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The congregation of Sardis
« To the angel of the congregation in Sardis write: These are the things that he says who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have the name that you are alive, but you are dead. Become watchful, and strengthen the things remaining that were ready to die, for I have not found your works fully performed before my God. Therefore, continue mindful of how you have received and how you heard, and go on keeping it, and repent. Certainly unless you wake up, I will come as a thief, and you will not know at all at what hour I will come upon you.
“‘Nevertheless, you do have a few individuals in Sardis who did not defile their garments, and they will walk with me in white ones, because they are worthy. The one who conquers will thus be dressed in white garments, and I will by no means blot out his name from the book of life, but I will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’ » (Apocalypse 3:1-6).
Regarding the congregation of Sardis, Jesus Christ tells something terrible, this congregation is spiritually dead. What does it mean? In Hebrews 6:1, there is the expression « repentance from dead works ». It is logical to think that the dead works represent sinful works, linked to the « old personality », the « works of the flesh » (Ephesians 4:22 (old personality); Galatians 5:19-21 (the works of the flesh)).
« But you did not learn the Christ to be so, provided, indeed, that you heard him and were taught by means of him, just as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; but that you should be made new in the force actuating your mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty » (Ephesians 4:20-24).
« Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning you, the same way as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom. On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law » (Galatians 5:19-23).
As written in the letter to the Galatians, « Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom », or will not have everlasting life. Thus, the spiritual death of a person or the whole of a congregation means that they will not have, everlasting life.
Nevertheless, Jesus Christ adds an encouraging information, concerning some people who kept their integrity in this spiritually dead congregation: « You do have a few individuals in Sardis who did not defile their garments ». Which means that if, in this situation, Jesus Christ gives a group diagnosis, that does not prevent that the last judgment will be individual: « So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God » (Romans 14:12). The « white garments » represent the obtaining of everlasting life, either in Heaven, or on the Earth (apocalypse 6:11 « white robe »; 7:9 (the great crowd of people « dressed in white robes »)).
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