The Lord Jesus is addressing the Lampstand of God, the Christian church in Sardis. How do we know this? Notice the expression: "Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes." I do not believe non-Christian people have "clothes," in the sense the word is used here. So the Lord is implying that Christians who do not gain the victory over sin are in clear danger of having their name blotted from the Book of Life.

The Lord was not pleased with the church in Sardis. He referred to it as "dead." He warned it to repent.

I think we had better get back to the Bible. We are not preaching the Word of God to the American Christians but in many instances are telling them soft, pleasant things so they will be pleased with us. We are currying favor with them instead of bringing to them the warnings of the Epistles of the New Testament such as Hebrews and First John. We are not telling them that the Book of Revelation holds over their head the danger of being blotted from the Book of Life if they do not wash their robes continually in the blood of the Lamb.

We Christians in America are too soft. We are spoiled babies. We can gain perspective by reflecting on the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Sudan, and what took place when Jesus Christ was crucified, in order to gain some idea of the severity of life and salvation. We have been seduced by Satan to the extent we are losing our place in the royal priesthood.

The saints in Heaven are witnessing what we are doing today. What must they think when they see the antics that take place in the name of Christianity? If we do not want to be ashamed when we see them we must start gaining the victory over worldliness, bodily passions, and self-will. Otherwise we have no assurance we will not be blotted from the Book of Life.

Those who would be acknowledged before the Court of Heaven, before the Father and His angels, must come out of the dead churches and strengthen their spiritual life by remembering their original commitment to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. They must repent and do again their first works of prayer, Bible reading, and gathering on a regular basis with fiery believers.

So far we have attained perfect union with Christ.

The authority and power to rule in Christ over our circumstances.

Deliverance from those behaviors that keep us in dread of being tormented by the Divine judgment.

Daily provisions as we fight the good fight of faith.

We have become a new creation and have been given a new name.

We have received the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth as our inheritance.

We have become a member of the royal priesthood.

We have the eternal assurance of life, and recognition in the Court of Heaven.

What other area of our Canaan awaits our invasion?

To be continued.