By Rob Jackson, Ph.D.
Jackson has served in a variety of ministry roles, including pastor and state missionary
Vigilant Against Complacency
Revelation 3:1–6
Christ rebukes the church in the city of Sardis for having a reputation for life despite the fact that it is spiritually dead or dying. But He also holds out a promise to those who remain vigilant.
Guard against spiritual complacency. (1–2)
Christ “has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The “seven spirits of God” may refer to the fullness of the Spirit of God (with seven being the number of fullness or perfection) and the “seven stars” are the angels of the churches (see Rev. 1:20). That Christ “has” (that is, grasps or controls) these spirits and stars highlights His divine power and prerogative to judge the church, which He is about to do.
The church had a reputation for being alive, presumably thanks to the works that Christ knows about. The word for reputation is the usual word for name which shows up again in verses 4 (where it is translated people) and 5 (twice): The importance of names and reputations is a theme. The believers in Sardis have done works that enhanced their reputation but that were not actually manifestations of their love for God and His glory. Roman cities erected statues along prominent roads to honor citizens who had made significant contributions to the life of the city. Members of the church may have focused more on gaining a reputation for themselves than on acting out of love for God and enhancing His reputation in the city.
While they built their reputation for life, they were actually in a process of spiritual death (v. 1). But it isn’t too late to turn the tide. They must wake up to the truth about themselves and repent by renewing their focus on their relationship with and service to Christ (v. 2). By strengthening whatever remains of their spiritual foundation, they can begin to produce works that are complete before God again: works that are manifestations of their love for God and others and that are intended to glorify God rather than themselves.
Christ’s message to the church in Sardis is one that no church hopes to hear. By including His rebuke and the list of the church’s shortcomings in a book destined to be read by other churches, Christ sought to shame them into repenting with the hope of restoring their reputation among the churches.
Maintain vigilance and stay alert. (3)
Most of the Christian life doesn’t depend on learning new things but on remembering and practicing things that we have known since the beginning (v. 3). Jesus calls on the wayward in Sardis, and all who have followed in their footsteps since then, to repent and return to the basics of Christian faith and practice from which they had strayed. When Jesus warns this church that He “will come like a thief,” He is not talking about his second coming (the topic in 1 Thess. 5:2 and 2 Pet. 3:10). He is threatening to come and judge the wayward church of Sardis in the very near future. They have been warned and shouldn’t expect another warning before they experience Christ’s coming in judgement. That judgment could have come in various forms (possibly including decimating persecution, widespread public repudiation or divine punishment in the form of sickness and death, as in 1 Cor. 11:30 and 1 Cor. 10:5).
Reflect the worth Christ has given you. (4–6)
Even if judgment falls over most of the church, those who overcome by remaining true to the Lord regardless of the cost will experience the eternal presence of the Lord and the eternal honor that results from a life of faithfulness in the midst of a dark and rebellious world (v. 4). White clothes symbolize purity of undefiled faithfulness to the Lord and related glory. Faithful believers might have had their names blotted out of the register of the local synagogue due to their confession of faith in Christ, but Christ would never disown them or remove them from His infinitely more important registration book (v. 5)!
Share with others: