“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. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are
ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 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. 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.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.”’ (Revelation 3:1-6 NKJV)
Jesus who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars
speaks to the church in Sardis. This church was dead although the name was
alive. It is so-called nominal Christian or church. The seven Spirits of God
doesn’t mean there are the seven different Spirits but there are the seven different
ministries of the Spirit of God. Isaiah foretold us the seven ministries of the
Spirit in Chapter 11.
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
(Isaiah 11:1-2 NKJV)
Jesus Christ marvelously displayed and demonstrated the
seven Spirits of God in the earthly messianic ministry, the Spirit of the Lord,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And the seven stars
indicate the angels of the seven churches. There is no one like Jesus Christ
who was adequate, appropriate, fitting, and amply sufficient to handle all circumstance
in life. Christ speaks to the Sardis church which has a name that is alive but is
dead.
They carried a name as ‘Christian’ but were not perfect in
their works before God. They are called nominal Christians. Nominal means
existing only by name but far below from the real value. Although they go to service,
sing hymns, recite the apostle’s creed, and give offerings, they have no inner changes
and transformations in heart and mind. They are merely so-called ‘Sunday
Christians.’ They have no power, fragrance, and influence as Christians in the
midst of daily lives. They are dead, Christ Jesus the Lord says.
So, Jesus says to the angel of church in Sardis to be
watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. What
are the things which remain? Jesus gives the answer, saying “Remember therefore
how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.” Note that the Lord says
them to remember how they have received and heard, which is obviously through
the faith in Christ Jesus. We all know that when we couldn’t do anything at all
to get out of the bondage of confusion and darkness God sent His begotten Son
Jesus through whom we were made delivered and freed. That’s how we have received
and heard Jesus. We have simply exercised the gift of faith given from the
Father in heaven. “Hold fast and repent,” says Jesus. It means to keep on holding
fast the faith in Christ Jesus just as we have received and heard Him the first
place. And Jesus says to keep on repenting which means to accept the fact that
we have nothing to depend upon ourselves because our confidence is coming from
God.
Otherwise, the Lord will come like a thief and no one knows
what hour He will come. It could be this evening or tomorrow and nobody knows
the times and seasons which the Father in heaven knows. The point is though we
do not know the time Jesus will come for sure suddenly and unexpectedly. That’s
the reason our Lord Jesus says, “Be watchful!”
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1
Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV)
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels
of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away,
so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:36-39 NKJV)
Still hope remains in Sardis that there are a few people who
have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Jesus in white, for
they are worthy. It indicates that some still kept the faith in Christ Jesus
and so they were not defiled. The most wonderful promise of Jesus Christ our
Lord is given to those who hold fast and repent in the name of Christ. “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.”
Those who continue to live by faith in Christ Jesus will be
clothed in white garments and their names shall not be blotted out from the
Book of Life. Christ Jesus the Lord will call their names before the Holy
Father and before the host of angels. Christ can save anyone in any
circumstance like the dead church of Sardis. Therefore, “He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Yes, we continue to listen
carefully what the Spirit says. The Holy Spirit is our Inner Teacher who teaches
and makes the mysteries of God known in our hearts when we deliberately and
diligently read and meditate the words of truth.
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