer to the Lord. It is impossible for a sinner to be saved, unless he accepts Christ and what Christ has done on the Cross on his behalf. He must accept this by faith. It is not possible for a Christian to live a victorious life, if that Christian forsakes the Cross after Salvation and begins to place their faith in other things. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
It is remarkable that the church was commended first for its love, especially when none of the three preceding churches was commended for this quality. In addition, mention is made of their service, their faith, and their patience, and of the fact that their last works were greater than the former works, in contrast, for instance, to the case of the Ephesian church. In spite of these most commendable features, the church at Thyatira was guilty of terrible sin.