Revelation 3

Revelation 3:4

Walking In White They shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.— Revelation 3:4.Did you ever notice how often the word “white” is mentioned in the Book of Revelation? If you take the trouble to count you will find it occurs no fewer than nineteen times. We read there of a white horse and white horses, and of a white cloud and a white stone. The head and hair of Christ are said to be white, and so is the great throne of judgment. Then over and over again we are told of white linen, white robes, or white raiment, and our own special text speaks of “walking in white.”I wonder what John was thinking of when he spoke of “walking in white”? Well, perhaps he had a picture in his mind at the time, the picture of a Roman triumph.

Some of you know what that was, and you, too, can make a picture of it in your mind.A triumph was the welcome home given to a victorious general by the people of old Rome. On that day the victor, crowned with laurel and seated in a chariot drawn by four horses, went in solemn procession through the city to the capitol.

In front of him were the senate, the magistrates, the musicians, the spoils, and the fettered captives; and behind him followed the victorious army. It was a great day for him and it was a great day for Rome. It was a general holiday, a day of rejoicing; and in honor of the occasion the citizens all wore the white toga, the white robe that was kept for religious ceremonies and special occasions. You see, white was not only, as we count it, the emblem of purity and innocence, it was also the emblem of victory and triumph.And so John gave the few faithful Christians in the town of Sardis this message from Christ—that because they had been true to Him, because they had remained pure and holy amidst many temptations to sin, they would walk with Him in white. They would share Christ’s triumph. They would wear the white robes of heaven.Now I wonder how we—you and I—may, like the faithful few in Sardis, become worthy to walk with Christ in white.

Long ago—yes, and not so very long ago either!—some men imagined that in order to become worthy to walk with Christ in white they must keep themselves apart from the world; they must live a life of penance and prayer to God, shut away from all the world’s sins and sorrows. They hoped by so doing to keep themselves pure and holy.Now, that is one way of trying to become worthy; but it seems to me a very foolish way; and I can tell you a better.

How do I know it is better? I know it is better because it was the way of Jesus, and surely He was the purest and holiest that ever walked this earth. Yet all the years of His busy life He moved as a man among men. He shared men’s sorrows and He rejoiced in their joys. He healed their sickness and He helped in their troubles. Where He was most needed there He was found. He was not afraid to mix with those whom the proud Pharisees called “sinners” or “unclean.” He was not afraid to dine with the publicans or to touch the lepers. He ever went about doing good.

And if we try hard to copy His way, then one day He will say of us too, “Ye shall walk with me in white; for ye are worthy.”Shall I tell you a story I heard the other day?Once upon a time a little pilgrim found herself on the road to heaven. She was given a fine white robe to walk in, and she knew that only if she kept it spotless would the gates of the golden city open to her. Very carefully she picked her steps, for the way was both rough and muddy. But as she went on she was horror-struck to find that not only was it rough and muddy, but it was actually built of pilgrims who had fallen in the march and who lay bleeding and unheeded in the mire. Presently one of these unhappy creatures cried to the little pilgrim, “Help! Help me up for Christ’s sake!” The little pilgrim was about to stoop, when suddenly she remembered her white garment. “No, no,” she exclaimed, “I daren’t.

If I touched you I might be defiled.” And she passed on. But even as she passed on she was aghast to see that the edge of her white robe was stained with scarlet.

At every step she took the stain spread till at last her whole garment was scarlet. “What have I done?” she cried. But there was no reply save the moans of the fallen pilgrims.In despair she turned back, “If I cannot keep my robe white,” she said, “at least I can help a lost sister.” So she knelt down on the dreadful road and put her arms tenderly round the poor pilgrim who had craved her aid. By exerting all her strength she managed to pull the fallen one out of the mire; then hand in hand, with downcast eyes, the two passed on together. At last, sad and ashamed, they reached the golden gates. No hope had they of entering, for the robe of the one was scarlet, and the robe of the other was filthy rags. But, just as they reached the gates, lo, a miracle!—the scarlet robe of the one and the filthy rags of the other turned in a moment to robes of dazzling white— white so dazzling that even the angels could not look And the gates of heaven fell back.

Revelation 3:8

An Open Door An open door.—Revelation 3:8 (AV).I wonder how many of you know how the month of January came by its name? All our months received their names from the Romans. Some of them were called after Roman gods or goddesses, others after famous Romans. July bears the name of the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and August that of the Emperor Augustus, but who was January called after?Well, the Romans had a god named Janus. He had two faces, one looking each way, and he was the god of beginnings and endings. He was also supposed to be the doorkeeper of heaven.

In the morning he unlocked the doors of heaven and let the sunshine stream out over the world; and in the evening, when the sun went to rest, he locked the doors again. Doors and gates of houses and temples were under his protection, and the beginnings of days and months and years were held sacred to him.

So it came about that January, which is the first month of the year, was called after him.January, then, is the month of beginnings, the month of the open door. The old year is past and gone, and its door is shut for ever. We cannot open it again however much we try. But God has opened for us the door of a beautiful, fresh, clean New Year, and it remains to be seen what we are going to do with it. Of course we have all made up our minds to be a little braver, and stronger, and wiser, and better than we were last year.But now I want you to think of our text a little differently. I want you to think of it in this way.

You boys and girls are just in the January of your lives. You are in the month of open doors, and I hope you will make the very best use of these doors, so that there may never come a time when you wish them open and find them shut.I want to speak about three doors which stand open for you.1.

