The Amazing, Sharp, and Informative Letters to the Seven Churches

The Amazing, Sharp, and Informative Letters to the Seven Churches

Part 3

The leader of the church in Sardis had a name of being alive. He played along so well that it seemed (to the ignorant) as if everything was in order. And yet, judged in the right light, he was dead. Death encompasses a person’s entire life; it encompasses everything. Consequently, there was nothing praiseworthy in his life! Jesus does not praise him for anything at all! He was completely ruined! He had many works, but none of them were perfect.

From this we can learn what the majority of believers unfortunately have never learned; namely, that God requires our works to be perfect. This is not at all unreasonable, because He gladly gives us in abundance everything we need to do perfect, wholehearted works with a willing heart, with joy and thankfulness, without any ulterior motives. Glory to God, who gladly gives it to us.

And glory to the few souls in this church whose works were acknowledged by Jesus Christ Himself to be perfect, despite the leader himself and most of the others being ruined!

To overcome, in this instance, meant to live in such a way that all of one’s works—all of them together—are perfect before God!

Next, we discover in this letter from heaven a shockingly serious lesson or truth. The name of him who overcomes will not be blotted out from the Book of Life. Does this not plainly tell us what He will do with the other names that are written in the Book of Life!? This is quite logical. If I am no longer alive, but am dead, it is no longer fitting for me to be registered among the living.

Everything was in order in the church in the city of Philadelphia (only one church in every city, in every locality). There was nothing to be blamed! The first love was in order; the works were perfect before God. They were poor in spirit and rich in God!

The leader was no weakling. No Jezebel was allowed to teach, and false doctrines were not tolerated. Every member was fervent in spirit and not lukewarm. False apostles and professional preachers were not received there.

As an extra reward for their faithfulness, God would guide matters in such a way that false “Jews,” so-called apostles, big preachers, counterfeit prophetesses, and the like would be required to come to this church and worship before their feet, acknowledging that God truly loved this church! God is just in all His works. Hallelujah!

Because they were so true and genuine, and because their faithfulness was so great, God set before them an open door which no one could shut, even though many conspired against them to close it. The same thing repeats itself only if the conditions for it are present. Hallelujah!

The peculiar thing is that Jesus also says, “For you have a little strength,” that is, no strength to put on a grand show of their strength, but yet sufficient strength to be perfectly faithful in all kinds of difficulties, sufficient strength always to overcome!

They were to become pillars (very strong!) in God’s temple! Glory to God!

The leader of the church in the city of Laodicea was neither cold nor warm, but lukewarm. He was completely finished, even worse than that!

Those who are cold know they are cold, whereas the lukewarm are apt to imagine that they are warm, and so they continue to sleep in their delusion.

Jesus abhors such people. If they do not repent, He will spew them out of His mouth!

This is deadly serious and particularly relevant since it is the state in which the majority are, in these days.

We do not hear of any exceptions in this church, so the state of affairs there was as the proverb says, “As the master, so the apprentice.”

They were superficial, imagining that they were rich and had need of nothing, not knowing that they were blind, wretched, and poor in their spiritual lives—poor in the virtues of Christ.

That is why the exhortation is: “Therefore be zealous [diligent], and repent.”

To overcome in this case means to arrive at a thorough acknowledgment of self, to humble oneself, to press hard into God and be filled with the Holy Spirit and fire, to repent radically from one’s lukewarmness and become warm in spirit and in truth.

Blessed is everyone who has an ear for this!