Many who mingle with God's people are insincere and halfhearted. They are not true disciples of the Lord. They never have laid down their life for the Kingdom of God. They are not taking up their cross and following the Lord Jesus.

In Sardis they were in the majority.

They are among us. They talk like Christians, like true saints. All the familiar phrases are there. But in their private lives they are not true saints. They do not know the Lord. They have no time of personal communion with Him. Their worship costs them little for they do not give of what is precious to them. Numerous Christians of today fit this description.

Some of those who are walking in righteousness before God, who have understanding and insight, who teach others, will fall. They are stars who are cast to the earth by the dragon's tail. These are true saints, true Christians. Yet, they have not made those final choices concerning the love of the world, the love of sin, and the love of their self-will.

There remain areas in their lives that can be enticed by Satan. Since there can be no love of the world, no love of sin, no love of self-will in the Body of Christ, those who are undecided in these areas will be tested. Some of them will fall in order to bring them to the perfection God requires.

We do not recommend that a believer yield to sin so he may be made perfect. We have seen some of the stars who have fallen. It is not a pretty sight. There is no way of knowing, in some cases, whether they ever will be able to regain the Presence of God in their life.

When a star of God falls into sin he causes many who have trusted in him to stumble and fall. He brings disgrace on himself, on his family and friends. He no longer is able to hold up his head among the saints. He experiences years of agony because of the shame that covers him. He doesn't know whether or not the joy of the Lord will return.

Some of the damage he has caused can never be repaired. Some who have stumbled because of him become bitter against God. He "sweeps the sky with his tail," as it were, dragging down other witnesses, "weakening the hands of the men of war."

Those who remain true to Christ bring multitudes with them into the Presence of God. Those who fall bring multitudes with them into spiritual darkness. The prospect of appearing before Jesus with the knowledge we have failed and have caused others to fail is not pleasant to contemplate.

King David fell. His sin has been published widely so the whole world knows what David did in secret. God has restored David completely. However, David suffered much after his sin as God avenged the blood of Uriah the Hittite.

To be continued.