The first is the door of Knowledge. This door is never so wide open as it is in youth, and it is never so easy to enter as then. Youth is the time for learning, not only because it is easier to learn then, but also because it is easier to remember afterwards what we learn at that time. So don’t forget to go in at the door of Knowledge while it is wide open and easy to enter.For the odd thing about open doors is that if we enter by them they lead us on to more and more open doors beyond, and each door leads to a better and a more beautiful place than the last; but if we refuse to enter, the doors gradually get closer and closer until at last they may close altogether; and then no power of ours can open them again. That is true of the door of Knowledge, and it is true also of the other two doors about which we are going to speak.2. Another door that is open to us in youth is the door of Opportunity.

All our life lies before us and we may make so much of it—or so little. As yet we have made no big mistakes; we have done nothing to spoil our life.

We have youth and health and strength and hopefulness on our side, and all of these are big opportunities.And as we grow older there are other opportunities which will open to us if we are ready for them Sometimes you hear people saying, “I never had a chance.” They say that as an excuse when their life has been a failure. Well, occasionally that may be true; but much more often it is the case that they never took their chance, or never saw it when it came along, or were not ready for it because they had been trifling when they should have been working. So keep on the alert and do your best always, and then you will not miss your opportunities when you meet them.3. But there is another door we should all go in at —the door of Salvation. It is a door that is never so wide open as it is in youth, and it is a door that many foolish people refuse to enter. It leads to freedom, and joy, and love; and it is the best door of all.

By our own foolish ways we closed this door, but God sent His Son so that we might be able to find a way back to Him and His love. Jesus said, “I am the door,” and He invites us to enter by Him so that we may find all that we lost by our own foolishness.But remember that we may shut this door, too, by our willfulness.

Jesus never shuts it; He always holds it open; but we may shut it by refusing to enter; and every time we refuse, we close it a little bit farther so that it gets more and more difficult to enter by it.

Revelation 3:12

God’s Pillars He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.—Revelation 3:12.A few miles out of Edinburgh there is a wonderful old building called Rosslyn Chapel. From far and near people go to see Rosslyn and to admire its fair arches, its stately pillars, and its exquisite carvings. But the most lovely thing in all that beautiful chapel is a pillar called the “’Prentice pillar.” Straight and tall it rises from the ground, and round it twine wreaths of flowers marvelously carved.That pillar has a legend attached to it. It is said that when the chapel was being built the master-builder resolved that he would have one pillar of surpassing beauty. And in order that it might be specially lovely he determined to make a journey to Italy to view the finest pillars in the churches and cathedrals there, and to make drawings of the best of them.But while the master was away he left an apprentice boy at home, and this boy resolved that he would carve one of the pillars in the chapel. So, day by day, with love and wonderful skill, he hammered and chiseled, until around the pillar there clung fair wreaths of flowers.And just as he had finished his task the master returned.

He went to the chapel to see how the work had progressed in his absence, and there before him stood a pillar more beautiful than any he had seen or copied, far more beautiful than any he could ever hope to carve.Now God needs pillars in this world. He needs them to make the world strong and beautiful, and God specially wants the boys and girls to be pillars for Him.

But God not only needs pillars, He carves them. And when He forms them He chooses—not just marble, or granite, or bronze. God can make His pillars out of the plainest and meanest material. Out of a very ordinary boy or girl He can carve a pillar far finer and nobler than even the pillar of the ’prentice boy of Rosslyn. All that we need to do is just to give the material into His hands.There are three marks by which we know God’s pillars, and if they are true pillars for Him they should bear these marks.1. They must be strong. A weak pillar is of no use to keep up the roof of a building or support a gallery. If it is not strong then the building that is depending on it will tumble down.

And so God’s pillars must be strong—strong to choose the right, strong to help people weaker than themselves and to bear their burdens.2. And then God’s pillars must be straight. A pillar may be ever so strong, but if it is not straight it can’t be relied on. And so God’s pillars must be absolutely straight and reliable. They must scorn deceit and untruth. They must be above the things that are mean and spiteful. They must be dependable.3. Once more, God’s pillars must be beautiful.

There are plenty of people who are strong and straight, but not beautiful. You can lean upon them and you can always depend on them, but they are rough and unsympathetic in their ways; and so a great deal of their usefulness is spoiled. Don’t forget that God needs beauty as well as strength and straightness.There is another church near Edinburgh, a modern church, where there is also some beautiful carved work. It was built a few years ago, and when it was nearly finished the minister took a friend into it to show him the carvings and to explain them. There were a number of fine pillars in the church, and round the top of each pillar there was some very wonderful carved work. And there was one thing the minister pointed out—the farther into the church he and his friend went the more beautiful were the pillars.

At the door they were comparatively plain, but they grew more and more lovely until the two nearest to the communion table were reached. These were the most exquisite of all.Now it is just like that with us, boys and girls.

We may start by being very plain pillars indeed, but if we keep near to God He can carve us into something that is very beautiful and noble, and the nearer we keep to Him the finer we shall become.So don’t forget to ask God to make you into pillars for His temple in this world and the next. Don’t just lie about as useless blocks of stone that get in other people’s way and trip them up. Make up your mind that you will be of use in the world. Ask God to make you into pillars, strong, and straight, and beautiful.