Paul says in Romans 8: 37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Are you like me and do not often feel like a conqueror at all? Do you feel that you are more often being conquered by the challenges of this world? How can we actually live a life knowing that we are in fact conquerors? The Bible reading from Revelation 3: 1-6 gives us some great counsel to consider. The church in Sardis was criticized by Jesus as being a church that was dead. In all outward appearances it seemed alive! It was a busy church and attractive to the community! Yet Jesus declared that it was dead spiritually! They seemed to be a church that had been conquered rather than a church that was conquering the nations for Christ!
This letter is all about a reality check for the church concerning spiritual deadness. Jesus provides a simple solution to this calamity of spiritual deadness. He calls the church to wake up; to strengthen what remains; remember what they had received; obey His teaching and repent of their sins.
Remembering is a great tool we can use to spur us on to greatness in our walk with Jesus. Paul goes on to remind the Christians in Rome, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What more encouragement do we need?
Jesus provides even more encouragement by exhorting us to remember what we have received! We have received the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit – God living in us! He reminds us also that if we do wake up, strengthen what remains, remember, obey and repent then we will walk with Jesus dressed in white because we will be considered worthy! Not only this, but our names will be written in the Book of Life! He will acknowledge us to His Father and to the angels! How blessed we are because our identity is found in Jesus! We are alive spiritually and we will bring much glory to God and His people!