Sardis was a church of weak faith. Many in Sardis had “soiled their garments,” but a few had not. Those few were deemed worthy by our Lord and would walk before Him in white. The church at Sardis thought they were “alive,” but Jesus said they were “dead.”
Sadly, that criticism is still true for the church today. Every one of us would do well to examine ourselves and honestly ask if we, too, have become part of the “walking dead,” carrying on in corruption and sin but thinking we still honor Christ.
The truth of the matter is that sin never honors Christ. If we don’t address our sin but instead commend ourselves for how much we do for Jesus, then we are spiritually dead. If you, like me, face your sin day after day, you may wonder how you can possibly escape this despair. You can because of Jesus who proclaimed, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever” (Revelation 1:18). Your Savior dressed in white has rescued you from sin, death, and hell!