3:1-6 What do we learn from the church at Sardis?
3:1-6 What do we learn from the church at Sardis?
We learn here that good works are not always a true indication of the purity of one's heart, and that Christians can never take their salvation or their faith for granted (cp Mt 6:19-20; Jn 6:27; 1Cor 10:12; 2 or 13:5; Php 2:12-13; 1Ti 6:17-19; 2Pe 1:10-11; Jude 1:3).
No one can ever lay claim to the name of Jesus without reckoning with Him for every dereliction of duty (cp Mt 7:21-27; 24:42-44; 25:13-30; Rev 16:15).
Christians should never be lulled into a false sense of security because of a good reputation. "... I will not blot his name from the book of life," is clear evidence that every member of the human race already has their name written in the book of life, but it is whether their names stay written in the book that counts in eternity.
Only the names of those who conform to God's plan of redemption remain in the book; the rest are blotted out (cp Psa 139:13-16; Dan 12:1; Php 4:3 with Ex 32:31-34; Psa 69:28; 109:13; Rev 17:8; 20:12-15; 21:27; 22:18-19).
We learn from these scriptures that everyone's name is written in the book of life from their mother's womb. They are only blotted out when men sin and incur the death penalty. Knowing that our names are already in the book of life should be incentive enough to continually examine ourselves and ensure that we keep them there.