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1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
3Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
4Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:1–6 ESV)
How do you know you are still alive? Many people would think this is a really dumb question. They might respond and say, “As long as my heart is beating, whether I can feel it or not, I think I am alive.” Yes, we know we are alive all right, but what is life?
Throughout human history, people have asked the following questions about life: Where did I come from? Where will I be after I die? Who am I? What is life all about? All these answers can be found in the Bible. In short, when people became believers in Jesus Christ, they could understand the meaning of life in a better way.
A theologian says it well: “Life is on loan to us.” If we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we should know that our lives are not our own. Also, we should understand that life is not just physical, and it also has its spiritual aspect.
As Christians, we should understand well that our lives are on loan to us from God. Therefore, one of our many missions in life is to live our physical and spiritual life for Jesus Christ well.
In one of the seven letters to the seven churches, the Lord Jesus Christ points out that the Church in Sardis is spiritually dead. As Jesus Christ is all-knowing, He knows the spiritual state of His churches. It is a fact that He knows our spiritual condition inside out.
- Christ’s Knowledge about Our Spiritual State (Revelation 3: 1b)
1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. (Revelation 3:1)
Reality of Being Dead
The Christians in Sardis seem to be alive, but in fact they are dead. Both alive and dead refer to their spiritual condition. Jesus Christ knew the spiritual reality of Sardis church. As to the community around these believers, they seem to be alive and well, but they are dead spiritually in the eyes of Jesus Christ. However, in verse two, Jesus Christ says, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die.” Sardis church was apparently not totally dead. In a nutshell, Sardis church is a dying church.
Normally, if a person knows he is dying he would seek medical help, and he might even make amends with himself and others. Similarly, only when believers know that they are dying spiritually, they will seek help from Jesus Christ. Only when believers know their own spiritual state, they will seek help!
In reality, only the Spirit of God can revive a spiritual dead congregation; only God’s Spirit can wake a Christian from spiritual sleepiness.
Although I don’t like to see a doctor, I know I need to when I am sick. Brothers and sisters in Christ, how do you see yourself as a Christian? Do you know your own spiritual condition? If you are sick spiritually, you must seek help. If you are backslidden, only the Spirit of God can revive you.
Reputation of Being Alive
Perhaps, Sardis church was once well known among the churches for spiritual vitality; but Jesus Christ, the heart-searcher of all souls, who sees not as humans sees, pronounces her dead.
The Sardis church had a reputation for being alive, but it was dead now. G. Campbell Morgan, the famous Bible expositor, says it well: “reputation without reality.”
The church in Sardis used to have a good reputation among other local churches. In other words, she seemed to be a a vibrant church.
As a pastor, I have witnessed churches which were once vibrant have become lifeless now. It is sad to see many church leaders and believers who still have a good reputation within the Christian circle, but in reality, they are suffering from spiritual drowsiness. In God’s eyes, they are almost spiritually dead.
Dear believers in Christ, do you have a good reputation among your peers? Most importantly, do you know you are spiritually alive before Christ?
In Reality They Are almost Dead Now
Why did Jesus call Sardis church dead? What does He mean by dead here? According to the Bible, spiritual deadness is the universal consequence of sin. Since the Fall of humankind, all human beings are pronounced spiritually dead, that is to say, humankind have lost their spiritual connection with God. Also, the spiritually dead are unsaved individuals before God’s eyes.
According to the context of this passage, those who are called to be dead by Jesus Christ are not unsaved individuals; these believers in Sardis church are saved but they have lost their spiritual vitality now.
The Causes of Spiritual Deadness or Spiritual Sleepiness
Another term for the spiritual deadness is spiritually asleep (Ephesus 5:14).
What causes spiritual sleepiness?
Sin
As Christians, we know all too well that sin is the main culprit of spiritual death, and a sinful heart can be expressed in many manners.
All human beings are born with a sinful nature. Some people are struggling not to sin on a daily basis, but some people simply don’t care much about morality—right or wrong means nothing to them.
If Christians are not aware of their standing before the Most Holy One, sinful thoughts and motives would slowly creep into their lives. Therefore, we must always check on our spiritual hearts. Self-examination on our spiritual condition on a daily basis is a good practice that we should have. Right before we go to sleep every night, we should ask ourselves a simple question: Have we hurt others, intentionally or unintentionally? Also, how is our relationship with God?
Lack of Self-awareness
Very likely, a lack of self-awareness in the believers in Sardis have caused their own downfall. They are not aware that they are dying spiritually. They are not conscious that they are in a deep spiritual sleep.
Are we aware of our relationship with the people around us? Do we know if we are closely connected with God now? If we don’t have self-awareness, this would eventually cause our own downfall.
Living in the Past
Some individuals enjoy living in the past; they believe that things are the same as they were in the past. Many individuals simply rest on their laurels. They are those who are so satisfied with what they have already achieved that they would not make no further effort.
