“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 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.”_

Looks can be deceiving. This saying aptly captured the state of the church in Sardis. According to the assessment from Jesus, they had a reputation of being alive but their true state was the complete contrast – they were dead. Where this church thrived in externalities of religious works, they lacked spiritual vitality. Thus, Jesus exhorted them to wake up and strengthen the little that remains and is about to die. There was still a glimmer of hope if only they would heed to the words of the Master.

This is the same for us today as individual Christians and churches. We may care much for our reputation in the eyes of people yet could be in spiritual slumber. In fact, we may be deceived to imagine that what people see and say is what God sees and says about us. As the apostle Paul put it, we may have a form of godliness yet deny its power completely (2 Timothy 3:5). What we need to realise is that form does not equal substance. We must beware lest we turn out like Samson who thought that his strength would continue as usual despite his utter disregard of God’s requirements. One day he woke up as usual not knowing the Spirit had departed from him (Judges 16:20). Let us therefore yield ourselves to the life-giving Holy Spirit for as Romans 8:6 tells us, _“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”_

1. If your external religious works were stripped away, what would remain?

2. Do a self-audit (2 Corinthians 13:5). Are you dead or alive?

3 How will today’s devotion transform your spirituality?