Wake up, strengthen that which remains. Draw near to God.

 Revelation 3

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³ So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. ⁴ But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

This is without a doubt one of the most ominous messages to the church in Revelation. Jesus really has no commendation for the church. He says only that there are a few people who are worthy and will walk with Him. This warning and call to repentance differs from the other churches in that there is no outside influence mentioned here. It's no false teaching they are being warned about. It's not the proximaty to or the influence of satan that Jesus rebukes the church about. 

The church at Sardis though they are alive and have a name they are dead. This then is the spiritual state of the church at Sardis. What it tells us is that there will be some in the last days who think thet are alive yet in the sight of God they are dead. Jesus had previously alluded to this same thing when He said in Matthew 7:21-23

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

So what is this condition of being dead spiritually and how do we make certain that we are not in danger of being there? The first key is in the Matthew text. "Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." It is critical that we remember that our own righteousness is worthless, scripture says it is as "filthy rags"(Isaiah 64:6). All the good works we can do in our life, even to the extent of prophecy, casting out demons and performing miracles, will not save us. We can only enter the kingdom of God through Jesus. Jesus says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. This does not mean we will never sin or fall short, but those who practice lawlessness do it purposefully. When we choose to practice sin we become dead spiritually. The longer we engage in or practice a particular sin the less open we are to the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding that sin. We rationalize and become desensitized to the effects of sin in our life. Romans 6:23 confirms this, it says:  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This death is not an immediate physical death, but rather a spiritual death that leaves us alive but dead.

There is also a spiritual deadness that we can experience that comes through pride and holding to ritual and tradition above a relationship with Jesus Christ. This too may have been some of the spiritual deadness that Jesus rebuked the church at Sardis about. They lived in an area that had a rich and powerful history and tradition. They had one of the largest synagogues in the region. This reliance on and pride in tradition and history leads to spiritual deadness. Jesus said "you have a name" but you are dead. 

Jesus remedy for those who are in a state of spiritual deadness, "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³ So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent."

Here is the good news for us as long as we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the tugging on our heart, the questioning whether we have fallen into spiritual deadness, we still have time to wake up. Jesus call to and desire for the church at Sardis and for all who are in a state of spiritual deadness is that they repent and strengthen the things(of God) that remain. James 4 speaks of this strengthening we need.

He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded...  ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

The reason for these warnings to the church is so that we will be found among those of whom Jesus says:  ⁵ He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Wake up, draw near to God. Strengthen that which is of Him. He will exhalt you.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit for saving me and guiding me in Your truth and light. Thank You for taking me from death into eternal and present abundant life. Amen