Sardis, located some 40 miles east of Smyrna, was the ancient capital of the region called Lydia. In Revelation 3:1-6 Jesus is dictating a letter to the Church of God in Sardis. He introduces Himself as the One Who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars–angels (aggelos-messengers/pastors-1:20). The number “seven” plays an important role in God’s Master Plan. In 5:6 we learn that the Lamb of God (symbolic of Jesus Christ) has seven eyes and seven horns, representing His all-seeing, all-powerful nature. He uses His knowledge and power in running the universe, which He accomplishes through the Holy Spirit which, as David noted, is everywhere.

The church of Sardis had the reputation of being a God-centered, hard-working church. However, as is still the case in the world of religion, all that glitters is not gold, which Jesus did not hesitate to point out: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, but art dead.” I know of no harsher  indictment of an individual or an organization in Scripture than the one Jesus voices here in verse one. The double-edged sword proceeding out of His mouth (His Word) has just laid the Sardis church’s failures out for her, the other six churches, and us to see.

Jesus emphasized that the Sardis church had a “name” (reputation) that she was “alive.” The parishioners were no doubt witnessing to the people of the city, bringing people into the church, involved in public service projects, feeding the hungry, etc. They undoubtedly believed that they were pleasing the Lord with their numerous and varied efforts on His behalf. But He wastes no time informing them that what they called “life” was in His eyes “death,” that their religiosity/churchivity was in reality a facade. Having decades of experience with false religion both as a lay person and as a minister, I can assure you that they came away from each service on a religious high, knowing beyond a doubt that they and the Lord were walking hand-in-hand. Just as he has done to billions of people since, myself included, Satan had lulled them into believing that being “active in church” equated to being spiritually alive. Their positive reputation in the community should have been a tip-off that they were not pleasing God, that their religious efforts were based on man’s (read Satan’s) version of God’s will. See Persecution.

Addressing the cause of their spiritual deadness, Jesus pointed out that they had failed to “hold fast” to what they had “received and heard” from the apostles–God’s Word. Instead, they had listened to those in the church who offered a “better way” to serve the Lord, one that made them acceptable to the community, their families and friends. Having a community-wide reputation that they were good people should have alerted them that they were not good in the eyes of the Lord. We are warned time and again in the Scriptures that those who obey Him will be hated and rejected by those around them, including beloved family members.

Because He had not found their works to be “perfect” before God, Jesus pronounced the church at Sardis spiritually “dead.” What the church called good works indicating “life” Jesus called bad works (“filthy rags”-Isa. 64:6) indicating “death.” The Lord’s command was for them to “repent” of their dead works and to “watch” out for those in the church who would lead them away from His Word. If they failed to do so He would come as a thief and remove their lampstand–remove them from being a church. This did not mean that they would be physically prevented from being a “church,” but that He would no longer be among them (see 1:12,13). Because the religious organizations comprising professing Christendom today began by rebelling against God and have never been “alive,” they are “churches” in name only, enjoying the reputation of believing and serving God while in reality obeying and serving Satan.  This website is dedicated to Scripturally proving this fact.

Having thoroughly chastised the false Christians in the Sardis church (the majority), Jesus then addresses the “few” true saints who had not “defiled their garments” by producing bad works–filthy rags, religious zeal, etc. Jesus said that these “few” true believers would “… walk with Me in white for they are worthy.” He promised to not blot out their names from the Book of Life and to confess their names before the Father and His angels. Notice that He did not make those promises to the majority in the church, indicating that they would not walk with Him in white because they were not worthy. Like tares among wheat, they would be gathered and burned upon His return. Jesus again addresses those, then and now, who have ears to hear His “voice,” telling them to “… hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” God, through His Holy Spirit, is telling those with spiritual ears to “seek Him while He may be found,” to “work while it is day, for night is coming when no man can work.” To do this one must “come out of her (Counterfeit Christianity) and be ye separate … (and to) touch not the unclean thing.”  L.J.