Revelation 3

Revelation 3:1-6

Chapter 13 Christ’s letter to the church at Sardis ‘And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 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.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ Revelation 3:1-6 Sardis was a relatively small city, but it was rich and strong, situated on what was thought to be an inaccessible hill, and protected by what was thought to be an impregnable fortress. Its people were proud, arrogant, over-confident. But the city had one unobserved, unguarded weak point, a small crack in the rock wall that surrounded it. One night, in an unsuspecting hour, the enemy came as a thief in the night, and Sardis was conquered. Later the city was partially destroyed by an earthquake. By the time John wrote the Book of Revelation, Sardis was in decay, experiencing a slow but sure death. The condition of the city was a vivid picture of the spiritual condition of the church in Sardis proud, but decaying. The church at Sardis was proud, arrogant, over-confident. The enemy had come, and by degrees had silently destroyed the life of this once magnificent church. The church existed in peace. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles bothered the church at Sardis, because the church at Sardis did not bother them. There was no persecution in Sardis. The church enjoyed great peace. But it was the peace of a cemetery. The church was dead. Here our Lord calls for Sardis to remember the past, and recall their former vitality, faith, obedience, and zeal. And he calls for them to return, to strengthen the things that remain, to hold fast that which they had, and to repent. If they refused, he would come upon them as a thief in the night to destroy them. How descriptive this letter is of the condition of Christ’s church at this hour! In general, the church of Christ appears to be in a state of decay. Remember, this letter is not just addressed to the church in general. It is addressed specifically to each local church. Its message is to us. The epistle to Sardis is a letter of reproof and warning. Let it be read with weeping eyes and received with broken, penitent hearts. ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ Spiritual decay is the forerunner of spiritual death, total apostasy, and eternal ruin. A prevailing reproach Our Lord rebukes us and lays at our door the charge of a prevailing reproach. The corruption at Sardis was a general corruption. In Pergamos a few of the congregation had followed the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. In Thyatira a few had followed Jezebel. But in Sardis the congregation as a whole was corrupt, and only a few were faithful. The church was sinking into a spiritual stupor. Therefore, Christ describes himself as ‘He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars.’ He is able to revive the dead church. He has the spirit of life and he can cause the angel of the church to preach the gospel with renewed power and fervency. The reproach of this church was fourfold. Christ charges them with four faults. The first charge was that: they had a name that they lived, but they were dead (Revelation 3:1). Sardis had a good reputation. They were admired and applauded by many. But it was a reputation they did not deserve. ‘Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.’ They were big on profession, but little in possession. They were long in ceremony, but short in commitment. They were precise in doctrine, but negligent in devotion. They had great activity, but little worship. Is this not the state of most who wear the name of Christ today? I seldom meet a man or woman who is not religious, who does not profess to be a Christian; but I seldom meet anyone who is committed to Christ! For the most part, even in our most orthodox churches, I see nothing but deadness. The meetings for worship are poorly attended. The people, it is obvious, seldom read, much less study, the Scriptures. Prayer appears, usually, to be the stating of words (accurate enough), but not the pleading of burdened hearts. The worship of Christ, for the vast majority whom profess faith in him, is a convenience, not a necessity. I fear that ‘Ichabod’ might be written on the doors of most of our church buildings. The next charge against Sardis was that they were negligent in the most important matters (Revelation 3:2). The Master says, ‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.’ Sardis should have been a lighthouse. It should have been a beacon. It should have been a pillar and ground of the truth. But they failed in the most important matters. And those things that remained were ready to die. Like the others, this letter was addressed first and foremost to the pastor, the angel of the church. And usually, not always, but usually, the church is but a reflection of her pastor. The pulpit is the greatest strength, or the greatest weakness in the church. Here the pastor was negligent, the elders were negligent, the deacons were negligent, and the people were negligent. No one was watchful for the faith, earnestly contending for it, wrestling against the wicked one, laboring for the souls of men, and laboring for the spread of the gospel. Christ saw in this church nothing but slothfulness, coldness, lethargy, and death. Is it not so today? Where are those men who have hazarded their lives for the gospel? Where is the man who counts not his life dear unto himself, so that he may finish his course with joy? Where is the man whose heart burns with zeal for Christ? Truth had fallen in the streets, but Sardis did not care. Christ’s lambs were starving for lack of bread, but Sardis did not care. I ask again, Is it not so in this day? The third charge against Sardis was that they were formalists, ritualists, ceremonialists, and no more (Revelation 3:2). They had many works, but Christ says, ‘I have not found thy works perfect before God.’ The forms were there. The religious customs were there. The ceremonies were kept up. The religious traditions were maintained. The services were there. But the essence was lacking. There was no genuine, sincere love, faith, and hope. There was lots of activity, but no faith, lots of parade but no power. In the sight of other people Sardis was a splendid, prosperous church, but in the eyes of Christ it was an empty corpse. The fourth charge against Sardis was that they were careless about the things they had heard (Revelation 3:3). ‘Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ The Lord called for them to ‘Remember how they had received and heard’ the gospel (Revelation 3:3). The greatest evil in the church today is that impurity and laxity of doctrine and commitment to the truth of God, the acceptance and approval of any religion as long as it is sincere. We are supposed to believe that everyone is right, no matter what they believe. If anyone dares to assert that there is a real difference between the truth of God and the lies of hell, he is branded a bigot, a fanatic, and a narrow minded, hardhearted instigator of strife. The fact is there can be no alliance between truth and error. Those who preach divine sovereignty and those who deny it are not brethren. Those who preach electing love and those who denounce it are not companions. Those who preach effectual redemption and those who despise it are not friends. Those who preach salvation by grace and those who preach salvation by works are not children of the same household and the same family. A plain recommendation In order for Sardis to recover from her terrible condition, our Lord gives a plain recommendation (Revelation 3:2-3). He says, ‘Be watchful’ over your own souls. ‘Strengthen the things that remain,’ the people of God, the remnant of the faithful and the faith and grace that is in them. ‘Remember’ the past, the grace you have experienced, the faith you have professed, and the blessedness you have enjoyed. ‘Hold fast’ the truth in which you have been established (Jeremiah 6:16). ‘Repent.’ Return unto the Lord. ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.’ Apostasy will bring judgment (Isaiah 63:9-10). A precious remnant In verse four the Lord Jesus graciously calls our attention to a precious remnant. ‘Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments.’ Blessed be God, there is always a remnant according to the election of grace. They were a few; but they were known of God. They had not defiled their garments by departing from Christ, by licentious behavior, or by embracing false doctrine. A promised reward To those few who persevere in the faith of the gospel, Christ will give a promised reward (Revelation 3:4-5). He says, ‘They shall walk with me in white.’ What could be more blessed? Those who continue in the faith, who devote themselves to Christ, his will, his glory, and his gospel, shall walk with him in sweet communion, justified before God, accepted in their Savior, and rejoicing in him (Ecclesiastes 9:7-8). They shall walk with Christ because ’they are worthy,’ made worthy by grace (Colossians 1:12). And all who persevere and overcome at the last shall live forever (Revelation 3:5). ‘They shall be clothed in white raiment,’ robed in the white robe of Christ’s own righteousness, wrapped in the garments of his salvation. To these the Son of God promises, ‘I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.’ ‘They shall never perish,’ no, not for any reason, under any circumstances, or by any means. Rather, the Savior says, ‘I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.’ In light of these things, ‘knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed’ (Romans 13:11). Are you among the few who have not defiled their garments? Am I? If so, let us ‘Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 1:13). Are you yet without Christ? Then ‘Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near’ (Isaiah 55:6).

Revelation 3:7-13

Chapter 14 Christ’s letter to the church at Philadelphia ‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ Revelation 3:7-13‘That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God’ (Luke 16:15).

I wonder if we will ever learn that fact. Those things which men value most, esteem most highly, and to which they attach the greatest honor God despises. And that which men ridicule, belittle, and despise God honors. The wisdom of this world, the pride of this world, the moral righteousness of this world, the honor of this world, and the religion of this world God almighty holds in utter contempt. We see this fact throughout the Scriptures. And we see it plainly in Christ’s letters to the churches. The Church at Sardis was great in name and reputation. Men approved of her and honored her. But Christ looked at that church and said, ‘Thou art dead.’ The Church at Laodicea was rich and increased with goods. It appeared that she lacked nothing. But that church was so nauseating to the Son of God that he was ready to spew it out of his mouth. He said, ‘Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.’ You see God looks on the heart. He is not, in the least degree impressed by those things that impress and deceive men. ‘That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’ The Church at Philadelphia was not like the ones in Sardis and Laodicea. C. H. Spurgeon wrote, ‘The Philadelphia church was not great, but it was good; it was not powerful, but it was faithful.’ The Lord Jesus commended this church for its faithfulness. Men might have looked at the little church in Philadelphia as they do the many like it today with contempt. It did not meet in an elaborately decorated, impressive building. So far as I have been able to discover, there were no men in this church of great political, economic, or academic power and influence. But it was a church known for its faithfulness. Faithfulness honors God and is honored of God. And faithfulness, like slothfulness, has a way of rubbing off on others. Hence, we read of faithful men and women in the Church at Philadelphia for many centuries. The pastors of this church were consistently influential (not in the world, but in the kingdom of God) for eight hundred years. We read in church history of their influence from the first through the eighth centuries. Let us ever be found faithful to our God.

