Monthly Archive for November, 1998

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Revelation 3:13

Published on November 20, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
 
Again, Jesus challenges the church at Philadelphia with the same challenge of the previous churches, a challenge to positive volition. This is a demand for our attention. 
 
PRINCIPLE: We should stay focused on what Jesus is saying to us. 
 
APPLICATION: We have all heard the phrase, "Stop, look and listen." We need to do this spiritually. We need to tune our spiritual ears to the message of Jesus. 
 
If we are not vigilant, we will lose everything but our salvation. We work for reward, not salvation. We can lose everything including our lives except our salvation. If we are not alert, we can lose our life due to sin (1 Co 11:30). 
 
If we obtained salvation by good works, we would lose that as well. However, we do not obtain salvation by good works, but by the work of Christ on the cross. Salvation is a gift from God (Ep 2:8,9). If God gave us salvation as a gift and then took it back, He would not be on the level with us. Salvation rests on the character of God. 
 
We can lose our crown but we can never lose our salvation. We work for our crown but we do not work for our salvation. 
 
2 Jn 8 "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."
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Revelation 3:12

Published on November 19, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name."

 

He who overcomes
 
Every Christian is an overcomer because of Christ and for no other reason. The Greek indicates that this person constantly overcomes. 
 
I will make him a pillar
 
A "pillar" is a column supporting the weight of a building. Metaphorically, the Bible uses this term for the church (1 Ti 3:15,16) for a permanent position in the eternal temple. Jesus will make the overcomer to bear the weight of that temple. Throughout eternity, this believer will be a monumental pillar in the eternal temple. 
 
A pillar is a picture of strength. Philadelphia was in an earthquake zone. Its citizens feared earthquakes. Those who live in earthquakes experience phenomenal insecurity and instability. Jesus offers hope to those who operate in insecurity and instability. When people sojourn to ancient ruins, they note that often all that remains are the pillars. Once a person accepts Christ as his Savior, Jesus will make him a pillar. That pillar will never crumble. He will never lose his salvation. God’s plan is greater than any sin we might commit. 
 
in the temple of My God
 
The New Testament uses the word "temple" for the inner part of the temple in Jerusalem (Mt 23:35) called the "sanctuary." This was the shrine. There were many synagogues but only one temple. The temple was the place of God’s presence. 
 
and he shall go out no more
 
People of Asia Minor fled their cities and buildings when earthquakes occurred. Jesus promises they will flee no more. Once a builder puts the column in place, it does not move from that building. So God will not move the Christian from His eternal temple. This is a picture of permanence and eternal security. We will never get out of God’s plan of salvation. 
 
And I will write on him the name of My God

Jesus writes three names on the overcomer. The first name is the name of "My God." On this pillar, God will write His very own name. The believer persevered for this name.    He went through trail for that name so God will write His own name on this pillar. 
 
and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.
 
The second name that Jesus writes on the overcomer is "the name of the city of My God." Chapters 21 and 22 give a resplendent, striking description of the "New Jerusalem." This is the place of wonderful fellowship with God. To people living in an earthquake zone, this is a picture of stability as over against decay. Christians will eternally fellowship with God. 
 
And I will write on him My new name
 
The third name Jesus writes on the overcomer is "My new name." The conquering Christian’s pillar will have the name of God, the city of God, the New Jerusalem and Jesus’ "new name." A name symbolizes character. No one knows that name yet but Revelation 19:12 says that when Jesus appears, He will come with that new name. 
 
Re 19: 12 "His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself."
 
Before Jesus step foot on earth, an angel announced to Joseph that Mary would bear a son and that he should call this new baby "Jesus" "because He will save His people from their sins." Jesus means "Jehovah saves." Now that Jesus has finished that work, He will have a new name. He will have a new role with a new name. 
 
PRINCIPLE: The Christian is eternally secure once he or she receives Jesus death as the only commodity that satisfies a holy God. 
 
APPLICATION: Jesus will remove a "lampstand" [church] from its place of effectiveness but never a "pillar." The church is the pillar and ground of truth.
 
1 Ti 3:15 "…but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
 Received up in glory."
 
The church is the pillar of Christ’s new name, God’s name and the name of the New Jerusalem. This is a pillar of permanence, the permanence of eternal life. 
 
