Will you be dressed in white?

 Will you be dressed in white?

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. This church appears to those around them to be doing Gods work but in reality they are not. Their works were incomplete. 

The principle work of the church is evangelism. Reaching others for Christ.

"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.

The other thing we believers in Christ Jesus should be doing is good works. The book of James states,

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" James 2:14-20

Christ notes,

"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"

Is the church congregation you attend alive? Are they doing what God has called them to do? Are you alive in Christ? Are you doing what God wants you to do?

Will you be dressed in white?

Please think about it.

Are you in a spiritual coma?

  Are you in a spiritual coma?

In the book of Revelations we read,

"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.” Revelations 3:1-6.

One commentator I read said the church at Sardis “was in a deep spiritual coma”. It contrary to what was perceived the church at Sardis was not alive but asleep. There deeds were incomplete. They were not doing the work of the Lord. The have fallen short of what God wants of them.

Thus Christ tells them to repent. That if they don’t wake up He is coming at a time they no not. Then they will face the consequences of their actions.

At the same time Christ points out that there are some who have not turned from Him. Some who have done the will of God. These he states,... “will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”  

Their names will remain in the book of life and Jesus will acknowledge his name before God the Father.

I think in the present day there are many churches particularly here in North America that are like this. The majority have slipped into a “spiritual coma”. They may look alive and doing the work of God but they are not. Sadly I think these people fool themselves into thinking they are doing the will of God but are not. I think such people are in danger of hearing the words of Jesus who said,

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41.

While the others mentioned here at Sardis those who did the will of Christ will hear,

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:34-36.

Thus the question becomes; are there those in your church congregation or denomination who are in a “spiritual coma”?

Are you?

Please think about it.