Admonition: (3:3-6): The Lord warned the Ephesian saints that He would come and remove their lamp stand if they did not repent (2:5). He warned the church at Pergamum that He would come and make war with the sword of the Spirit (2:16). But for Sardis, He would come as a thief, when they least expected Him; and this would mean judgment.
Our Lord’s counsel to the church began with, “Be watchful! Wake up!” The first step toward renewal in a dying church is honest awareness that something is wrong. When an organism is alive, there is growth, repair, reproduction, and power; if these elements are lacking in a church, then that church is either dying or already dead. Christ also controls the seven stars, the messengers of the churches (1:20), referring most likely the pastors. Sometimes it is a pastor’s fault that a church is dying, and the Lord of the church must remove the star and put another in his place. Today we find many churches have a form of Godliness, but they have no real power. They need revival. “The world outside is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, it’s waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity” (Leonard Ravenhill).
Christ promises that “He who overcomes will 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 (3:5-6). This means the rewards are awaiting for those who participated in the revival. True Christians will wear their white garments at the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7-9). Christ further promises every true Christian that He will not erase their name from the Book of Life, but “will confess their name before the Father and before His angels.”
This probably gives warning to every Christian to remain faithful to God because it is possible that our name could be erased from the Book of Life. Perhaps (Ex.32:33; Ps.69:28) also supports the idea. The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book” (Ex.32:33). “ May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous” (Ps.69:28).
But some preachers support that if the names of believers (the elect) are written from the foundation of the world, and if God knows all things, why would He enter the name of somebody who would one day fall and have to be removed from the book? We are enrolled in heaven because we have been born again (Heb.12:23), and no matter how disobedient a child may be, he or she cannot be “unborn.” But it is true that Christ will confess every true Christian’s name before God the Father and before His angels. He will affirm that they belong to Him. For more clarity it would be wise to ask the Lord Jesus Christ directly when we meet Him in heaven.
Ancient Sardis Church
Conclusion: God says “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The spiritually dead church needs to follow Christ’s warning and impending judgement. The warning here is that we should not remain comfortable in our churches, lest we find ourselves slowly dying. What happened to Sardis? Did they heed the warning? Did revival come? A prominent man such as Melito served as bishop of Sardis several decades after John wrote, suggests that there was some revival took place in Sardis. The encouragement here is that no church is beyond hope as long as there is a remnant in it, willing to strengthen the things that remain.