The letter to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) teaches us the need we have for humble, sincere faith that looks to Christ in both what he has done for us and in his glory to be revealed when he returns in judgment.
The Lord Jesus says to the church, “I know your works. You have a name of being alive, but you are dead” (verse 1). We can have a name or good reputation with men, but it means nothing if the Lord is not satisfied with our works. It is a solemn situation for one to believe he is spiritually vibrant when the Lord is displeased with him.
A form of godliness is not true godliness. An external conformity to the truth of Christ in word or deed is not acceptable to the Lord if there is no humble, heavenly minded heart at the root of it. Jesus spoke of those who honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him.
The Lord summarizes their condition in Sardis: “I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (verse 2). We have a propensity to overestimate ourselves. Christ’s statement is intended to do us good. It should move us to contrition: to have humble prayers, humble worship, and humble works in view of our Lord’s death for us and his glory to be revealed.
In verse 3, the Lord seeks the restoration of those who are backsliding in their faith. He says to them, “Remember, then, what you have received and heard.” Christians should remember what they would be without the gospel of Christ. We would still be dead in our trespasses and sins, under the power of the devil, and the wrath of God. Chris directs us to obey the gospel.
The Lord continues, “Keep it, and repent.” The church is sometimes compared to a garden planted by the Lord. Sometimes the garden needs to be reploughed and the weeds destroyed so the good seed can grow. Maybe this is your spiritual condition. Repentance is the remedy. Humble confession of sin, asking for the mercy of God, and turning to seek the will of Christ restores our walk with Christ.
At the end of verse 3, the Lord gives a warning to those who won’t awaken from their spiritual deadness: “I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” Worldly mindedness takes one’s heart and mind away from the coming glory of the Lord when he returns in judgment. It is indicative of spiritual sleepiness or deadness.
Looking to the end gives us wisdom for our souls here and now. The purpose of Christ’s first coming was to bring us to God, and that will be realized completely when Christ returns. Richard Sibbes said, “If you translate the scene from the world’s judgment to the judgment seat of Christ, you will soon alter your opinion concerning wisdom and folly, misery and happiness, liberty and bondage, shame and glory.”
In verse 4, Christ commends those who have not “soiled their garments.” This doesn’t mean they have been sinless or not struggled in their walk with Christ. Rather, it means that they have kept the eye of faith upon Christ in heaven and lived as those who long for his appearing. Soiling your spiritual garments doesn’t just mean immorality, it can mean worldliness and vanity, as is the case with the church in Sardis.
The Christian life is all about Christ. He who sees Christ in life is sure to see him in the shadow of death. It exalts a man to exalt Christ. It is by the gospel of Christ brought home to us again and again that we are built up in the faith. When we are under temptation, we look to Christ, who secures the victory.
In verse 5, the Lord gives three promises to the one who conquers, meaning one overcomes the world by faith in Christ. He will be “clothed in white garments,” signifying his union with Christ. He is name will “never be blotted out of the book of life,” meaning he will live with Christ forever.
Third, the Lord Jesus says, “I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” All these promises are worth more than this world, and remind us that all our hope is in Christ.