Revelation 3:1-6
The Dead Church
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.“‘
Strengthen what remains! That is the message from the Lord Jesus Christ who holds the seven angels of the churches and His seven Spirits to the church at Sardis (“escaping ones,” as from corruption). This church appeared dead even though they claimed to be full of life. Many of their works seemed to be dying or near death as they let them falter due presumably to their inattention of heart to do them. They were therefore called to strengthen what little remained of those works by being attentive and watching over what they were doing or not doing anymore. They were specifically told to look back and remember all they had been given and received and heard from the Lord and to turn back to doing those things in heartfelt repentance, an apt reminder for us to be watchful and to hold fast (1 Corinthians 15:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Timothy 6:20, Hebrews 10:23) to what we have heard from the gospel as this warning is for us all and not just to this particular church. We all are prone to wander and allow corruption to take hold if we are not watchful in prayer (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Peter 4:7) and so must be willing to repent when we do and keep our eyes on the way set before us (Isaiah 30:21) that we might also turn back continually to hold fast to our Lord and sound doctrine put into daily practice. If we neglect to do these things, we may face the same loss of reward as those in Sardis and not escape the consequences of spiritual corruption when He comes to us unannounced and unexpected. There was hope for the church at Sardis, however, as the Lord identified a few who kept themselves clean and were worthy of His praise; may we strive to imitate them in faithfulness and strengthen what remains. Overcomers are promised a new wardrobe of holiness in white attire because their names are written in the permanent stone of the Book of Life and are announced to the onlooking angels before the throne of the Lord. We who are in Christ are in His book and have this assurance, needing only to know that our loss is not of eternal life (1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 12-13, 14-15) but of glory which we could have given to the Lord in return for our salvation. We who are not ashamed (Luke 12:8) of the name of our Lord and Savior God, Jesus Christ, have our names in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3) and are confessed by the Son to the Father in heaven as reward for trusting and receiving Him (John 1:12) as our Savior and Lord and passing from death to life (John 5:24). These things were written to be heard and acted on by the seven churches then and all now. Strengthen what remains!
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