He alone knows what influence our faithfulness, or lack of faithfulness will have upon the generations to come. The Lord Jesus found nothing in this church to rebuke, or even to correct. He gave no word of reproof to the saints at Philadelphia. That is a remarkable testimony to these people whose names are known only in heaven. To this congregation, the Son of God spoke nothing but words of praise and encouragement[2]. [2] Certainly, we must not honor the flesh and become flatterers of men. But those who think that serious Christianity forbids complimentary words for a job well done, and that expressions of gratitude and appreciation are out of place in the kingdom of God, need to read this epistle. Here the Son of God himself applauds the faithfulness of his people! I suspect that it will be all right for us to do the same.In Revelation 3:7-13 the Lord Jesus Christ holds the Church at Philadelphia before us as an example of what every believer and every local church ought to be. A careful reading of the Savior’s letter to the church at Philadelphia ought put a prayer in our hearts, crying, ‘Lord, make me faithful.’ Read the Savior’s words and learn this: God honors faithfulness. A divine person In verse seven, our Lord Jesus describes himself as a divine person. This letter was dictated to John by one who is himself God. This God is our Savior. ‘These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the keys of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.’ Here are three divine attributes, or characteristics, of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, the Lord Jesus Christ is holy He is the holy God. ‘Holy and reverend is his name’ (Psalms 111:9). He is the Holy One of Israel. Being God, he is ‘glorious in holiness ’ (Exodus 15:11), in every way equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Specifically, this text has reference to Christ’s holiness as the God-man, our Savior. It is not our Savior’s divine, essential holiness that comforts and encourages his people. That terrifies any man who has any sense of it (Hebrews 12:21; Judges 13:22). It is our Redeemer’s representative, mediatoral, vicarious holiness that gives us comfort and encourages us to trust him. Our Savior was himself ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners’ while he lived as a man in this world (Hebrews 7:26). He had no sin, no original sin and no actual sin. Though he was made to be sin for us by divine imputation when he died as our Substitute, Christ had no sin of his own. He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). As our Representative and Substitute, the Son of God lived in this world as a man in perfect holiness. This mediatoral holiness, this representative righteousness of Christ as our Mediator is the basis of our acceptance with God (Romans 5:19). Be sure you understand this. It will help you. If you are a believer, if you trust Christ his blood washed away your sins. His sacrifice paid your debt and satisfied the law and justice of God that demanded death. His death removed your guilt before God. But the righteousness of Christ is just as necessary for our salvation as his blood. His righteousness (his complete obedience to God as a man), being imputed to us, just as our sins were imputed to him, gives us merit with God. Therefore he is called, Jehovah-tsidkenu, ‘THE LORD OUR ’ (Jeremiah 23:6). Christ is our righteousness, our holiness, and our sanctification. He is that ‘holiness without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14). He is that exceeding, perfect righteousness, without which we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Christ, who is holy, and who is our holiness, is our Sanctification. His holiness was imputed to every chosen sinner in justification when he accomplished our redemption at Calvary. And his holy nature is imparted to every chosen, redeemed, justified sinner in the new birth. Salvation, in the experience of it, is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ We have no holiness of our own. We have no ability to produce holiness, or do anything that is truly holy. All the holiness we have is what we get from Christ. As John Gill put it, ‘Christ is the Cause and Author of holiness to his people. We are sanctified in him. We have our sanctification from him. And we are sanctified by him.’ Those who talk about sanctification by degrees, or sanctification being accomplished by the works of a man, simply do not understand the doctrine of sanctification, or for that matter the totality of grace in salvation. Christ is our Sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 10:10-14). Second, we read that Christ is true. He is truly God and truly man Our Lord Jesus Christ is true and faithful in all mediatoral offices and covenant engagements. He is true to God the Father and true to his people. In fact, Jesus Christ is Truth itself John 14:6). Apart from him there is no truth. Christ is the Truth of which all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament were just pictures. Christ is the Truth of God, the embodiment of Truth, the Sum and Substance of all gospel truth. As the embodiment of Truth, Christ is the Revelation of the invisible God. He is the living Word of whom the written Word speaks (John 1:1-3; John 1:14-16; John 1:18). Third, the Lord Jesus Christ is the sovereign King He describes himself here as ‘he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth.’ With those words our blessed Savior describes his sovereign power and absolute authority over all things as the Son of David, the Messiah, the King. He who is the Christ of God is Lord over all things. This dominion is not something that Christ shall have some day. It is his right now! Our crucified, risen, exalted Savior is now sitting as King upon the throne of David, which is the throne of God (Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 28:18; John 17:2; Acts 2:34-36; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 5:5). Here is one example of his absolute sovereignty: He opens, and no man shuts. He shuts, and no man opens. Christ opens the Scriptures to his elect, giving us the light and knowledge of gospel truth by the power of his Holy Spirit (John 14:26; John 16:13). But he shuts the Scriptures to others, giving them blindness and hardness of heart (John 12:39-40). The Son of God opens a door of utterance for the gospel in one place, and shuts it in another, according to his own sovereign will (Acts 16:6-10). The Good Shepherd opens the door for his sheep and leads them in the way of life everlasting (John 10:3; John 10:9). And he shuts the door against those who will not obey his voice (Luke 13:23-30). We worship ‘him that is holy.’ We trust him that is true.’ We bow before him that is sovereign. Our divine Savior is the Holy, True, Sovereign Son of God. A divine praise When the Lord of Glory spoke to the Church at Philadelphia, as I said before, there is no word of reproof, warning, or correction, but only a divine praise (Revelation 3:8). ‘I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.’ Imagine that! The Son of God himself bends over from his lofty throne to speak a word of praise to a band of faithful believers on the earth! I sure would like to be in that crowd. Wouldn’t you? Certainly, he is here giving us an example to follow. We are usually quick to point out one another’s faults and failures. But love is always quick to forgive and quick to praise. A little praise is a great means of encouragement. Some people seem to think that kindness is blasphemy. But if the Son of God speaks an encouraging word of praise to his church, surely we will be safe in giving a little praise to one another. What was there about these Philadelphian believers that the Son of God saw fit to commend and praise? The matter of commendation and praise was their works, works of faith, love, and patience. The Lord God had set before this church an open door, which no man could shut. He does not tell us what this open door was, but generally this language is used to describe a door of utterance for the preaching of the gospel (2 Corinthians 2:12). Apparently, the Lord gave these men and women and opportunity to serve him in the furtherance of the gospel; and they seized the opportunity he gave them. They faithfully performed the work God put into their hands. They did not talk about what they wanted to do, what they had done, what they used to do, or what they would do if they had more money and people. They simply did what they could for the glory of Christ and the furtherance of the gospel.