The church with "little strength" is now a pillar of strength. The church possesses honor forever in the very presence of God. Every Christian who accepts the finished work on the cross for suffering for sin, has eternal life, not temporal life. 
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Revelation 3:11

Published on November 18, 1998 in Revelation. 3 Comments
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“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."

 

Behold, I am coming quickly!
 
When Jesus says that that He is "coming quickly,’ does this mean that He must come shortly within the lifetime of the Philadelphia church? John wrote the book of Revelation 2000 years ago. How can 2000 years be "quickly?" In context, He is speaking of the tribulation. He will come quickly in relation to the seven-year tribulation. 
 
The word "quickly" means swift, speedy. When He comes, the event will unfold rapidly. It will happen with one fell swoop. His coming will take place in a short time. It will be sudden and unexpected but not inevitably in a short time. When Jesus comes, He will come suddenly. 
 
The coming of Christ is an incentive for perseverance under pressure. The constant expectation of the immanent coming of Christ keeps us on the tiptoe of expectancy for His coming. He will not announce His coming. It will come when we least expect it. 
 
Hold fast what you have
 
Christ calls the church to continue to persevere. Because the coming of Christ is imminent, He charges us to "hold fast." This is a warning against caving in to pressures that violate integrity. Jesus says in effect, "Hang in there with Me. Don’t cave in toward the end of the race. We will do this together." 
 
He 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 
that no one may take your crown
 
When Jesus comes, He will dispense rewards. He will examine the quality of our lives and reward us accordingly. It is possible to lose our "crown." If we do lose our crown, Jesus will forfeit us of a certain kind of honor in heaven. 
 
Re 22:12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."
 
PRINCIPLE: We need to keep an eternal perspective when times get difficult.
 
APPLICATION: As times get difficult, it becomes more arduous to serve Christ faithfully. Jesus will make no announcement about His coming. His coming will be unexpected and sudden. As hostility to Christianity becomes more aggressive, it will be more forbidding to take a stand for Jesus. We will have to choose between our business and Jesus. Pressures of society will force us to choose between status and Scripture. We will have to choose between our possessions and fidelity to Christ. 
 
We will have to "hold on" to our crown. Our crown is not our salvation; it is our reward for faithfully serving Him. 
 
1 Co 3: 10 "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
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Revelation 3:10

Published on November 17, 1998 in Revelation. 13 Comments
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“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

 

Jesus now turns to a promise for those who persevere under trial.
 
Because you have kept My command to persevere
 
We can translate the above phrase "the word of My patient perseverance." This would make this phrase refer to New Testament teaching to endure a contrary world similar to Christ’s perseverance with contrary people (2 Th 3:5; He 12:3). The Philadelphia church was faithful to the Word when they faced trial. They kept the Word of perseverance that constituted Jesus’ perseverance. This perseverance amid trials serves Jesus. They did not fall to the seduction of immoral pagan worship.
 
The word "persevere" means to endure under. The church at Philadelphia, like their Lord, hung in there. They kept Christ’s command to stay under pressure. They did not cave into temptations and pressures around them. This condition makes the promise of this verse valid. They were people of brave perseverance, the ability to remain true to the Word under oppressive pressure. That perseverance came from the Word. These are people that clung faithfully to the Word that deals with Christ (1 Co 1:23). They never denied His name. 
 
I also will keep you from the hour of trial
 
The "hour of trial" is the trial of tribulation (chapters 6-19). There is one word in the Greek for the English words "keep" and "from." It is a compound word composed of both terms: keep and out of. The word "from" [literally, out of] indicates that this church will not even enter the tribulation period. This is a guarding from rather than a guarding through. Those in the tribulation will clearly go through this time of trouble (7:4). By inference, God must have been raptured the church before the hour of trial. The point of the tribulation is to get the attention of Israel that Jesus is the Messiah. 
 
God not only keeps this church from trial but from a worldwide "hour of trial." Not only does not deliver us from trial, but He delivers us from a specific time of trial. We call this the Tribulation period. This is a time of unprecedented worldwide trial in the world (Da 12:1; Je 30:7; Mt 24:21; 1 Th 1:9,10; 5:9,10). Jesus promises to save the church from this time of trouble. 
 
which shall come upon the whole world
 
The words "shall come" signify both intention and necessity and therefore the certainty of what is to take place. This is a word of purpose, certainty, compulsion or necessity. The Greek word gives the idea of occurring at a point of time in the future that is subsequent to another event and closely related to it. We can translate the word "to be about to, to be inevitable, with respect to future developments – "must be, has to be." God is speaking of something inevitable in the future. God is about to do something. God is forming a design for the world. 
 
