Sardis

There are times in our ministry where it is good to sit back and to be taught by others who have been gifted by God. It is true that God gives spoken gifts unto men within the body of Christ, whereas women ort not to be as vocal taking a leadership role, they are gifted in other areas where men are not. This is God’s design, Paul makes his intent very clear we dealing with this topic, we must never buckle to pier pressure but always look to emphasis the will of God if we are to enlarge the value of God’s sovereign plan. He is the potter and we are the clay. Our selfish opinions have very little influence when it comes to the will of God. However when we align our wills with His even when we don’t quite understand the intricacies of His brilliance it will be well with our souls and peace like a river will flood them with overwhelming joy.

This must become the mind-sets we live our lives by if we are to become benefactors of the deeper riches of God’s goodness: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

It is the instructions from the Word of God that gives us direction and when we shirk them we take an incorrect turn and the potential of lurking dangers are inevitable. The book Pilgrims Progress highlights this point well. We must be watchful to its instruction at all times; especially when the world drives with intent in the opposite direction.    

The body principle found in scripture (see 1Corinthians 12) teaches the church participants to take up their intended role the way God has designed it. The hand learning to work as a hand and not desiring the office of a foot; how often have you seen people walking around on their hands? Frustrate that model and errors will begin to reveal themselves as we see highlighted by the Lord Jesus and penned by John throughout their instructions to the churches in the book of Revelation.  Every error started with a resistance to the Word of God in some form or another. It has be so from the beginning with Satan deceiving Eve and it continues in a similar vain throughout history.  

“"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” (Revelation 3:1-6)

“Our Lord proceeds to give this degenerate church the best advice: Be watchful, and strengthen the things, etc. He advises them to be upon their watch. The cause of their sinful deadness and declension was that they had let down their watch. Whenever we are off our watch, we lose ground, and therefore must return to our watchfulness against sin, and Satan, and whatever is destructive to the life and power of godliness. It is a difficult thing to keep up to the life and power of godliness ourselves, when we see a universal deadness and declension prevailing round about us. Or it may be understood of practices, as it follows: I have not found thy works perfect before God, not filled up; there is something wanting in them; there is the shell, but not the kernel. Christ enforces his counsel with a dreadful threatening in case it should be despised: I will come unto thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know the hour, (Rev 3:3). Observe, (1.) When Christ leaves a people as to his gracious presence, he comes to them in judgment; and his judicial presence will be very dreadful to those who have sinned away his gracious presence. (2.) His judicial approach to a dead declining people will be surprising; their deadness will keep them in security, and, as it procures an angry visit from Christ to them, it will prevent their discerning it and preparing for it. (3.) Such a visit from Christ will be to their loss; he will come as a thief, to strip them of their remaining enjoyments and mercies, not by fraud, but in justice and righteousness, taking the forfeiture they have made of all to him.

4. Our blessed Lord does not leave this sinful people without some comfort and encouragement: In the midst of judgment he remembers mercy (Rev 3:4), and here (1.) He makes honourable mention of the faithful remnant in Sardis, though but small: Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; they had not given into the prevailing corruptions and pollution of the day and place in which they lived. God takes notice of the smallest number of those who abide with him; and the fewer they are the more precious in his sight. (2.) He makes a very gracious promise to them: They shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy - in the stola, the white robes of justification, and adoption, and comfort, or in the white robes of honour and glory in the other world. They shall walk with Christ in the pleasant walks of the heavenly paradise; and what delightful converse will there be between Christ and them when they thus walk together!

We now come to the conclusion of this epistle, in which, as before, we have,

1. A great reward promised to the conquering Christian (Rev 3:5), and it is very much the same with what has been already mentioned: He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment. The purity of grace shall be rewarded with the perfect purity of glory. Now to this is added another promise very suitable to the case: I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Observe, (1.) Christ has his book of life, a register and roll of all who shall inherit eternal life. [1.] The book of eternal election. [2.] The book of remembrance of all those who have lived to God, and have kept up the life and power of godliness in evil times. Christ will produce this book of life, and confess the names of the faithful who stand there, before God, and all the angels; he will do this as their Judge, when the books shall be opened; he will do this as their captain and head, leading them with him triumphantly to heaven, presenting them to the Father: Behold me, and the children that thou hast given me. How great will this honour and reward be!

2. The demand of universal attention finishes the message. Every word from God deserves attention from men; that which may seem more particularly directed to one body of men has something in it instructive to all.” (Matthew Henry)

Signing off

Tyrone