It may be that their labor was insignificant in the eyes of men. But Christ looked upon it as an honorable thing. Nothing done for Christ is insignificant or meaningless to him (Mark 14:6-8). The one thing God requires of his people is faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2). The one thing God honors in his people is faithfulness (Matthew 25:23; Luke 19:17). When the Lord Jesus Christ opens a door for us, as we faithfully follow him, no man can shut the door, and he will not shut it. The faithfulness of these saints at Philadelphia was especially commendable because they had very little with which to work. The Master said, ‘For thou hast a little strength.’ This is not to be taken as a word of reproach, but as a word of praise. They had been faithful in their service to Christ, even though they had little strength. Many of the Lord’s churches are like this Church at Philadelphia: they have ‘a little strength,’ but only a little. They had little numerical strength. The Church at Philadelphia was a small church.

Therefore they had very little strength for taking on any great work. But their lack of numbers did not deter them. They just rallied together and did what they could. And Christ commends them for it. God thinks more of quality than of quantity. He has much greater regard for obedience than for tally sheets and numbers.

Denominations, denominational representatives, religious businessmen, and politician preachers take polls and count noses. ‘The Lord looketh on the heart!’ Because they were small in number, like most small churches, this church had little monetary strength. When money was required, they could do very little. This was, for the most part, a band of poor people. There were no men of means among them. But they were precious to Christ, who counts sincerity of greater value than all the gold in the world. And, again like most small churches, this assembly had very little strength in the area of talents and gifts. At Corinth, the church had talents and gifts running out its ears. They had an abundance of teachers, miracle workers, and wealth. But very little was done. They were rich in ability, but poor in grace. Not this church. No one here seems to have had any great talent or ability. But the people were full of grace. Grace made them faithful. Much was done for the glory of Christ, the souls of men, and the furtherance of the gospel. They had ‘a little strength,’ but used every ounce for Christ. ‘Thou hast a little strength.’ Someone said, ‘That was, perhaps, their misfortune, but not their fault.’ Therefore they were not blamed for it. The Lord does not blame us for having little strength, but for having little faith, little love, little devotion, little zeal, and little consecration. If our strength is little, let us pray for grace, that our little strength may be used entirely for Christ. The saints of God at Philadelphia were faithful and persevering in the midst of great opposition. The Lord Jesus gave them this word of praise and encouragement: ‘Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.’ These men and women simply could not be driven away from the word of the gospel. They could not be persuaded to forsake the gospel. They would not allow anything to come between them and Christ. They had a little strength; but with all the strength they had they kept God’s Word and held fast to Christ. What is the word which they kept? We do not have to guess. It was the word of the gospel. Our Lord says, ‘Thou hast kept the word of my patience’ (v.10). That is the gospel of Christ and him crucified, in which his patient sufferings as our Substitute are set forth (1 Peter 2:21-24). The sinner’s only hope before God is the gospel of substitutionary redemption (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the word we must hold fast. How did these Philadelphian believers keep the word of the gospel? They believed it (1 John 5:6-13). They loved it (1 John 5:3). They obeyed it (Romans 16:26). And they defended it (Jude 1:3; Philippians 1:7; Philippians 1:17). Though they were weak, few in number, and a people of worldly insignificance; they were ready at all times and against all odds to hold to and defend the truth of God.

Most men are like spiders, (who spin their webs out of their own bowels). They spin their theology out of their own feelings, their own wisdom, or their own experiences. These Philadelphian saints took nothing to be truth but the truth of God revealed in Sacred Scripture. And, with regard to the truth of God, they valiantly refused to budge an inch. They had no regard for current trends in theology and the wisdom of infidels. They walked in the old paths of everlasting truth (Jeremiah 6:16). May God give us grace, in these days of Arminian, free will, works religion, while nearly the whole religious world teaches and embraces that which the apostle Paul calls ‘will worship,’ to hold fast the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ (2 Timothy 1:9-10). Either God is totally, absolutely, universally sovereign, or he is not God ((Psalms 135:6). Either man is totally depraved, guilty, and helpless, or he needs no Savior (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:9-19). Either God chose and determined to save his people in eternal, unconditional election, before the world began, or he has no people to save (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). Either Christ effectually redeemed God’s elect by his death on the cross, or he failed in his work and there is no such thing as blood atonement and substitutionary redemption (Matthew 1:21; Galatians 4:4-6). Either God the Holy Spirit regenerates and calls dead sinners to life and faith in Christ by effectual, irresistible power and grace, or man is saved by his own will, his own effort, and his own work (Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:1-10). Either all God’s elect will persevere unto the end, or none of them will (John 10:27-30). These truths by which we live; and if need be, God helping us, these truths we will die by. But we will not, we cannot give them up. This is more than mere doctrinal accuracy. This is the very fabric of our salvation. To deny these things would be to deny our only hope before God and to blaspheme his name, whom we most desire to honor. To deny these doctrines of the gospel is to deny Christ who taught them. Those who embrace these gospel truths are our brethren. Those who are enemies to these truths are the enemies of our God; and that makes them our enemies (Psalms 139:19-22; 2 Chronicles 19:2). Do you keep the word of the gospel? Do I? Perhaps we have no great talents, perhaps we have little strength, maybe we have little influence over other people, and we may always be numbered among a small group of people who are looked upon by the world as narrow-minded fanatics, but the simple fact is that the salvation of our souls depends upon our persevering adherence to the truth of the gospel (Colossians 1:22-23). The saints in the Church at Philadelphia were commended and praised by Christ because they kept and denied not the word of his grace and truth in the gospel. Blessed is that man, blessed is that woman who cannot be induced by Satan to forsake the gospel for any reason. A divine protection Inasmuch as they were faithful to him, our Lord assured the saints at Philadelphia that he would be faithful to them and declared that he would keep them with a divine protection (Revelation 3:9-11). ‘Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.’ Those who keep God’s Word shall be kept by God. Those who hold fast the truth of God shall be held in truth by the grace of God. Those who persevere in faith shall be preserved by grace. Our Lord will always separate the wheat from the chaff and the precious from the vile (Revelation 3:9). He says, ‘Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.’ The Jews, who are Abraham’s physical seed, claimed to be God’s people exclusively; and many to this day regard them as the people of God’s choice. But in this ninth verse our Lord calls those who yet worship according to the customs of Judaism and the law of Moses, ’the synagogue of Satan.’ It is not Abraham’s physical seed, but his spiritual seed who are the people of God, the Israel of God, for whom the promises and the covenant were made. The Church of God is the Israel of God (Romans 2:28-29; Romans 11:25-26; Philippians 3:3). Abraham is the father of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:1; Romans 4:16; Romans 4:22-25; Galatians 3:6-7). Today Judaism is an apostate religion. There are many who, like the Jews, claim to be God’s people who are not. They say they are Jews (Christians, children of God), but they lie. All who hope for acceptance with God because of a decision they made for Jesus, because of their baptism, their church membership, their good works, their taking the sacraments, their experiences, or their personal holiness are hypocrites. They may be called a church. They may think they are the house of God. But our Lord here identifies all such as ’the synagogue of Satan.’ God’s elect, the true people of God, are circumcised in their hearts by the Spirit of God, not in their flesh (Colossians 2:10-14). We worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ alone, and have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). In the end the despised people of God shall be exalted over their enemies. Our Lord will make our enemies to bow before our feet and know that he loved us, chose us, redeemed us, called us, and saved us by his grace (Matthew 25:31-34; Matthew 25:41). As long as we live in this world, Christ will keep his own in the hour of temptation (Revelation 3:10). ‘Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth’ (John 10:27-30; John 17:11-15; 1 Corinthians 10:13). He will preserve all his own from apostasy. Though heresies come and abound, God’s elect shall not be deceived. The ever-increasing acceptance of freewillism, legalism, works religion, and sheer ritualism will not affect the saints of God (1 Corinthians 11:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-13; 1 John 2:19-20). The Lord Jesus Christ will graciously preserve his elect in the midst of their trials (Isaiah 43:1-5). The Son of God will preserve all his elect in the way of faith, grace, and obedience unto life everlasting (Psalms 37:23-24; Jeremiah 32:38-40).

God’s elect cannot and shall not perish. Not even one of the chosen shall be lost. We are kept by the power of his grace in the hands of an omnipotent Savior. It is our Lord’s promise of preservation that inspires us to perseverance (Revelation 3:11). ‘Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.’ It is upon the basis of his promise to preserve us from temptation that our Redeemer admonishes us to persevere. Contrary to popular religious opinion, the promise of absolute, unconditional grace does not promote licentiousness, but devotion and godliness. In fact, that is the very basis of godliness and the motive for it (Titus 3:4-8). These two things are facts so plainly revealed in Holy Scripture that they simply cannot be denied: (1.) All God’s elect shall be preserved unto eternal glory. (2.) But only those who persevere in faith, who go on in the way of grace and righteousness, and who hold fast the gospel unto the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22; Colossians 1:22-23; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 10:26; Hebrews 10:38-39). A Divine Promise In Revelation 3:12, our Lord Jesus Christ gives a divine promise to all who hold fast and persevere in the faith of the gospel. ‘Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.’ Those who persevere in the faith shall conquer all their enemies in the end and be gloriously triumphant in Christ (Romans 8:35-39). The Son of God says, ‘Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.’ A pillar is a permanent structure in a permanent place. So Christ is here promising us a place of permanent, eternal residence in heaven itself. And while we live here below, while we go on persevering in the faith, holding fast the gospel, clinging to him as our only hope and our only Savior, he gives us assurance of our interest in him. This is what he says, ‘I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name.’ In a word, our Savior is saying, I will make you to know that you belong to me. I will make it evident that you belong to God, to the New Jerusalem, and to me, and that all the blessings and privileges of the sons of God are yours forever. Our Savior’s new name, his acquired name, which he promises to write upon his people is: Jehovah-tsidkenu, ‘THE LORD OUR ’ (Cf Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16). Let us give ourselves whole-heartedly to him who promises us such grace (Romans 12:1-3). I urge you, hold fast the hope of the gospel. Let nothing and no one either drive you from it or entice you to forsake it (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). The Son of God will hold us in his grace. Let us therefore cling to him. ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’

Revelation 3:14-22

