Chapter three of Revelation begins with the message to the church in Sardis, the fifth of the seven churches addressed. Of the seven churches, only those to Sardis and Laodicea contain no commendation from the Lord. Ironically, both churches have the appearance of vitality. But their actual spiritual condition puts the lie to any reputation they had of being healthy churches. Indeed, the Lord reveals that this church is nearly dead.

He calls them to, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (vs. 2). If they do not repent, if they do not remember what they had been faithfully taught in their early years, the Lord warns that he “will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” (vs. 3). This is a warning of swift judgment. The stakes are high for those who have been taught the truth, beheld the beauty of God’s grace in the gospel, and then have failed to walk in the ways of the truth.

But as long as there is life, there is hope. The call to repent is a gracious invitation from the Lord to “wake up and strengthen what remains.” Even for this thoroughly compromised and barely living church, there is hope. There remains in the church a remnant of those who have not yet “soiled their garments.” However close to death, the church in Sardis still has a pulse. And as the Lord reminds them, he is the one who sends the Holy Spirit who is able to revive and strengthen any church (or Christian, for that matter) who repents.