Some churches often brag about their past history and successes. Some church leaders are more concerned with their liturgical forms than their own spiritual reality.
Dear friends, we have to move on with our lives. Don’t live in the past is the key to success in life.
Dear Christians, perhaps you were a disciple who closely followed Jesus Christ, but, the question I pose to you is: “How about now?”
Complacency
Some of the believers of Sardis church live in the past; they rest on their laurels. Another similar thing is that they seem content with incomplete obedience to Christ, which is a form of self-deception. Another word for it is complacency. Complacency will for sure hinder the spiritual growth of Christians.
Spiritual growth of Christians is an on-going process. Believers can never stop growing in spiritual knowledge and experience. Whenever Christians are complacent with their spiritual condition, they would easily slide into spiritual darkness or sleepiness.
- Christ’s Counsel for Our Spiritual Lethargy (Revelation 3: 2–3)
2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
3Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. (Revelation 3: 2–3 ESV)
Christ Gives Us a Wake-up Call (Revelation 3:2)
2Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. (Revelation 3:2 NLT)
You can see verse 2 to 3 as a rebuke from Christ, but you can also view it as a counsel.
Once again, let me reiterate that Sardis church are saved believers. Jesus Christ does say they are not eternally condemned. In the letter to the church in Sardis, the Lord rebukes them for their spiritual drowsiness, hoping to wake up the sleepy Christians.
The first counsel to the church in Sardis is a wake-up call. Christ commands those are suffering from spiritual sleepiness to wake up. It is a call to reverse their attitudes radically.
Christ Commands us to Strengthen What Remains (Revelation 3:2)
Sardis church is declining and heading toward disaster; however, there is some good remained in them.
Definitely, we don’t like to live in faulty houses. Like many people, I had lived in faulty houses before. You don’t tear down these imperfect buildings right away because you can always fix these problems. A house might have old, broken and draughty windows, but its foundation might be solid. In other words, there is some good remained in this house.
Similarly, Christians who are suffering from spiritual sleepiness, but there might still be some good left in them. Although Jesus Christ rebukes Sardis church, He still gives them a second chance. He doesn’t ask them to be perfect. He is always merciful. All He wants them is that they can stay spiritually alive.
Christ Warns Us about Our Incompleteness (Revelation 3:2)
The Lord Jesus has found the work of Sardis church not complete (ESV), that is, their actions do not meet the requirements of God (NLT). In other words, their deeds do not measure up to the standard Christ sets.
Nobody on earth is perfect. There are no perfect Christians on earth. The intent of the letter to Sardis church is to point out their imperfection. Some believers in Sardis thought they were all right, but in fact they were far from it.
Avoid the Future Judgement of Jesus Christ (Revelation 3:3)
Jesus Christ might seem stern to the church in Sardis, but he was actually being gracious to them. In verse 3, Jesus says, 3Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. (Revelation 3:3 NLT) He tells them to return to the basic truth of the gospel, and hold to it firmly, so that they can avoid his judgement.
The coming of Jesus like a thief is not the Second Coming. If Sardis church does not repent, Jesus Christ will come and judge them. The noteworthy thing is that the Second Advent of Jesus is not conditional. Jesus Christ will come again in His own timing.
As Christians, we should know that God is gracious, but He is righteous and just as well; He will judge and punish the unjust.
- Christ’s Promises for Our Spiritual Life (Revelation 3: 4–6)
4Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:4–6 ESV)
Concerning the spiritual sleepiness or the spiritual deadness of Sardis church, Jesus has granted them a few promises to them. Likewise, these promises are also valid to those who are in sleeping spiritually.
Eternal Fellowship
In the pagan world, no worshippers are allowed to approach a temple of the gods with soiled clothes. By borrowing this imagery, we can safely assume some believers in Sardis with soiled garments have mingled with pagan life and have defiled their relationship with Christ.
For those who keep their garments clean, Christ promises them that they will walk with Him in white. It is a way to say, Lord Jesus promises them that they can enjoy His fellowship.
Dear Christians, fellowshipping with the Lord is a blessed privilege, which we should not take it lightly. This fellowship is not temporal but eternal.
Name Written in the Book of Life
Jesus promises the overcomers in the Christian faith that He will never blot their names out of the book of life. Also, He will confess their names before His Father and before His angels. Both promises are a guarantee of heavenly citizenship.
Conclusion
As for those who wants to know more about the Christian faith, do you want to have a magnificent spiritual health? The starting point of a great spiritual well-being is to have Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. There are three steps to take: first, confess your sins and shortcomings to Jesus Christ; second, repent of your wrongdoings and wayward living; third, trust in Jesus as your Redeemer. Slowly and gradually, you will experience the changes in your heart.
As Christians, we know “Life is on loan to us.” Thus, we should try to live our lives for Christ to the fullest. Definitely, we have many missions in life, and one of the many is to stay spiritually alive for Jesus Christ.
Kenneth Thumb Ministry 譚約珥事工 