Chapter 15 Christ’s letter to the church at Laodicea ‘And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ Revelation 3:14-22 The Lord Jesus Christ ought to be loved ardently, with an all-consuming love. Behold, how he loved us! He ought to be served with an all-consuming zeal. Behold, how zealously he has served us! Yet, there are many who, professing to know him, professing to trust him, professing to love him. are lukewarm, apathetic, indifferent toward him. And, it must be acknowledged that even those who do truly know, trust, and love him, because of the weakness of our flesh, because of our own sinfulness and corruption of hearts by nature, struggle incessantly with a horrid tendency toward lukewarmness. Our Lord’s letter to the church at Laodicea was written specifically to deal with our horrible tendency toward lukewarmness and indifference toward him. Laodicea was a famous city of great wealth in Asia Minor. It was the commercial, financial center of the region. Laodicea was the home of millionaires. It had three marble theaters, a great stadium, and a huge gymnasium equipped with baths. There was a famous school of medicine at Laodicea, which, among other things, claimed to have produced a remedy for weak eyes. The city was also well known for its hot springs, which emitted lukewarm water continually. The people of Laodicea were rich. They were the envy of the world; and they knew it. They were very proud of themselves. Really, they were unbearable snobs! This arrogant ‘we are it’ attitude was also found in the church at Laodicea. Perhaps they thought that their wealth was a sign of God’s favor. But, in general, the church at Laodicea had gradually become a lukewarm, apostate, useless assembly of religionists, without life before God. It was in danger of being entirely rejected by Christ. Apparently, this church was at one time a healthy, strong, spiritually vibrant congregation, a pillar of truth, and a lighthouse in the midst of great darkness. Paul, at least once, wrote a letter to this Laodicean church. He talked about it with warmth, and never mentioned anything amiss concerning it (Colossians 2:1-2; Colossians 4:13-16). Since the apostle Paul held this church in such high esteem, it is safe for us to assume that, at least during his ministry, it was a strong, vibrant congregation. Something went wrong. In the process of time this great church, once on fire for God, degenerated into a sickening state of lukewarmness. It became careless, lax, and indifferent. Perhaps the earlier generation had died out. Perhaps its wealth had seduced this assembly into worldliness. Perhaps its freedom from persecution had produced in the people a sense of carnal ease. Whatever the cause, the church was now in a state that was nauseating to the Son of God. It was neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. Nothing can be done with lukewarm people. There is hope for cold, hardened rebels. And it is a great joy to work with men and women whose hearts glow with love and zeal for Christ. But lukewarm religionists are sickening, nauseating, disgusting! Christ himself cannot stand them. He says, ‘because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ Lukewarmness, apathy and indifference, toward Christ betrays the apostasy of the heart from Christ. The charge of lukewarmness In Revelation 3:14-17 the Lord Jesus Christ lays a solemn charge against the church at Laodicea. It is a charge that would most assuredly be followed by judgment, if they did not repent. The charge was lukewarmness, apathy, indifference, and carelessness. ‘And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.’ Let us be warned. Lukewarmness is gradual apostasy, lingering death, and the forerunner of judgment. Stephen Charnock wrote, ‘If once we become listless, we shall quickly become lifeless.’ Complacency is a spiritual sickness at best. It is usually a sign of spiritual death. May God save us from this plague, which seems to have swept through the church of this age. This letter, like the other six, was addressed to the angel, the pastor, of the church at Laodicea. It appears that there were some in the church whose hearts were true; but, generally speaking, the whole congregation was insensitive to Christ, the gospel of his grace, and the glory of his name. There was no fire in the pulpit and no warmth in the pew. This message of stern reproof came from Christ himself, the righteous Judge. He calls himself ’the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.’ Our Savior is ‘The Amen.’ He is steady, unchangeable, immutable in all things. His purpose will stand. His promises are sure. His word is true (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; 2 Corinthians 1:20). Our Lord Jesus is ‘The Faithful and True Witness.’ He who is our Judge is faithful and true in his judgment. What he says is true; and what he does is just. Because he is both faithful and true Christ’s testimony of God to men is to be received and believed; and his testimony to God about men will be received. Those whose names Christ confesses to the Father will be accepted. Those lukewarm, carnal ones who merely profess faith in his name, whom Christ shall deny before his Father, shall be rejected. The Son of God also calls himself ‘The Beginning of the Creation of God.’ That is just another way of saying that he is himself God. He who is the parent, producer, and first cause of all things is himself God (John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Son of God is the One who began everything that is, has been, or shall hereafter be. He is the beginning of the old creation. He created all things out of nothing. And he is the head and beginning of the new creation, the church and kingdom of God. Jesus Christ, our Mediator is ’the everlasting Father’ (Isaiah 9:6) from whom all things have life. As he describes himself here, Christ is saying to the Laodiceans, You are dead. You need life. You need a new heart. Look to me. Turn to me. I can make you new creatures. ‘The Lord reveals himself here, wrote William Hendriksen, ‘as the One whose eyes not only see exactly what is going on in the hearts of these people of Laodicea but whose lips also declare the exact truth of what is seen.’ In Revelation 3:15-17 the Son of God draws up a solemn indictment against this church at Laodicea. He says to the church as a whole, to the pastor, to the elders, to the deacons, to the teachers, and to the people in general, ‘Thou art lukewarm.’ They had been so secure. They thought they were healthy and strong. But Christ knew their hearts. He said, ‘Thou art lukewarm.’ Christ, who is our Life, charges this congregation of professed believers with spiritual death. ‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot’ (Revelation 3:15). The Laodiceans were not hypocrites. They were deceived. They were blind men who thought they had perfect vision. They were dead men who thought they were alive. They were lost people who were very sure they were saved. Lukewarmness, apathy and indifference, regarding the Lord Jesus Christ is the very worst condition a person can be in this world. If Jesus Christ is real, then he is the unspeakable gift of God. We should earnestly seek him, lovingly embrace him, and zealously serve him. If he is an impostor, then he is the most vile impostor the world has ever known, and we should earnestly oppose him. If Jesus Christ is worth anything, he is worth everything! ‘Why halt ye between two opinions?’ If Jesus Christ is God our Savior, faithful and true, we should devote ourselves to him totally. If he is not, we should set ourselves against him totally.

