The Wages of Sin-Sardis

Revelation 3:1-6, "To the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect(complete) before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. 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. 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. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'

Spiritually Dead

We've been speaking of the progression with God in faith and the regression away from God by leaving the things that quantify our faith. We've seen the church at Ephesus leave their "first love," Jesus, God. The church at Smyrna remained faithful to their "first love," but it was not without cost. At Pergamos we saw the first consequence of leaving our "first love," we lose the bible as our foundation and false teachings enter the believers life and churches. At Thyatira we saw how when we leave our "first love," and allow false doctrine to take root in the church and our lives, sin will gain a foothold as the authority of God's word has been rejected. Here at Sardis we see the most bleak picture yet. Jesus says of this church, "you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

What does it mean, "you are dead." John MacArthur says of the church in Sardis, "Sardis was dead: that is, basically populated by unredeemed, unregenerate people." That's a fancy way of saying the majority of these people were unsaved, they were lost. Jesus said "you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." The name they claimed was Christian. But claiming to be a Christian does not make us a Christian. We are not truly a Christian unless we have been "born again"(John 3:3) and have become a "new creation" in Christ(2 Cor 5:17). The heart wrenching fact this forces us to acknowledge is that among us today are many who claim to be Christians and believe they are saved, but are indeed not.

The Billy Graham Evangelical Association estimates that as many as 70% of church members today are not saved. 70% of people who attend church regularly; had an emotional experience at some point, or were baptized as a child, walked an aisle in answer to an invitation, joined a church, believe they are saved but have never been "born again." Being "born again," according to Jesus, is the only way to "see the kingdom of God." The only way we can claim to be saved. If it does not break our hearts that many among us in church each Sunday may actually be lost, and bound for hell unless they are saved, I don't know what will.

Faith Without Deeds(Works) is Dead

In James 2:14 the question is asked, "What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?(NIV) Whenever we see a question asked in this manner, in the original Greek language the answer is always, no. In other words, a faith not based in godly good works from a right heart and motive with God, cannot save us. The first good work in anyones life must be truly surrendering our life to Christ, and believing in Him(John 3:16) from the heart; and understand the word believe in the Greek(pisteuo) means with the intent to follow. Jesus says in Matthew 7:20, "You will know them by their fruits." Good works from a right heart with God, that truly glorify God, are a product of salvation, not a means unto it, and these come from being "born again" in the Spirit. We cannot do good works until we are first saved. And the works that we do will bring glory to God.

This does not mean a person cannot work in the church and still be lost, many have and do so today. But church work done, no matter how useful, if not done to God's glory by a saved person, is useless in the eyes of God. If we have left our "first love," good works are impossible. Can I ask you a question? Is a person who does not love Christ, who does not abide by the "Greatest Commandment, is that person saved? No, they are not. The word abide means to remain, stay, live, dwell. If we abide in Christ, we will remain obedient to the will of God. If we do not abide in Christ, are we saved?

How To Be Born Again

Romans 10: 9-10 says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Friends, we cannot powerfully and genuinely confess Jesus with our mouth, until we first believe the truth about Him in our heart. If the truth of Jesus is in our heart, we love Him, and fulfill the "Greatest Commandment." If we love Him, we have been "born again," and we obey Him(John 14:15, 23). We have become a "new creation" and we turn to God, and repent of our sin. We have confessed from our hearts to Him we are sinners and are in need of His forgiveness and have surrendered our will, our life, to Him to believe(follow) and abide(dwell) in Him. Does this describe you?

The people in the church at Sardis believed they were saved, but Jesus said they were not, they were dead. They had never been "born again." Their was a remnant there who were not "defiled," who were saved. But the majority were lost, and didn't even realize it. They had Jesus on their lips, but not in their hearts. How did they get here: They left their "first love," abandoned the word of God, and embraced sin. If this describes you or your church I urge you to do as Jesus says, and repent. Come to God, through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The only way to come unto God the Father in heaven(John 14:6). When we are "born again" our sin, which all of us have(Rom 3:23), is wiped away by the blood of Christ. The bible says our sin is "remembered no more" and "as far as the east is from the west." We are forgiven and cleansed from all our unrighteousness(1 John 1:9).

The bible tells us that the "wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23). Sardis was the end result of the regression that occurs in a person's and church's life when we leave our "first love," disregard the bible and live a lifestyle of sin. If we live this way, we show ourselves to be lost, without Christ. While a Christian may experience a season being backslidden, the fact is, if the Holy Spirit truly dwells inside of us, we will not stay in sin. The church(people) in Sardis abided in sin. So, what is the answer if sin rules our life? Turn to God and repent. A dead body goes only 2 ways, it is either revived and comes back to life, or it begins to cool down never to be alive again. Tomorrow we'll see what a revived, alive Christian and church looks like. Until then God bless and hope you'll be in church tonight.