Note that the words "whole world" indicate the scope of this tribulation. It is a worldwide tribulation. 
 
to test those who dwell on the earth
 
There is a coming time of war, inflation, famine and plague. Jesus will express His righteous indignation. Fortunately, the rapture of the institutional church will precede these events. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Christians will not go through the tribulation.
 
APPLICATION: If a football coach tells the quarterback that he is going to take him from the game that is different than telling him that he is going to keep him from the game. Keeping us from the tribulation is the idea in our passage. The church will never enter the tribulation. We will be kept from this period of unprecedented apostasy and the greatest period of horror the world has ever known. 
 
The presence of the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth during the tribulation (2 Th 2:1-12). He is the one restraining the world from being worse than it is. Once the Father removes Him, then all evil will break loose. Ecumenical religion will come to the fore. The world will destroy itself through religion in seven years. Religion has a tendency to destroy human freedoms. Religion is the root of evil in the world today as well.
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Revelation 3:9

Published on November 16, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you."

 

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan
 
The enemies of the church at Philadelphia are those of the "synagogue of Satan." Evidently, they were Jews or at least the legalists who dogged those who preached grace in the first century. Religion is always an archenemy of the truth. 
 
Synagogues were not for pagans; they were for lost religious Jews. 
 
who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—
 
These Jews were physical descendants of Abraham but not his spiritual descendants. They never knew his faith. It is a lie to claim that a person can know God without personal faith in Jesus.
 
indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet
 
The word "worship" means to make obeisance, do reverence to. "Worship" comes from two words: towards and to kiss. The idea is to give respect by prostrating oneself before a person and kissing his feet. People can give respect by attitude and activity of respect and may imply supplication. One day the enemies of the church will acknowledge with respect that the church was right. These religionists will admit that they were wrong. They will see how God opens and shuts doors through the church. 
 
and to know that I have loved you
 
The enemies of the church at Philadelphia will know that God intervened by His love for the church. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Religion is Satan’s ace playing card. 
 
APPLICATION: Some folks are so naive that they believe anything that comes from religion. Little do they realize that most religion is from Satan. Satan has churches as well as Jesus Christ. 
 
2 Co 11: 13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
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Revelation 3:8

Published on November 15, 1998 in Revelation. 1 Comment
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"I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name"
 
Philadelphia is the second church that Jesus does not censure [Smyrna is the other church]. He does not rebuke this church in any way.
I know your works.
Nothing escapes the notice of the Lord Jesus. Nothing that goes on in any churches has ever passed His attention. Jesus knows. There is nothing that He does not know.
Jesus knows their "works." He knows how they produce.
See, I have set before you an open door
Jesus provides favorable conditions for serving him. In the face of adversaries, He gives opportunities to serve Him. The words "have set" literally mean give.
Open doors are something that Jesus gives out of His grace. We do not earn or deserve the right to serve Him. Our opportunities for service are unadulterated gifts of grace from the Lord Jesus.
The word "open" is a verb and means a door that Jesus opened in the past with the result that the door still stands open (perfect tense). God opens doors of positive volition as He did for the city of Nineveh where an entire city came to God [Jonah]. He also keeps these doors open.
and no one can shut it
No force, whether man or Satan, can shut a door that Jesus opens. The gates of hell cannot prevail against God’s church (Matthew 16:18). No one can witness apart from God opening the door.
for you have a little strength
Even though their strength is not proportionate to the wide door Jesus gave them, yet they are true to His name. The church at Philadelphia did not depend on human ingenuity or human power.
have kept My word
The church at Philadelphia stayed faithful to Christ in the face of opposition. They never denied the name of Christ. They were true to truth by being faithful to the Word of God. The word "kept" means guard. They stood on guard for the Word of God. They were true to Scripture.
and have not denied My name
This church witnessed in the face of opposition. They maintained the integrity of what they believed although they faced great pressure to compromise.
Principle:
Every open door of service is a gift from God.
Application:
If Jesus were to appraise you and your church, how would He view you? Would He view your situation as those who seize opportunities to win others to Christ? Would He see you as true to truth in the face of opposition? Jesus opens doors of opportunity because of prayer (Colossians 4:3). Do you pray for opportunities? God is responsible to open doors of opportunity if people open their hearts to Him. When God opens these doors, no opposition will stop our witness. Although you may not have much strength (you may be a small church numerically), God will use you.
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Revelation 3:7

Published on November 14, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’”

 

The letter to the church at Philadelphia is the sixth of the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor [western Turkey today].
 