Concerning the Son of God and the gospel of his grace there is no room for neutrality! Matthew Henry wrote, ‘Christ expects that men should declare themselves in earnest, either for him or against him.’ With Joshua, I hope we can, each of us, declare, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ Indifference is an intolerable evil. Our Lord says, ‘I would thou wert cold or hot.’ It is better to be utterly ignorant of the gospel than to be a vain, carnal, indifferent, lukewarm professor of faith. These Laodiceans professed faith in Christ, but had no interest in promoting it. They professed love for Christ, but had no real, heart attachment to him. They professed allegiance to the gospel, but had no zeal for the gospel. They were lukewarm. This lukewarmness, this apathy and indifference toward the Son of God, is nauseating to him. ‘So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth’ (Revelation 3:16). He threatens, ‘I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ As lukewarm water turns the stomach and induces vomiting, so lukewarm religion turns the stomach of the Son of God and sickens him. Those are not my words, but his. Lukewarm religion turns his stomach and sickens him! Men excuse their apathy, calling it moderation, charity, and meekness. But Christ looks upon it as effeminacy. Quite literally, the Lord is saying, ‘I am gagging on you. I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.’ This is Christ’s warning to all compromising fence-straddlers, who try to serve God and mammon. They shall be rejected, completely rejected, and forever rejected! One great cause of this Laodicean lukewarmness was their foolish pride. ‘Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’ (Revelation 3:17). Their pride deceived their hearts. These men and women had a very high opinion of themselves. Therefore they had a very low opinion of Christ. They flattered themselves with the delusion that all was well, when in fact nothing was well. They were doctrinally sound and morally pure; but they were spiritually dead. They had a great name to uphold, a sound creed to defend, and religious ceremonies to maintain. All they lacked was life! Look at the high opinion they had of themselves. - ‘Thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ Without a doubt, this congregation was materially wealthy, rich and getting richer every day. They had no earthly needs. But riches seldom do any good for churches or for men who seek to serve Christ. The problem was that these rich men and women presumed that they were rich toward God, that their souls were rich in spiritual things. They knew the way of life. So they presumed that they were in the Way. They had the doctrines of Christ. So they presumed that they had the life of Christ. They had the gifts of the Spirit. So they presumed that they had the grace of the Spirit. They kept the ordinances of God. So they presumed that they had the power of God. How careful, how careful we must be that we do not deceive our own souls. There are multitudes in hell today who once thought they were heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Psalms 139:23-24). Be warned, there is nothing more dangerous, more deadly, or more damning to our souls than self-complacency, self-satisfaction, and self-conceit. Complacency, satisfaction with yourself, is your soul’s most deadly enemy. Now, look at the opinion Christ had of these proud, secure Laodiceans. Though they knew it not, Christ knew that they were ‘wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’ (Revelation 3:17). They were spiritually poor, not ‘poor in spirit,’ but spiritually poor. Their souls were starving, though they lived in affluence. They were spiritually blind. Yet, they thought they had perfect vision. The light that was in them was darkness. They could not see their own condition. And they could not see the things of God (John 3:3; 1 Corinthians 2:14). They were naked. Their righteousnesses were filthy rags. They had nothing but their rags of self-righteousness to cover them. And those rags were filthy. Not only were they naked before God, their filthy rags of self-righteousness increased their defilement. Though they were very religious and moral, the Laodiceans were sinners, dead before God in trespasses and sins; and as such they were both wretched and miserable. They were ‘wretched,’ deserving of the wrath of God, under the just sentence of death, and in danger of hell. And there was nothing they could do to change their condition. They were ‘miserable,’ or pitiable. Who is more to be pitied than a person who imagines he is a true believer and an object of Christ’s favor, while in reality he is utterly disgusting and revolting to the Son of God? Let us not be so foolish as to read this charge of lukewarmness as a mere historical narrative about a church that once existed in Laodicea. This is a message from Christ to you and me. Will you honestly examine yourself? Will I? Let us ask of God that he will show us our true condition before him. Lukewarmness is indifference, apathy, and complacency regarding the things of God. Lukewarmness is caused by self-satisfaction and carnal security. Lukewarmness will result in reprobation. Apostasy is always followed by reprobation. God almighty does reject men and women who reject his counsel (Hosea 4:17). Our Lord does stamp Ichabod upon the doors of churches where once his glory was revealed and known (Jeremiah 7:12-16). Very often, if not always, those whom God has rejected are so far from knowing that judgment has fallen upon them, that they vainly imagine that God is greatly blessing them. The counsel of love ‘I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent’ (Revelation 3:18-19). What a tender, compassionate Savior Christ is! He stoops to counsel and reason with sinful men (Isaiah 1:18). He counsels sinners to buy salvation from him (Isaiah 55:1-7), though we often cast his counsel behind our backs. There is hope for sinners so long as Christ, the sinners’ Friend speaks graciously by the gospel. ‘Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts’ (Hebrews 3:7-8). Here is the counsel of love, which the Son of God gives to wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked