Revelation Letters V
And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. 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.’ (Revelation 3:1-6 ESV)
Awake and Clothed
I would not make a good fireman. I wake up slowly. I usually need to cough a little, dry my eyes a little, blow my nose a little, and un-muddy my thoughts.
When I plan to wake up very early in the morning, I do better when I have lain out my clothes. The process of getting ready in the morning, while usually simple, seems complex when I am just waking up. A plan helps. Knowing what I am doing, helps.
The Christians in Sardis needed to wake up, and be dressed. And as long as they were depending on their own wisdom, they would fail. As long as they were depending on their own righteousness, they would fail. As long as they were depending on their own maturity, they would fail.
The pathway to waking up and getting dressed is found in remembering how they were saved, how they can continue in that salvation, and how they can finish the earthly part of that salvation strongly.
And it is all Jesus.
Waking up, for them and us, means leaving our slumbers of self-focus. Waking up, for them and us, means an awareness of Christ’s presence, His holiness on our behalf, His gracious forgiveness when we fail, and His sufficiency. Waking up, for them and us, means seeing clearly our need for Christ in every area of our lives.
Getting dressed, for them and us, means wearing HIS robes of perfection. It is HIS holiness that brings salvation. Getting dressed, for them and us, means wearing HIS robes of relationship with God. It is HIS Son-ness that lets us be adopted as sons and daughters. Getting dressed, for them and us, means wearing HIS robes of readiness. Because HE is our fortress, our protector, and our provider.
Wake up, and get dressed.