Incomplete, Soiled or Victorious?
The book of Revelations records,
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:1-6.
Here is a warning to a church that seems to be alive but is in fact dead. That have people calling themselves believers in Christ that have soiled their clothing.
It seems the church at Sardis was not continuing the work Jesus had called the church to do. The so called great commission given by Jesus to the disciples and through them to the church. Matthews gospel recording,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
This is the primary purpose of the church all other things such as helping the poor, healing the sick, showing compassion, loving God, your neighbour your enemy and so forth stems from this.
If we are not doing this we are failing Christ. The church at Sardis was apparently not doing it. They appeared to be doing so yet from the text we can see that their works for Christ were incomplete and some had soiled their clothing a symbol of sin in their life.
Christ’s call to this church is
“Wake up! Strengthen what remains...”.
To day there are many church congregations and denominations that seem alive and appear to be doing the work of God but are not. Church congregations and denominations who seem to be following the call of Jesus to take the salvation message to all the world, but are not. Their deeds are incomplete. They have become dead.
Many within these groups have “soiled their clothing” they have gone their own way.
The apostle Paul states,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Jesus however offers hope for those finding themselves in the same position as the church at Sardis. He states,
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”
Even in congregations and denominations who have failed to follow God’s teachings correctly there are people who truly love the Lord. Who continue following correct teaching. To these people as with all who follow the teachings of God correctly will be given a robe of white. The symbol of purity. To those who have fallen into sin and repent they too will receive this reward.
These are people Jesus will acknowledge before God The Father.
Thus the question becomes, Are you one of those who seem to be alive in the Lord but are actually dead, or are you truly following the word of God in a manner that is pleasing to God?
Please think about it.
The book of Revelations records,
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:1-6.
Here is a warning to a church that seems to be alive but is in fact dead. That have people calling themselves believers in Christ that have soiled their clothing.
It seems the church at Sardis was not continuing the work Jesus had called the church to do. The so called great commission given by Jesus to the disciples and through them to the church. Matthews gospel recording,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
This is the primary purpose of the church all other things such as helping the poor, healing the sick, showing compassion, loving God, your neighbour your enemy and so forth stems from this.
If we are not doing this we are failing Christ. The church at Sardis was apparently not doing it. They appeared to be doing so yet from the text we can see that their works for Christ were incomplete and some had soiled their clothing a symbol of sin in their life.
Christ’s call to this church is
“Wake up! Strengthen what remains...”.
To day there are many church congregations and denominations that seem alive and appear to be doing the work of God but are not. Church congregations and denominations who seem to be following the call of Jesus to take the salvation message to all the world, but are not. Their deeds are incomplete. They have become dead.
Many within these groups have “soiled their clothing” they have gone their own way.
The apostle Paul states,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Jesus however offers hope for those finding themselves in the same position as the church at Sardis. He states,
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”
Even in congregations and denominations who have failed to follow God’s teachings correctly there are people who truly love the Lord. Who continue following correct teaching. To these people as with all who follow the teachings of God correctly will be given a robe of white. The symbol of purity. To those who have fallen into sin and repent they too will receive this reward.
These are people Jesus will acknowledge before God The Father.
Thus the question becomes, Are you one of those who seem to be alive in the Lord but are actually dead, or are you truly following the word of God in a manner that is pleasing to God?
Please think about it.