sinners, even to proud, self-righteous sinners. Our Lord counsels the poor to buy of him gold tried in the fire. The exceeding riches of God’s grace in Christ are like gold. But, as gold is refined by fire, so the grace of God comes to sinners only through the blood of the crucified Substitute, who endured the fire of God’s wrath for us. Grace is gold that was refined in the oven of God’s infinite wrath and justice at Calvary. Like gold, the grace of God in Christ makes poor sinners rich before God (2 Corinthians 8:9. The Son of God counsels naked souls to buy of him white raiment. This, of course, refers to his perfect righteousness. It is white because it is pure. It is called raiment because like a garment it warms, beautifies, and adorns us, making us perfect, holy, and blameless before the Lord God himself (Ezekiel 16:6-14; Son 4:1; Son 4:7; Son 4:9-11). The Lord Jesus counsels spiritually blind sinners to anoint their eyes with eye salve that they might see. The eye salve in this text is the gospel of the grace of God. When applied to our hearts by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit, it illuminates our souls and brings us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. This blessed eye salve gives us ’the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Only in the gospel of substitutionary redemption can we see the glory of God revealed in saving sinners (Romans 3:24-26). God’s glory is his grace and righteousness in Christ (Exodus 33:18 to Exodus 34:7). Though this eye salve can only be effectually applied to sinners by the irresistible grace and power of God the Holy Spirit, we must each personally apply it to ourselves by hearing it (Romans 10:17), believing it (Acts 6:31), and seeking to understand it (Psalms 86:11; Psalms 119:26-27). This is the wise and gracious counsel of the Son of God, the Wonderful Counselor. If we follow his counsel, he is honor-bound to make it effectual. The Son of God graciously rebukes and chastens the people he loves, tenderly, but effectually, causing them to repent and come to him (Revelation 3:19; Psalms 65:4; Hosea 2:6-20). The Lord Jesus Christ will not lose the soul he loves. Every blood bought child shall be brought by his grace to repentance. He may lead them through great difficulties and terrifying troubles to cause them to come to him, but he will get their attention and fetch them to himself. If he has to set their barley fields on fire, he will set their barley field on fire. If he has to send a swarm of bees, he will send a swarm of bees. If he has to kill their Uzziahs, he will kill their Uzziahs. But he will make you willing to come to him (Psalms 107:1-42) He rebukes by his own gospel. He chastens by the terrors of his law and his providence. He calls to repentance by the almighty, irresistible power of his Spirit. And he inclines their hearts to him by the chastening rod of his love. The chastening of the Lord, both that which brings us to Christ in the beginning and that which brings us to him day by day, is proof positive of his eternal love for us (Hebrews 12:5-12 The call to life In Revelation 3:20-22 our Lord tenderly calls the dead to life. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches’ (Revelation 3:20-22) Picture him, if you can, leaning, as it were, upon the door of this church, a door that had been bolted against him by complacency and self-sufficiency. But, thanks be unto God, he is not willing to be turned away! He knocks by the word of the gospel. He speaks by the voice of his Spirit. And he calls to all who hear his voice, saying, ‘Open the door.’ If we are his, he will not take ’no’ for an answer. Instead, he puts his hand of grace into our hearts, opening the bolted door, and causes our hearts to burn with love for him. Thus, he effectually draws us with cords of love and graciously causes us o run after him (Son 5:2-6). Yes, our Lord sovereignly opens the door and lets himself into the hearts of his people. Yet, he only comes in where he is wanted. He opens the door in regeneration and in the reviving of our languishing souls, pouring in his grace. We open the door in conversion, earnestly desiring and seeking him. We must not confuse the two (John 3:3-8; Acts 16:14; John 1:11-13). If we will open our hearts to and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, he will graciously come in to abide with us forever (v.20; John 14:23). I fully realize that dead men have no ability in themselves to do anything. Yet, I know that if any will awake and rise from the dead, Christ will give them light (Ephesians 5:14). If any do rise up from their tomb of death and come to Christ, the fact that they do so is evidence that he awakened them and raised them from the dead. If any open to him and receive him into their heart by faith, it is because he has already entered their heart in life-giving power. Yet, we must open to him. Otherwise, we will forever perish without him. Let us ever open our hearts to the Son of God! That fellowship and communion which begins on earth in conversion will continue in heaven in everlasting glorification (Revelation 3:21). All who overcome the terrible temptations and natural tendencies of the heart to lukewarmness, worldly indifference, and proud complacency, will sit with Christ in his throne forever. And this is the victory by which we overcome the world: faith in Christ (1 John 5:4). ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches’ (Revelation 3:22). If the Son of God has spoken to you by his Spirit, open to him, believe on him, come to him. He will save you. Indeed, if you believe on him, he has saved you by his grace. If you are a believer, but one who has become somewhat indifferent to Christ, flee away to him now, cast yourself down at his feet, open to him. He will come in again unto to you. He will forgive you. Child of God, fear carnal presumption like you would fear the most deadly plague. The thought of lukewarmness and indifference terrifies me. Yet, it is ever with me. Only Christ can keep me in life and grace. Let us ever beware of our danger and hold fast to our dear Savior, trusting his grace alone to sustain us, preserve us, and bring us to glory (Jude 1:24-25).