Revelation 3:1-6
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DEAD?
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD?
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. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, 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. 4 Yet 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. 5 The 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
BACKGROUND
Sardis was formerly the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, founded in 1400 BC. Sardis at one time was a wealthy city, in fact, the first gold and silver coins were minted in Sardis.
The city was founded at the top of cliffs over 1,000 feet high and was very secure. The city was considered impregnable.
In 546 BC, the Persian ruler, Cyrus, launched a surprise attack against Sardis under the cover of night, scaling the cliffs of the city’s citadel and taking the city. The city was conquered again using the same tactic by Antiochus the Great in 214 BC. This may give insight to Jesus’ saying, “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.”
Sardis became the western capital of the Persian empire, which gave it great power and status. It became the capital of the Seleucid empire in 190 BC. It had a grand palace and a temple to Artemis that was twice the size of the pantheon in Athens. During the Christian era, the temple of Artemis was converted into a church but later fell into disuse. Though in ancient times the city was once powerful, under Roman rule it never gained prominence. When it vied to build a temple for the Caesar-cult it lost its bid to Smyrna. Sardis held onto its ancient history as a powerful city but in actuality it became a minor city, also giving insight into Jesus’ saying, “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die.”
Jews held a high status in Sardis under Roman rule. They were granted the right to practice their faith openly and were excluded from worshipping idols and participation in the Caesar-cult. The Jews of Sardis had one of the largest synagogues in the ancient world that could hold over 1,000 people. Nine of its donors were on the city council, making the Jewish population an important part of the city.
Sardis was known for its trade in luxury clothing which Jesus uses to drive home his point when he says, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments.” In these three examples, like in the earlier churches, Jesus uses the city’s own history to teach them what he wants them to know. These references to their history would have been powerful pictures to the Christians in Sardis that their church, though thought secure, was actually dying.
EXAMINATION
(V.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.”
The reference to the Seven Spirits is also translated elsewhere as seven-fold. It is a reference to the Holy Spirit, with seven being the number of completion or perfection. Jesus’ Spirit is perfect. He sees and knows all, including everything about the seven churches of Revelation, noted by his reference to the seven stars. The churches and their pastors belong to him. He can therefore bless, warn, or judge, as he is about to do here.
(V.1) “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK A PERSON IS LIKE WHO IS SOCIALLY ALIVE BUT SPIRITUALLY DEAD?
The church at Sardis suffered no persecution, but some scholars believed that they had compromised their faith so deeply that they were, in essence, spiritually dead. The church was thriving in peace and safety, but had no heart for Christ. Have you ever known a church that seemed to have a good status in the community, but in actuality was stagnant? It had a reputation but was going nowhere.
Just as the city reveled in its reputation as a formerly powerful capital, during John’s time it was of no importance. So too, we cannot rely on our past glories to ensure our future. America is an example of this. We have a rich Christian heritage in our discovery and founding and we often recall the glories of our Christian roots. But the past won’t save our nation. Our present reality is one of ungodliness and shame. Only repentance can restore America. And this is like our lives as well. We cannot rely on our past testimony to ensure our future. We must always be growing in our faith in Christ reaching new levels of spiritual maturity to ensure our future. Remember John the Baptist’s words to the Jews of his time. “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (Luke 3:8). The Jews relied on their heritage for their salvation, but it wasn’t good enough. So too, it is with us. Glorying in our past cannot save our future.
(V.2) “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.”
The phrase, “Wake up,” is better translated as, “Be watchful.” This is a reference to the two times the city was conquered when enemies scaled the cliffs to attack under the cover of night.
Unlike the letters before it, Jesus doesn’t begin with a point of encouragement, praising specific things that are good about the church. Instead, he gets right to the issue of being spiritually dead. And even what remains is about to die. Their situation is dire. Their works, that is, their obedience to Christ is incomplete. What is the solution?
(V.3) “Remember, 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.”
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO BEING SPIRITUALLY DEAD, WHAT MUST YOU DO?
Jesus brings to mind what they have received and heard. That is, the truth of the gospel and the teaching of godly living. Paul talked about this in Philippians 4:9. He said, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Jesus is with us when we live in obedience. If we say we have these things, but our lives don’t reflect them, then he is not with us.
Notice that Paul says if we live in obedience then we have God’s peace. Jesus was not at peace with Sardis, he was about to come against them in judgment because they did not obey.
They are to “keep” it. I.E., they are to obey it. To keep something means not just to obey, but to have it close to the heart, to cherish it. Whatever the church of Sardis was cherishing, it wasn’t Christ. Jesus was trying to turn them back to the basics of the faith, which Sardis had strayed from. His solution was to repent.
Repent is not a popular word today. People don’t like the idea of having to change something that is wrong. People don’t like the idea of being morally wrong. They use phrases like, “What’s right for me.” Or say that morals are subjective. But Jesus keeps it basic. The reality is that we repent of something, we repent of sin (another unpopular word). Sardis is guilty of sin, though Jesus doesn’t say what kind. But their sin is so grievous that he says two things. First, they are to repent. And second, if they don’t repent, he will come against them in judgment. That’s another unpopular idea, especially within the church. We think of judgment happening outside the church because we have been given salvation by God, our judgment is past.
But the reality is that judgment begins with the house of God. II Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Even the church may fall into sin and hold onto it. Churches can make excuses for sin and fall into the traps of the world. Especially churches of good reputation in the community, like Sardis. But if we’re not preaching the basics of Christ, then something is wrong. Peter taught that the gospel is offensive to the world (I Peter 2:8). While a good reputation is to be desired, we must not have it or pursue it at the expense of the truth of the gospel. Things like the evil and universality of sin, and the requirement of repentance must be preached or we will miss the mark. If we continue in that sin, then Jesus says he will come against us.
