Revelation 3:1-6

     Sardis was about 33 miles southeast of Thyatira. “Important industries included jewelry, dye, and textiles, which had made the city wealthy. From a religious standpoint it was a center of pagan worship and site of a temple of Artemis, which ruins still remain (cf. comments on 2:1 regarding another temple of Artemis).”[1] The city was also famous for its location, and its citizens thought it was militarily impregnable, so rather than be watchful, they became overly confident and careless. However, it was invaded and captured by the Persians around 550 B.C. and again by the Greeks about 218 B.C.

     Jesus states the church has a public name that they are “alive”, but in fact most were abiding in death. The church was spiritually alive, so this likely refers to carnal death (Luke 15:24, 32; James 1:14-15), which meant they were out of fellowship with God and operating according to their sinful natures (Rom. 6:6; 13:14; Col. 3:9). Similarly, there are many churches today that reside in beautiful structures and have many programs, yet do not teach God’s word and show little signs of spiritual life. These believers were alive, but asleep. The call from Jesus was to “wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die” (Rev. 3:2a). He declares, “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” (Rev. 3:2b). This alludes to the idea that all believers have specific works that God creates and calls us to walk in, but we must accept those opportunities (Eph. 2:10). He then calls them to “remember” what they had heard, which refers to biblical teaching that guides the Christian life; and, they were to “keep it” close and safe (i.e. guard it), and “repent” by turning back to a walk of obedience (Rev. 3:3a). He warns them with a threat of judgment, saying, “If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you” (Rev. 3:3b). God will send discipline upon the believer who turns away from Him (Heb. 12:5-11). Jesus then addresses the faithful remnant within the church, those “who have not soiled their garments” by worldly living (Rev. 3:4a), and declares, “they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Rev 3:4b). This implies reward for obedience. Jesus states, “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” (Rev. 3:5). “While this passage may imply that a name could be erased from the book of life, actually it only gives a positive affirmation that their names will not be erased.”[2] He concludes, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 3:6). This statement calls believers to listen and to obey what is communicated.

 

[1] John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 938.

[2] Ibid., 938.