The Church of Sardis

As the apostle John wrote to the Christians of Sardis, he may have recalled his earlier time with them, as Christian tradition holds that John founded the church of Sardis.¹ The city was known for its rich history.² Over the preceding centuries, it had changed hands many times between the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, and although the majority of the Christians in there were spiritually dead, Christ had messages of encouragement for the faithful and rebuke for the backsliding.

Through John, the Savior pointed the church to their spiritual death in Revelation 3:1–3, reminding them that they had fallen into the sin of hypocrisy, which He had denounced during His time on earth (see Matthew 23:13–33). They were going through the habits of religion rather than “being quickened, or made alive in Christ.”³ While Christian in name, most were in a loveless cycle of formalism that allowed errors to creep into church belief. Others remained faithful and thus were encouraged by Jesus’s promise in Revelation 3:4–5: “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” They were filled with renewed love and gratitude as their minds contemplated the day when they would spend eternity face to face with Jesus.

The message to Sardis also describes the period in Christian history that followed the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Many followers of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and other reformers became caught in habits of formality, accepting errors and abuses in the church that their forefathers had protested against. These men and women of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries lost the motivating love and action that had propelled the Reformation, and as a result, this message to repent of dead works and become spiritually alive applied to them as well.

As we take a look at our own lives, are we going through empty routines in our spiritual lives? It is possible to be doing good but lack the love that should motivate us? Take a minute to reevaluate your Christian life. Are you struggling in the same way as the Christians of Sardis? If so, take courage and repent! Nurture your relationship with Jesus just as you would a friend or family member, speaking kind words, showing gratitude, spending quality time together, and looking for ways to help and encourage them. Identify how you can grow closer to Jesus this week, then be intentional about ways that you can help His church. Jesus longs for good works motivated by love. By making a conscious decision to cultivate that love for Him and those around you, you too can join the faithful in walking in white (Revelation 3:4).

Read Revelation chapter 3 verses 1-6 in full and then reflect on the following questions:

1. What specific rebukes does Jesus have for other Christians in Sardis? See Revelation 3:1-3.
2. What does Jesus have to say about the sin of hypocrisy? See Matthew 23:13-22.
3. If you find yourself going through the rounds of formalism, how could these verses encourage you to be “made alive in Christ”? See Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13, and Galatians 2:20.
4. What specific deeds does Jesus praise some of the Christians of Sardis for? See Revelation 2:4.
5. Take some time to review some of the earlier promises to the seven churches. See Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:10-11, Revelation 2:17, and Revelation 2:26-28. Which ones are your favorite?

All scripture taken from the King James Version.

1. Foxe, John. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Pg. 17.
2. Anderson, Roy Allen. Unfolding the Revelation. Pg. 33.
3. SDA Bible Commentary on Revelation 3:2. Pg. 756.