(V.4) “Yet 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.”
Notice the picture that Jesus is using. Soiled garments. Dirty clothes. There were some in Sardis who did not compromise their faith with the community. While the church had a good reputation with the world, these believers had a good reputation with Christ. They sacrificed the praise of the community for the praise of God. Jesus warned about this attitude in John 12:43, “They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
White is a symbol of purity and holiness. This is what was lacking in the Sardian church but what some of the believers had. Wearing white was also done on certain festive days like what was called a day of triumph. Revelation also uses this symbolism. The multitudes in heaven are said to be dressed in white (Revelation 7:9). To be clothed in white is to have achieved victory over sin through the blood of Christ (Revelation 7:14).
To be worthy in Christ is to do two things.
- First, it is to have received and known Christ. One cannot be worthy of heaven on our own, so having Christ is basic to worthiness.
- Second, one must also obey him. This means to obey his teachings (Matthew 28:20).
We need to always stay focused on the basics: prayer, Bible reading and study, living holy lives, avoiding and rejecting sin, and sharing our faith in some way. Keeping these basics is foundational. Without them we cannot be said to be walking in a worthy manner.
(V.5) “The 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.”
SOME PEOPLE THINK BLOTTING YOUR NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE MEANS THAT YOU CAN LOSE YOUR SALVATION. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Jesus repeats the notion of walking in white. Whenever something in scripture is repeated it is because it is important. Jesus is driving home his point even further. To be clothed in white is to be worthy.
There is much theological confusion over the phrase, “I will never blot his name out of the book of life.” In actuality, we’re not sure what the book of life is. This may be a reference to something Sardis was familiar with. In Asiatic courts, if a person was found guilty of a crime, his name was stricken from the city roles indicating that he had lost his citizenship. That may be a picture for the church at Sardis of how serious Jesus is about their repentance and judgment. He seems to threaten them with the loss of heavenly citizenship. In addition, every living citizen of Sardis had their name listed in a registry. But upon death the name would be removed. But it has another reference also.
Moses makes reference to the book of life in Exodus 32:32-33. “‘But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.’ But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.’”
The book of life is also mentioned in Psalm 69:28. Speaking of the unrighteous the psalmist says, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.”
Daniel 12:1 also mentions the book of life. “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.”
These mentions would seem to indicate that a person may be saved, their name written in the book of life, and then lose their salvation, having their name removed. I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.
Salvation is permanent. We did nothing to earn it. We can do nothing to lose it. Here is my take. I believe this is a reference to those who live in the covenant community. The covenant community is everyone who is part of the visible church. In the visible church there are believers and unbelievers alike. Not everyone who goes to church is a true believer in Christ. Some talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, just like Sardis. Then there is the invisible church. Only true believers in heaven and on earth are members of the invisible church.
I believe the book of life contains the names of people in the visible church who are part of the covenant community. True believers and unbelievers alike. But at some point, some will abandon the church or reject the gospel and their names will be removed. They will be removed because they never had true salvation to begin with. The apostle John talks about such people when he says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (I John 2:19).
It is only the true believers who walks with Christ whose name he will confess before the Father. So we must each ask ourselves, I am in the book, but am I a true believer in Jesus? Am I truly walking with him? It is good to periodically check ourselves. Paul said, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (II Corinthians 13:5).
INTERPRETATION
What is Jesus’ big idea for this passage? Spiritual death is a choice. When it comes to your faith, don’t die.
Every important part of our faith is exercised by something we do on purpose. When we receive Christ we do so on purpose. When we grow in our faith from stage to stage it is on purpose. If we sin it is on purpose. If we repent it is on purpose. So too, if we are dying spiritually it is on purpose. Ignoring the principles of our faith, ignoring the word of God, these things are done on purpose. So dying spiritually is something we are responsible for. There’s no getting around the fact that since we die on purpose we must proactively take responsibility to correct our course, to change our status. The good news is that when we do so, the Holy Spirit works in us to empower us to make that change. We don’t do it alone. So, what choice do you want to make?
APPLICATION
- Don’t rely on your past to ensure your future. We fall into this trap when we think what we’ve done in the past is enough. I once taught a class on spiritual growth to a group of men who had claimed Christ for more than 30 years. One of them said, “Why do I have to learn this stuff? I prayed the prayer. I’m in!” He demonstrated that he had no desire for spiritual things.
- Use the past to ensure your future. This means that you have a testimony about how Christ has changed your life. Build on that past event to reach new heights of spiritual growth. Make your testimony as relevant today as it was many years ago.
- If you have no passion for Christ, then awaken that part of your life. If you have no passion for Christ then this is a sure sign of spiritual death. Knowing and loving Christ is they key to eternal life. It’s one thing to have the principles and practices of your faith. But it’s another to have the person of Christ. Remember the scripture that says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12). Principles and practices are worthless without the person of Christ.
- Choosing spiritual death is a sin. The solution is to repent. We all die. We don’t want to die, though some do. This is not the case with spiritual death. Spiritual death is a choice we make to ignore Christ and not live in obedience to him. Why would we give up the benefits of a spiritual life for a life that puts us at enmity with God? Because spiritual death is a choice, it is always a sin. The solution to sin is to repent and awaken what is about to die.
- Are you part of the visible church or the invisible church? Be sure of your spiritual state. If you are unsure of your spiritual condition that may be a sign that all is not well. Can you point to a time in your life when Jesus Christ became the supreme affection of your life? If Jesus is not the center of your life, then you may not have him at all.
Let’s end with some good news. In the second century the Christians of Sardis did repent and the church regained some of its prominence. It even had a bishopric that taught and wrote prolifically, a sign of status among ancient churches. Sardis eventually became an important center of Christian activity until the 11th century AD.