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write
Jesus addresses the next letter to the church at the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia located 28 miles southeast of the city of Sardis (modern Alashehir, Turkey). Philadelphia was notable for agricultural products. Earthquakes destroyed the city several times. The most recent earthquake to the writing of Revelation was in A.D. 37.  Extensive damage occurred to the city in A.D. 17 (Tacitus Annals 2.47.3-4). It is interesting that Jesus promises to this church that they will be a "pillar in the temple of God."
 
The city named itself about Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamum, who built the city [about 159-138 B.C., the youngest of the seven cities]. The city had a significant Jewish population.
 
Many trade guilds abounded in this city as in Thyatira. The city was known especially for their wool and leather workers. 
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David
 
Jesus presents His unique authority to each of the seven churches. To the church of Philadelphia, Jesus describes Himself as someone who is holy and true and holds sovereign authority over the church. This speaks of the character of the one speaking to the church. His character gives Him authority to deal with the issues of the church. 
 
As someone who is "holy," Jesus has the right to judge the church at Philadelphia. The word "holy" carries the idea in the Bible of someone separate and distinct (Is 6:3; 40:25; 65:16; Ha 3:3). Jesus is the Unique One. No one is like Him. There is no flaw in Him.
 
Jesus as the "true" one is the one who corresponds to reality. He is the only one true to reality. He is the Genuine One in contrast to liars. He is true to truth. He guards His church against false doctrine. We can count on Him to be true to His Word. He is truth itself (Jn 14:6).
 
The phrase "key of David" may come from Isaiah 22:22 where God gave Eliakim the key to the house of David." Before Eliakim received this key, an incident occurred that gave Eliakim the rights to the "key of David." King Hezekiah caught Shebna [the former key holder] in a fraud. God sent him in exile to Babylon. God replaced him with Eliakim, giving him the "key of David." This gave him access to all of David’s riches. Jesus, as the heir of the Davidic Covenant, will inherit the millennial kingdom. This is His political right. He will administer His church as He sees fit. 
 
No one can oppose the will of Jesus. He has authority over the church. No one can contravene His will. 
 
He who opens and no one shuts
 
By His sovereign, political authority, Jesus opens opportunities for the church. He sovereignly acts on behalf of the local church. Places of opportunity that would otherwise be closed, Jesus acts in those situations and makes them possible. 
 
and shuts and no one opens
 
The word "shuts" means shut, lock, bar. Jesus bars certain church situations in His providence from happening. Jesus closes doors of churches when He pleases to do so. When churches become obstinate to His will, He closes their doors. He works to will and do of His own pleasure (Ph 2:13). 
 
We have a shut door in Acts 16:6,7 and an open door in 1 Corinthians 16:9.   
 
PRINCIPLE: Jesus sovereignly gives churches opportunities to minister. 
 
APPLICATION: If Jesus opens a door for us to minister, that is a lost opportunity. We should walk through any door that the Lord opens. 
 
Ac 14: 27 "Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."
 
Co 4: 3 "…meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." 
 
1 Co 16: 9 "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."
 
2 Co 2: 12 "Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord…"
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Revelation 3:6

Published on November 13, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

He who has an ear
 
Jesus again appeals to those with positive volition to Himself and to His message. 
 
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
 
The Holy Spirit said something powerful to the church at Sardis. It is a penetrating message for churches of our generation that put emphasis on activity over integrity, the end-result over fellowship with the Lord. There is nothing wrong with being end-result oriented or activity oriented. It is a matter of what is priority. 
 
The phrase "let him hear" is a decisive and imperative command. Jesus wants the churches attention about this matter. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Churches must operate with integrity above all. 
 
APPLICATION: Many churches of our day accommodate to the culture about them. They do not want to appear different from the world. They fear that someone may charge them with being a speckled bird. They do not want to be different. They water their message down to something anemic and ineffective in order to be acceptable to a pagan society. 
 
