Hold It Fast, And Repent

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:1-6

Your reputation is what you are perceived to be by others.

Your character is what you really are. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.

The Lord knows the truth, and deep down each of us knows it too. Jesus told them to wake up and strengthen the spiritual life inside them that was about to die. He urged them to remember the truth they had received, obey it, then turn around and start moving in a new direction.

When the Lord shows us what’s wrong in our lives, He always provides a remedy for change. When we turn from our sins, He forgives and strengthens us to start over.

How liberating to exchange a false spiritual reputation for the true, life-giving character that comes from knowing Christ our Lord!

The true test of our character is what we do when no one is watching.

Our Daily Bread – February 13, 2014