At the end of October we often remember the great event of the Reformation of more than 450 years ago. Why should we remember it? Of what interest or benefit is that to us today? We seem to be living in an entirely different kind of world. Everything seems to have changed. The truth is that basic things and needs of people do not change. The nature of man does not change; nor do many weaknesses of the church. Many sins and failures that were found in Israel and in the New Testament church have recurred in the church throughout the last 2000 years — also in the church preceding the Reformation.

The Roman Catholic Church at the time of the Refor­mation and throughout the Middle Ages was steeped in formalism and mere liturgical worship of God. The Bible was hardly known to the common people. The people's ignorance of the Bible was appalling. The "magic" use of the sacraments was taught and assumed.

Don't we find similar conditions in the church to­day? And often also in our own lives? Today the greatest weaknesses of the church are lethargy, for­mal church membership, lack of true spirituality and lack of interest in God's Word.

Today the church is often like the church of Sar­dis. She had a reputation that she was alive, but ac­tually was near death. It is especially appropriate for us to read the Lord's letter to that church as we remember the great 16th century Reformation.

The greatest gift of the Reformation was the return of the Bible to the church and the common people. Living by that Word through the Spirit, the church is a living church. She is alive, vibrant with the power of the Spirit. But that kind of church is quite different from the church at Sardis, and many churches like her throughout the ages.

Revelation 2 and 3 record for us the words of the exalted Christ to seven actual churches in Asia Minor. (These seven churches represent the one church of Christ throughout the ages, with her strengths and weaknesses. Here the Lord is speaking to the church at Sardis.

According to secular history Sardis was a city located in a rich plain in Asia Minor and noted for its wealth and luxury. This likely had something to do with the spiritual condition of the church of Sardis.

Sardis must repent. Repentance always has two aspects, a negative and a positive — like conversion.

The negative side is that by the power of the Spirit we turn away from sin. This means that we see our sins, are sorry for them, and turn to Christ for forgiveness, and a power to live a different life.

Our Catechism says that conversion means to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it, and to run away from it more and more. And positively, that it is a wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to.

The heart of repentance, of course, is to see the need of Christ. First of all for forgiveness of all of our sins, but then also to have the Spirit of Christ to be able to serve the Lord with joy in godly living.

If Sardis does not repent, Christ, who has the seven spirits, will come like a thief in the night and take away even the little life that is left. This is a dreadful judgment. The church may remain and congrega­tional life may continue in some manner. She may even have in some measure a good reputation in the community. But the candle stick will have been removed, the spirit of Christ will no longer live there. Many churches there are like that today.

"He that overcomes..." This implies that God's people and church have a struggle. The church on earth is still a militant church.

He that overcomes will receive three things.​

• First of all he will walk with Christ and be dressed in white. White in the Bible is the color of purity and victory. White is the absence of impurity. Also, generals who had conquered in battle would return in historic times riding a white horse. In Revelation 6 Christ is riding a white horse. Here he who overcomes will be given fellowship with Christ, but also the assurance of victory and a taste of it.
   
• Secondly, he who overcomes will receive the assurance that his name will never be erased from the book of life. Christ will never let him go.
   
• And thirdly, the Lord will acknowledge his name before His Farther and the holy angels.

He who has an ear, let him hear.

At this time of the year when we remember the great Reformation, its true children are aware of the cons­tant danger of becoming like the church of Sardis.

They want to be a church that is alive by the power of the Word and Spirit.

The Lord says that He knows the deeds, the works of this church. The works of the church and of in­dividual Christians are the undeniable evidence of the condition of the churches and people. Not from our words and formal confessions can it be seen what we really are. Our works are the real evidence. In Sardis there apparently are few, if any, virtues. The works reveal that the church is almost dead. There are only a few people who have not defiled their garments. By garments are meant their entire Christian conduct.

The church had the name that she was alive. This church had a good reputation. Possibly she was grow­ing in numbers. She may have been a church with many activities, especially with social activities. She may have had a good sized budget, supporting a mis­sion program and one for Christian education. Possibly also, the church of Sardis made an impact upon the community.

But in the eyes of the Lord, she is almost dead. Remember that the Lord Jesus also spoke of the mis­sion work of the Pharisees. They would travel great distances to make one convert. How could Jesus say that this church was almost dead? The members did not have the fire, zeal and life of the Spirit. Everything was formal and external.

When the church is alive, the life and power of the Holy Spirit can be seen and felt. There is unmistakable evidence of it. We have no trouble in distinguishing between a dead and living tree. Who cannot see the difference between a dead and living animal? Or between a flower that is withered and dead and one that is alive and green? There is a similar difference be­tween a dead sinner and one who is born again and possesses the Spirit of Christ. Jesus says that this new life can be seen in the works of people and the church.

Of course, this does not mean that such Christians are perfect. Far from it. But there is and has to be a beginning of evidence of the new life of the Spirit through the Word. When we possess the Holy Spirit, we show it in the kind of life we live, the kind of con­versations we carry on, in what our goals are, in our love for the Lord, His church and our neighbor. These witness in some way of who and what we are as Chris­tians. Live Christians struggle against sin and the old sinful self, faithfully use the Word, and pray in­dividually and together.

In Sardis, behind its evident activity and reputation, such signs of real Christian life were lacking. Its kind of dry rot is one of the greatest dangers in our day and age. The devil lulls people into sleep, working this way without being detected. His encouragement of formalism is more effective than persecution in leading them to death.

Although there are a few members of the church who are still alive and have not soiled their clothes, the entire church is addressed and admonished in these words of Christ.

What must Sardis, and every church in that condi­tion, do?

They must obey the Word which they have heard and repent. The Lord calls for repentance unto life by His Word. And remember that for us this is also the way back to life — the infallible Word of God! Listen to it! That is what Luther and our other Reformation fathers did.