Revelation 3:1: “And to the messenger 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.”
Jesus introduces Himself to Sardis as the One who has the seven Spirits of God, that is the fullness of God’s Spirit. In John 3:30-31, John the Baptist testified that he wanted Jesus to increase. He said that He who comes from heaven [meaning Jesus] is above all. Then, in John 3:34, he said, “For He whom God has sent speaks the Words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” In Matthew 3:11, John testified that Jesus is the One who baptizes people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the source of spiritual supply for His churches.
In Revelation 1:20, Jesus described the seven stars as the seven messengers of the seven churches that He is addressing in this book.
Sardis had a name – a reputation – as being alive to Christ, but Jesus called them dead.
What are dead works? In Hebrews 6:1, the Lord urges us to be mature in Christ and not lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. In other words, don’t remain at the starting line. Praise God, you are a new believer, but don’t remain an infant, grow up in Christ.
In Hebrews 5:12-14, the Lord says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
According to Revelation 5:10, the Lord has made us “to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God.” In Leviticus 10:10, the ministry of priests is to “distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean.” When we abide in Christ, He helps us to see clearly between right and wrong, and between helpful and harmful.
Dead works are sinful works that the Lord does not accept. Dead works are the fruits of a dead branch. Such a branch does not honor the Lord. In John 15:16, Jesus said, “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit.” When the Lord says that the Church of Sardis is dead, He is saying that they are not bearing the fruits of true repentance. They are, perhaps, asking His forgiveness only so they can keep on sinning.
Revelation 3:2: “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.”
Jesus said to the Christians in Sardis, and says to all of us, “Watch” and “Strengthen!” “Your works are not perfect before God.” Don’t turn a blind eye to the obvious deficiencies in your walk with God!
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus doubled His provisions to the servants who multiplied the talents that He gave to them, but He cast the worthless servant “into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
In Jude 1:20, the Lord says, “Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit.” Jesus has the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He baptizes people with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:4, after the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke with new tongues. In Acts 4:8, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit as he spoke to his persecutors. In Acts 4:31, those who prayed were “filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” In Zechariah 4:6, we read, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”
Why do some “Christians” speak against people who are filled with the Holy Spirit! Is it really crazy to love the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly? What is the Spirit saying to “Christians” who live carnal lives instead of lives filled with His Spirit?
Revelation 3:3: “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.”
Jesus uses the metaphor of a sudden invasion by a thief when He wants people to realize that they are not ready for His return.
In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus described the mindset most people have when He returns. He said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” People will only be thinking about this present life and not be thinking about eternity.
In Matthew 24:42, Jesus says, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” In Revelation 16:15, Jesus says, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Revelation 3:4-5: “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. 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.”
In Jude 1:23, the Lord says, “Save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
Sardis had a few people who were actively making efforts to save others.
Jesus gives white garments (garments of righteousness) to those who believe in Him and profess Him. White was also the color of triumph to the Romans. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they see God.”
Jesus promised overcomers that their names would not be blotted out of His Book of Life. Get your sin stains removed and I won’t place a stain over your name in the Book of Life.
The Book of Life is mentioned in Exodus 32:32-33, Psalm 69:28, Daniel 12:1, Malachi 3:16, Luke 10:20 and in Revelation 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 21:27, 22:19.
In Exodus 32:32-33, Moses said to the Lord: “If You will not forgive their sin; blot me out of Your book which You have written.” The Lord responded to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”
Psalm 69:20-28 refers to the betrayal of Messiah by Judas Iscariot and the priests in Jerusalem. In these verses, those who gave gall for food and vinegar to drink are to be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. Peter quotes Psalm 69:25 in Acts 1:20 as a reference to Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Daniel 12:1 says that everyone found written in the book shall be delivered.
Malachi 3:16 says that “those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His Name.”
In Luke 10:20, Jesus told His disciples to rejoice because their names are written in heaven.
Revelation 13:8 says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Revelation 17:8 says that those whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel at the beast, that is, the end times antichrist.
In Revelation 20:12, John sees the Book of Life. The dead were judged by the things written in this book.
In Revelation 21:2, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be allowed to enter the New Jerusalem.
In Revelation 22:19, “If anyone removes words from this prophecy, God removes his part from the Book of Life.”
In Revelation 3:5, Jesus said, “He who overcomes... 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.” Hearing Jesus speak our name before His Father and His angels should be our primary objective in this life.
In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus said, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
“Lord Jesus, please help us by Your Holy Spirit to confess You before people.”
In Romans 10:9-10, Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Revelation 3:6: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Are we listening to Jesus? Our eternal happiness depends on Him.
What did Jesus convey to the Christians in Sardis and what is He saying to us in Revelation 3:1-6? He is telling us that He loves us and wants us to be with Him for all eternity. How much do we want to be with Him? May the Lord by His grace and by the power of His Holy Spirit help us to be branches that bear good fruit for His glory. To confess Him before people! Amen!
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