Letters to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea
"1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the Seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."
The fifth of the Seven Churches was Sardis, which was 50 miles inland from the Aegean Sea and due east of Thyatira (modern Izmur). Though the city was a prosperous trade city, e.g., its king Cresus is remembered with the saying, "as rich as Cresus", it was gradually dying of moral decadence. The LORD of the Candlesticks identifies Himself as having the "Seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars", i.e., possessing the All Present Spirit, as well as owning the Church, "which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).
Without a single word of praise for past actions, Sardis is omnisciently labelled as a dead church, i.e., "thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead". This spiritually dead condition of the professed Body of Christ also was addressed by the Epistle of James. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:26). Whenever the Saints depart from their walk of faith and holiness, it is right for them to be described as dead. "But she [a widow] that liveth in pleasure [leading a voluptuous life] is dead while she liveth" (1Timothy 5:6).
"2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."
Dead Sardis is counselled to "strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die". If Sardis is already completely dead, then how could there be "things which remain, that are [still] ready to die"? Though Sardis was characteristically dead, Sardis still had some who had "not defiled their garments" (James 3:4). These were still alive! To prevent these from Spiritually dying, the LORD instructs them to "strengthen" themselves. How? Through prayer. "And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O LORD GOD, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes" (Judges 16:28). Through the Word. "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen Thou me according unto Thy Word" (Psalm 119:28). By His Presence. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the Right Hand of My righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).
The condition of basically Alive-in-Name-Only Sardis is much more critical than apparent to modern readers of the Revelation, for the LORD said, "I have not found thy works perfect before God." Perfection, as far as our LORD Jesus was concerned, is simply to give ourselves 100% to God, as He has completely offered Himself to us. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). [See John Wesley's "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" and our study, "An Urgent Call to Christian Perfection" for a development of this thought.] So, the LORD's call to "strengthen" is to those who had "not defiled their garments" (3:4), and it gives the sense of imminent danger, if action is not taken quickly.