A Name That You Are Alive!

A Name That You Are Alive!

“I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” To get a reputation for something, you have to be zealous. The angel of the church in Sardis had been zealous. He had been alive, for he was one of the seven stars in Jesus’ hand. He had had good contact with Jesus, but now he was dead. Yet he kept his reputation of being alive. The works usually cease when a person dies, but not so in this case. His works were the evidence that he was dead, yet they also gave him a reputation of being alive. For whom did he perform his works, and what were his motives?

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.” Matt. 6:1. If someone is eager to do his charitable deeds before men, he can quickly gain a name of being alive. However, that is how he becomes like the Pharisees, for they did their works “to be seen by men.” Matt. 23:5, 27-28. They resembled whitewashed graves. The truth was something totally different than what it seemed to be. When someone appears to be alive, and yet is dead, he has deceived people as well as himself. For “unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:20.

It is difficult to be saved from wanting to be seen—from receiving the esteem of people. We learn this from the church in Sardis, and in daily life.

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.” “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

Here we can see how much influence the angel of the church has. There were only a few who had not defiled their garments, who were not carried along by this manner on which the angel had started to go of doing their works. The garments are our works. We are to put on the virtues of Christ. Col. 3:12-14. To the bride it was “granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Rev. 19:7-8.

If these works are done to be seen by men, they are not clean, fine linen. They are not done for Jesus. Then the person is dead as far as his relationship to Jesus is concerned. This was the state of the angel of the church in Sardis. He had been so zealous in doing his righteous deeds before men that they gave him a name of being alive, but he was dead as far as Jesus was concerned. His manner of doing his works had had such an effect that there were only a few who were not defiled. Everyone else was defiled by wanting to be seen by people. They also thought to gain a reputation among people when they did their works. The bride is arrayed in clean and bright linen. Only a few in Sardis would be allowed to go with Jesus in white garments, for they were worthy.

“He who overcomes . . . .” It is truly a victory when you do what you do for the Bridegroom alone; and not for people. Col. 3:23. Jesus will confess that person’s name, who does not defile his garments with hypocrisy, before the Father and before His angels. There they have a name of being alive.

Here we can also see God’s grace that is over people. In spite of the fact that the angel was dead, he was still a star in Jesus’ hand. Yet the time of grace ends suddenly without the person knowing it. The angel was exhorted to repent with the following words: “Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

We see that we have to make a conscious decision as to whether we want a name among people, or whether we want our name known before the Father and His angels. We will be deceived if we seek to have both!