A Life in Exile

Hundreds of verses have given us countless reminders of our need to remember and hold fast to God’s Word and the teachings of Scripture. There’s no way to condense the past forty posts into this conclusion, except to say you can start at the beginning, if you haven’t read or listened to them all.

Through that initial post, being spurred on to this challenge by my pastor’s study in Deuteronomy, my prayer was that we would see three main areas affected by our need to remember:

1. Remembering grows our faith.
2. Remembering solidifies our faith.
3. Remembering passes on our faith.

So, as we conclude this deep dive, I’m directed to the final book of the Bible—Revelation. It is in this glorious book that we find Christ’s words directed at seven churches. However, we know that any one of those churches could be our church today. I think that’s why this word to the church of Sardis hits home. I’m going to include the entire letter written to this Asia-Minor congregation:

“Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

“In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.

“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:1-6, emphasis added)

This was a church that had a reputation, and it was a good one. They had been a living and active church, known for their faith and allegiance to Christ, but then something happened. They were not alive, but dead, because their works were incomplete—they had forgotten what they had received and let it fall by the wayside.

I’ve seen churches like that in Sardis—once bastions of truth and active in the service to the Kingdom, but now in rapid decline and close to death. What is the Lord’s advice for such churches? Remember. Return to the Word of God. Repent from your sin of forgetfulness. Wake up and be alert, for the time of Christ’s return is near.

Even the dead church of Sardis had a remnant. Knowing Israel’s history, that should sound familiar. Through John, Jesus Christ tells them that he knows there are a few who have remained faithful. They have not lost their faith in Him. Their names are in the book of life.

When you’re in the minority, it can be intimidating to take a stand for Truth, but that is exactly what Jesus is asking of them and of us. It is time to wake up, repent from our failings to remember all that God’s Word teaches us and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s time to return to His Word and hold strong to His promises.

The day of Christ’s return is near—will we be found faithful? It’s time to use the time we have, for the days are evil, and strengthen our mental memory, calling to mind verses, promises, and truths of Scripture we’ve been taught all our lives. We must remember and apply God’s Word to our lives, living to his glory and for his purposes, all the while looking forward to the day when he will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Friday Focus post, click HERE, or start from the Beginning.