Seven days of inspiration from Revelation - Day 5
Wake up!
Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli
IsAmbulo 3
Lokhu uJohane azakukulobela ingelosi yebandla laseSardesi, naseFiladelfiya, naseLawodikeya
God has to speak to us loudly, sometimes, to give us a wake up call. Like the other congregations, the church of Sardis in this section, also represents the church of all times and the typical circumstances that sometimes occur within the church. One of them is that sometimes, it can seem like the church is alive when, in fact, it is spiritually dead. The problem is that a congregation can appear alive in the eyes of people, but in God’s eyes they are actually spiritually dead. They do not know God and do not live in a relationship with him.
Still, God does not write off the church. God maintains the church through his Spirit and through the preaching of his word. The church is warned to wake up. This reminds us of the parable of the virgins with their lamps, who were not ready for the arrival of the groom. Where people neglect their relationship with God, it affects the heart of the church. Then, it is necessary to return to the basic principles of the gospel – the good news of God’s grace and love.
Spiritual deadness is not reversed by making superficial changes. It only changes when we realise that it is only through God’s grace that we are cleansed of sin. This is represented by the white clothes. What an unspeakable privilege is it that our names will be written forever in the book of life. We have been acquitted by Jesus Christ and belong to him forever. Nothing or no one can take that away from us.
Think about:
- 1.How does a relationship with God die?
- 2.What is the core of our relationship with God?
- 3.Should we live in fear of Jesus’ return?
