Revelation 3:1-6 — Sardis

We start chapter three with Jesus' letter to the church in Sardis. Sardis means "red ones."¶

"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 (ESV)¶

"Him who has the seven spirits"¶

Seven symbolizes completeness, fullness, perfection. The seven stars are the messengers to the seven churches (Jesus tells us this in Revelation 1:20). And the seven spirits we learned earlier may be symbolic, or representative of aspects of God's Spirit — the Spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17), of grace (Hebrews 10:29), of glory (1 Peter 4:14), of truth (1 John 4:6), of holiness (Romans 1:4), of life (Romans 8:2), and the Spirit of God (Philippians 3:3); compare Isaiah 11:2. Jesus has them all — the full fullness of God's Spirit. He presents himself to Sardis as the one who stands between us and God, the mediator, who has the mind of God and the message of God to the church.¶

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God... Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (ESV)¶

Christ is here to give them the mind of God and to wake up a sleeping church.¶

"A reputation of being alive, but you are dead"¶

They look alive but are dead. They look awake but are sleeping. They exist by reputation alone — outward appearance rather than spirit and truth. Of course the people are still physically living; he is saying they look like they have spiritual life, but they are in fact spiritually dead. They are in the world and of it — distracted and preoccupied with its pleasures.¶

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world... But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:1-6 (ESV)¶

Their reputation of being alive isn't the same as actually being alive in Christ. He wants to snap them out of their stupor.¶

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.

Revelation 3:2 (ESV)¶

These Christians were walking in some unrepentant sin and worldly friendship — passive and complacent, having stopped the work of following Christ, of loving people enough to tell them the gospel, of keeping in step with the Spirit. To be asleep as a believer means we are not vigilant against sin and the enemy; we are lax and compromising; we have forgotten that we are to be in this world and NOT of it. A sleeping Christian allows their garments to be soiled by the world — hence, "red ones." This church has let sin and the world slip in and taint the righteousness God imparted to them in Christ.¶

It is wise to let the Spirit search us and see if we have allowed ourselves to be soiled. Have we made friendship with the world a goal? Do we seek to fit in and be loved by it?¶

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him... And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)¶

Jesus tells them to strengthen what remains — their work is not done. How many times do we fail and feel like he is done with us — disqualified, set aside? Jesus is calling this church, on the very edge of disqualification, to get back up and get to work. Shake off the red and see that you are in fact still white. Get back in step with him and the Spirit. The remedy is repentance: when we turn our face back toward him, the things of this world fade and the things of God become clearer.¶

"Remember what you received"¶

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.

Revelation 3:3 (ESV)¶

Jesus references a very specific event — the day of the Lord — reminding them of a day that will turn out very differently than they expect, and he wants to spare them. We as his people should be awake and sober, children of light, children of the day (1 Thessalonians 5); his coming "like a thief" will be a day of dread to those who have not believed and a day of rejoicing for those who do. So he gives them the remedy to their slumber: remember what they have received — his blood (Romans 3:25), reconciliation (Romans 5:11), the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15), mercy (Romans 11:30), the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1), the implanted word (James 1:21). When we remember what we received, we remember that we did not earn it and do not deserve it — and that these things are infinitely more valuable than anything this world or sin has to offer. Remember that you are wearing white because he made you white; he made you alive so you may walk with him.¶

"A few names" who have not soiled their garments¶

As usual, this was not a blanket message to everyone in Sardis. Some did not fall asleep.¶

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.

Revelation 3:4 (ESV)¶

This recalls Paul's encouragement to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:9-14; Philippians 1:27). Christ is pointing out what those who walk with him look like.¶

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.

Revelation 3:5-6 (ESV)¶