Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Rev 3:1 and following. Indeed, centuries have passed. From the midst of Thyatira, God raises up the Reformation, a powerful movement animated by his Spirit. Then the decline again does its work. “And to the angel of the assembly who is in Sardis, write: This is what he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says.” There is an obvious allusion here to the way the Lord presented Himself to the Assembly of Ephesus, which represented the first general condition of the Church. Sardis offers the beginning of the new state of affairs, which is not strictly ecclesiastical, the Lord acting rather by way of witness. That is why it is not said here that he walks among the seven golden lamps, which was in a completely ecclesiastical order, but he has the seven spirits of God. He is God; all power, the entire governmental power, are in his hands, as well as the seven stars, that is, all the instruments by which he acts on the Church.
“I know your works, – that you have the name to live, and you are dead.” “Be vigilant, and strengthen what remains, who is going to die, for I have not found your works perfect before my God.” What judges Protestantism is that it possesses the witness of the word of God, in a much more complete way than those who were immersed in the ecclesiastical formalism of the Middle Ages. At that time the word of God had been suppressed, because the clergy and this Word can never walk perfectly together. The effect of the clerical principle is and must always be to substitute more or less the authority of man for that of the Lord, as well as to weaken and hinder the immediate action of the Spirit of God on the conscience, an action which he exercises by means of the Word.
We now come to the Philadelphia assembly. “And to the angel of the assembly who is in Philadelphia, write: This is what the saint says, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, who closes and no one will open.” Each of these words, by which Christ presents Himself, differs from what is said of Him in chapter 1. This is what characterizes chapter 3: We have already seen that the beginning of the epistle to Sardis, although with an allusion to that of Ephesus, offers with the latter an obvious contrast. It is like a second beginning, and in this there is some analogy with Ephesus; however, the Lord is presented in a completely new aspect. Christ, having the seven spirits of God, differs entirely from the description we have of Him in the epistle to Ephesus; and, in those that immediately follow, we find nothing like it. It’s a new state of affairs, but one that comes to Philadelphia in a much more obvious way. “This is what the saint says, the true one, the one who has the key of David”: nothing like this had been said of the Lord in the first chapter. For it is in Philadelphia that the person of the Lord and his moral glory is most remarkably manifested. It is Christ himself, Christ whom faith discovers clothed in a new beauty, which does not depend simply on the visions of glory that had been seen before, but on what he really is in himself: “the holy, the true”.
More than that, it is Christ, seen to the full extent of his glory. Faith discovers that the saint, the true one, is the same one who has the key to David, that is, the One to whom the prophecies of the Old Testament relate, so that here the truths relating to the various dispensations are introduced. He is “the one who opens, and no one will close.” There is now perfect freedom; freedom for the service of the Lord, freedom for each of those who belong to him. For the more one has found oneself ahead bearing responsibility for God’s witness, the more one will have known and professed to know god’s grace and truth, the heart and conscience not being governed and animated by the power of his Spirit, by means of that truth and grace that are in Christ, more profoundly too, sooner or later one will fall into a state of indifference, if not active enmity. One will become indifferent to all that is good, and if there is still some zeal, it will be for what is evil.
This is exactly the state of Laodicea. “So, because you are lukewarm and you are neither cold nor boiling, I will vomit from my mouth. Because you say: I am rich, and I have enriched myself, and I need nothing and you do not know that you are unhappy, miserable, poor, blind and naked: I advise you to buy from me gold passed by fire , so that you may become rich, and white clothes, so that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not appear, and an eye drops to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” The Laodiceans lacked all that is precious: “gold,” that is, divine righteousness in Christ; and “white garments,” which means the righteousness of the saints. In addition, they needed eye drops to anoint their eyes, so that they screwed. They had lost the true perception of what was for God. Everything was obscure as to the truth, and uncertain as to the moral judgment. The sanctity of separation and the flavor of life had disappeared.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Letters to the Church of Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea:
- The State of the Sinner Dead in Sin
Pr 21:16 The man who deviates from the path of wisdom will rest in the assembly of the dead. Mt 8:22 But Jesus answered him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead. Luke 15:32, but it was necessary to cheer up and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and came back to life, because he was lost and is found. Rev 3:1 Write to the angel of the Church of Sardis: This is what he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works. I know you pass for being alive, and you are dead.
- Spotless life
Ct 4:7 You are all beautiful, my friend, and there is no fault in you. Eph 5:27 in order to make appear before him this glorious Church, without blemish, wrinkle, or anything like it, but holy and irreprehensible. Jas 1:27 Pure and spotless religion, before God our Father, consists in visiting orphans and widows in their afflictions, and in protecting oneself from the defilements of the world. 2 Pet 3:14 Therefore, beloved, in waiting for these things, strive to be found by him spotless and irreprehensible in peace.
- White clothes, celestial clothes
Mt 17:2 He was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; 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 4:4 Around the throne I saw twenty-four thrones, and on these thrones twenty-four old men seated, clothed in white clothes, and on their heads golden crowns. Rev 19:8 and he was given to clothe himself in a fine linen, shining, pure. For fine linen is the righteous works of the saints.
- Spiritual activities
Pr 23:23 Acquire the truth, and do not sell it, wisdom, instruction, and intelligence. Isa 55.1
All of you who are thirsty, come to the waters, even he who has no money! Come, buy and eat, Come, buy wine and milk, without money, without paying anything! Mt 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is still like a treasure hidden in a field. The man who found it hides it; and, in his joy, he will sell all that he has, and buy this field. Mt 25:9 The wise answered: No; there would not be enough for us and for you; instead, go to those who sell it, and buy it for you.
From all the above, we note that spiritual death invades the Church of Sardis. Remember… Think again, is he enjoined (Ap 3:14-22). Who is the winner here? The one who has not soiled his clothes. Do we know this kind of victory to remain pure? The winner of Sardis will be dressed in white clothes. And unlike the so-called “name of living” of his church, his will never be erased from the book of life. For Philadelphia (= love of the brothers) is the daughter of the “Awakening” of the 19th century. What characterizes it: It is first of all peu of strength! But the Lord holds open the door of the gospel for her. Then it is foolishness to His Word! He will be faithful to His promise: “I am coming soon.” Finally it is the attachment to His name! His new name will be their part. The opprobrium of the world? He will respond with his public approval: “They will know that I have loved you.” We are the responsible heirs to Philadelphia’s testimony. May the Lord give us to manifest its characters, not to lose our crown! For He will feel more joy in giving this reward than the victor in receiving it. A final state characterizes Christianity. We recognize his features today: self-satisfaction, indifferent lukewarmness, religious pretensions to possess everything, to know everything (Hos 12. 9). “I don’t need anything”: this is also what Christians who neglect prayer seem to be saying. Laodicea lacks three essential things: gold: true righteousness according to God; secondly, white clothes: the resulting practical testimony; finally, eye drops: the discernment given by the Holy Spirit. But it is not too late for the one who has ears to listen! The Lord gives successively: a counsel: let everyone hasten to acquire from Him all that he lacks (Mt 25:1-13); an encouragement: it is those whom He loves that Christ takes up and disciplines; an exhortation to be zealous, to repent; a priceless promise: those who will now have received Jesus in their hearts, He in turn will receive them in his heaven, on his throne. This is the end of the history of the Church on earth. But no matter how great the decline, the Presence of the Lord can still be realized. It burns the heart with unspeakable joy, as two disciples experienced one unforgettable evening when Jesus entered to stay with them (Luke 24.29). Our prayers accompany you all in the encounter with the Lord.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the throne of God, the 24 Ancients and the 4 living Beings. “
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.