Day 8 of Revelation Study: Sardis

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.”

Revelation 3:1

Understanding the Terminology

To truly understand this letter, we must first think back to chapter one. Remember that it was there that we discussed both why and how this phrase is referring to the Holy Spirit. We also know from Revelation 1:20 that the seven stars are the seven angels which are most likely the pastors of the seven churches. Thus, with these two terms under our belt we can now proceed into the section.

Christ’s Rebuke

Jesus, by means of His Omniscient Holy Spirit, knows everything about these churches. Even though the other churches think this one is alive and well, Jesus sees the truth and confronts them head on. He commands — no, shouts at them to wake up from their slumber in order to save their lives before it is too late and they pass away in their sleep. They look really good on the outside but, in reality, they are nearly dead.

Out of this whole assembly of believers, Jesus says that there are a few who are overcoming. A few. According to some dictionary definitions, a “few” is typically a reference to somewhere between three and eight. Now, the actual number is irrelevant. There could have been nine or even sixteen, but the point is that this is a small number compared to how many believers make up this church.

The text says that these “few” have not soiled their garments. The implication then is that the majority have. While the passage does not directly state what sins these believers were allowing into their lives, the main point is that they were being stained by the world. They were doing things they knew Scripture was against, yet they attempted to justify their sins so that they could avoid change. They knew they were wrong in loving the world, yet they persisted.

The end of this passage is both exciting and yet also very sobering. It says that Jesus is going to brag to His Father about those who conquer. However, those who don’t will miss out on eternal blessing. Will they still be saved? Yes, but still suffer great loss, as is also found in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

·         The Church in Sardis (3:1-6)

• They were rebuked for maintaining a false reputation.
• They were exhorted to wake up and strengthen themselves before they died.
• They were commanded to repent.
• They were informed of future glory for those who conquered.

Personal Reflection

Are there sins in your life that you know of but are unwilling to turn from? I challenge you to wake up from your sleep and make yourself ready for the day of Christ. For who knows if He will return today? If He does, will your clothes be white like His or stained like the world’s?

Continue on to read about the church in Philadelphia.

*Click here to read the purpose of this blog series.