After
John the apostle saw the vision of Jesus in chapter one of
“Revelation”,
he began to write to the “seven
churches in Asia”. He
started with the church located in “Ephesus”,
then the “church
of Smyrna”,
the “church
in Pergamos” and
then the “church
in Thyatira”. He
added “the
church in “Sardis”
and how He knew their “works,
that”
they “have
a name that”
they “live”,
“and
are dead”
and
in
chapter
three and verse two of Revelation, John shared how Jesus told “the
church in Sardis” “I have not found your works perfect before
God”
where
we read:
Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to
die:
for
I have not found your works perfect before God.
The
verse reads, “Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to
die:”
John
began with the words, “be
watchful”
which means “take heed lest through remission and indolence some
destructive calamity suddenly overtake one”, “and
strengthen the things”
or “and make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix and render
constant the things” “which
remain” or
“that are the rest, remnant and rest”, “that
are ready to die” or
“that are in a state of perishing and subject to eternal misery in
hell”. Jesus' exhortation to the “church
in Sardis”
was to “take heed” and “make strong” the religious practices
among them because they were about to “perish”.
The
verse continues, “for
I have not found your works perfect before God.” John
added, “for”
which means “because and since” “I
have not found”
or “Jesus did not discover, come upon, hit upon, learn, discover or
recognize” “your
works”
which means “the
church in Sardis'
business, employment and that which they were occupied” “perfect”
or “full, abounding, furnished and complete” “before
God”
which means “in front of the Godhead bodily or trinity which is
comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
Jesus did not find the “works”
of the “church
in Sardis”
“complete and finished” in front of God.
When
we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see how Jesus not
only recognized the “works”
among the “church
in Sardis”
as incomplete before God, but also how they were “ready to die”.
There were pagan practices within the church, and they were reluctant
to remove them. Their “works”
barely “remained”, and they were to “bolster and reinforce
them” because they were “unfinished” before God. God desires
people to have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and
when a person “believes and trusts” in Him, they not only are
“saved” but become part of the “family” and “church”
of God. The worldly pagan ways are to be removed, and the “works”
of God are to be complete before Him. Let all who read these words
examine themselves to be certain they make their “works” strong
and “finish” what God has given them to do.
Next
time
we see John share Jesus' words, “remember
therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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