1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. (Revelation 3:1–2)
The Sardians were in the wool and dye business by trade. They’d surely understood the metaphor “white as wool” better than most. They were also familiar with what people thought of soiled garments, and were fully aware of the social stigma. To be clothed in soiled garments was to be ostracized or humiliated in society, yet most of this church was arrayed in them in the Lord’s eyes. With this letter, they were called out, and only a few were capable of withstanding the Lord’s scrutiny. For all practical purposes, the church at Sardis was dead. Those with a spiritual pulse were on life support. They were alive in name only.
One of my duties as deacon chairman in my previous church while it was without a senior pastor was to come up with a weekly message for the marquee sign installed out by the road. If the Son of God had a say in what was posted in front of the Sardian church it’d be, “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”
My wife bakes sour dough bread religiously. The key is to keep a portion of the fermented dough “alive” for the next loaf or you must start all over with the process. It seems that the church at Sardis had one more shot at regaining viability or they’d lose it altogether.
In the Lord’s eyes, our job is not complete until he calls us home. Part of our responsibility is representing him and his word faithfully until our last breath. Ignore or compromise this calling, renders one useless in the grand scheme of things.
‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3)
The Sardian church was given “one last chance,” to remember, receive, and repent, all active commands: Remember what you’ve seen and heard. Receive the Word of God yet again and keep hold of it. Repent, or turn yourself around, and be ready for the Lord’s return.
4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:4–5)
But there remained a faithful handful in their midst with unsoiled wool garments , who could qualify to exchange them for white linen.
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8)
We want to live such a way we are assured that we have an advocate before the throne of the most high God.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2)
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