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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 3:1-6).

Many people want to live in the past, reliving their “glory days,” whether in sports, fame, or ministry. Instead of continuing the journey, they get stuck. The church of Sardis had fallen into this trap.

Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira. It was known both as a commercially prosperous and militarily important city of the time. Three aspects of the area are notable: an 800-foot high acropolis, a temple to Artemis (unfinished), and a necropolis (cemetery), known as “the place of a thousand hills.” Sardis was also home to a large woolen industry, which may explain the reference to clothing in verse 4. The prosperous living of the citizens soon lapsed into moral indifference and decadence, as the citizens relived their past glories of being the capital city of Asia for Persia.

Alive but Dead

Christ introduces Himself to the church as the one “who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” We mentioned in a previous post (Last Words: The Author and Judge) that the seven stars are the seven angels of (or messengers to) the churches. The “seven spirits of God’ would represent the fullness of the Holy Spirit (seven being the number of perfection or completion). So, Christ is telling the church, “I am the one who holds the churches in My hand and who sends the Holy Spirit to you, to enable your service and judge your deficiencies.”

Christ knows their “deeds.” They have, He says, a reputation of being alive. At one time, the church was full of His love and service. But, they have lost that. They are dead, He says. This is the strongest condemnation given to any church (even Laodicea was described as “lukewarm,” not dead). What has caused this state of affairs? Christ doesn’t lay out as many specific charges as with some other churches, but there are some things that can be seen:

• “Wake up.” This command is given because the church is in a state of lethargy, spiritual sleep. They are going through the motions of things with no real motivation.
• “I have not found your works complete.” The church of Sardis was showing at best half-hearted devotion to Christ.
• “You have still a few . . . people who have not soiled their garments.” The implication here is that those who have held fast to Christ in full devotion are in the minority. The church at large has abandoned Him.

The Call to Repent

The church is to do three things, lest they be found unprepared at His coming. They are to:

“Remember what you received and heard.” At one time the true message of God had been declared to this church, and they had received it and kept it. Repentance always starts with remembering the truth of God’s Word.

“Keep it [what you received and heard].” When Christ and the New Testament writers use the phrase “keep My Word,” they mean that we are to to not only know it and remember it, but live it. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). This is likely the state that the church has found themselves in. They knew the Word of God, yet failed to obey it. When we do that, we fall into self-deception. The solution to that is to begin to keep (read “obey”) it.

“Repent.” This is a simple and straightforward command. Repent means first to change my thinking on a matter, and then act accordingly. Repentance involves a change of attitude that results in a change of behavior. They are to once again be fully devoted to Christ, both in heart and in works.

To the Overcomer

Soiled garments often represent moral and ritual (in the OT) uncleanness. Whether from outward disobedience or a corrupted heart, the picture is one of moral filth.

Notice, however, that Christ doesn’t call the church to “wash your garments” or even “change your garments.” For those who repent and remain faithful, He promises this: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments.” The implication is that Christ Himself changes the garments. We have no power to cleanse ourselves, only His blood and the Holy Spirit can do that.

Two additional promises are given, and both flow from the change of garments. First, Christ promises that “I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” He will look at the Father and say, “Yes, this one belongs to me. I know his name. She loves me.” This is by far the highest compliment a believer can be given. And it’s all because of His grace.

Second, Christ promises to never remove the faithful believer from the book of life. In ancient cities the names of citizens were recorded in a register till their death; then their names were marked out of that book. Christ offers this assurance to the faithful believer. He will have an eternal citizenship in heaven, which will never be terminated. Thus, the believer can say with the words of Paul,

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:37-39).

Next: Perseverance in Philadelphia