Jesus’ calls these churches to "repent." 
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Revelation 3:5

Published on November 12, 1998 in Revelation. 20 Comments
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“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

 

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments
 
The Holy Spirit contrasts the "white garments" of this verse with the "soiled garments" of the previous verse. God gives "white garments" to those who walk consistently before Him.  Note the previous verse where some in the church "defiled" their garments by stepping out of fellowship with the Lord. The "white" dazzling garments set apart the remnant as those true to the Lord when others where yielding to sin all around them.
 
"White" garments are a symbol of the righteousness lives of people who lived for God. These are the robes of spiritual fruit.  This is reward for fellowship with the Lord. 
 
Re 19: 8 "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."
 
We also wear the robes of Jesus Himself, the righteousness of God Himself. We stand eternally acceptable to God because Jesus paid for every sin. He suffered all that needs to be suffered for our sins. God judged all sins at the cross. 
 
and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life
 
The words "blot out" come from one compound Greek word: out and to wipe. Metaphorically, this word carries the ideas of removal, to wipe away, wipe off, erase, obliterate. Acts 3:19 uses this word for our sins.
 
Ac 3: 19 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…"
 
Co 2: 14 "…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." [obliterating a written record]
 
Rev. 7: 17 “…for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
 
21: 4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
 
John refers to the Book of Life six times in Revelation (3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27).  
 
Does the idea of blotting out a name from the Book of Life imply loss of salvation? There is the Book of Life and then there is the Lamb’s Book of Life. These are different books. The Book of Life is the book of physical life. The Lamb’s Book of Life is the book of eternal life. When we are born the first time, God places our names in the Book of Life. When we are born the second time, God places us in the book of eternal life, a register and roll of all who shall inherit eternal life. When we die, God blots us out of the Book of Life. God never blots our names out of the Lamb’s Book of life. 
 
Ex 32: 31 "Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!’ 32 ‘Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”’"
 
Moses asks God to kill him. He asks God to take him out of the book of physical life. Jesus will physically blot out the life of those who do not gain victory in their spiritual lives. This letter is a challenge to the church of Sardis. The context deals with an active church with many ministries but also a church that is devoid of spiritual fruit. Therefore, Jesus will blot this church out of existence if she does not repent. This passage in context does not deal with salvation but with a church out of phase with God.
 
The implication that we can lose our salvation infers that works justifies us. This falls short of by faith alone, by grace alone. Salvation is free, a gift of God based on the death of Christ for our sins (Ep 2:8-9). 
 
but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels
 
Jesus will confess these names before the Father and His angels. He will do this as the one who paid for their sins. "Confess" means to acknowledge. When we stand before God, Jesus will acknowledge that we served Him faithfully and will publicly recognize that faithfulness to the Father. 
 
PRINCIPLE: If we did not become Christians by good works, we cannot become non-Christians again by bad works. 
 
APPLICATION: What does this passage mean by the idea that Jesus will "never" blot out his name from the Book of Life? It obviously does not mean that he can never lose his salvation for John clarifies that in other passages (Jn 5:24; 6:35-37, 39; 10:28-29; Ro. 8:38-39). 
 
If we did not become Christians by good works, then we cannot become non-Christians by bad works. God bases our salvation on the finished work of Christ, not on our works. A person can never have security of eternal life by what he does; he can only have eternal security based on what Christ did.
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Revelation 3:4

Published on November 11, 1998 in Revelation. 0 Comments
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“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy“
 
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments
 
Jesus gives a commendation after condemnation in this letter. Here He commends spiritual giants. A few did not fall into the condemnation of verses two and three. They did not soil their garments. That is, they did not accommodate the immoral and apostate standards around them. They still walk in fellowship with the Lord.
 
and they shall walk with Me in white
The few believers that resist pressure about them will receive a special reward — they will walk in fellowship with the Lord on earth.
for they are worthy
These Christians are “worthy” not because of themselves. They are worthy because of what the Lord did for them in grace. Our acceptability before God is because of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Principle:
God always maintains a remnant that is true to Himself.
Application:
It is amazing how some truly born-again Christians can continue to attend apostate churches. They not only do not get any spiritual food for their souls in those churches but their preachers attack their faith on a regular basis. They stay in those churches out of loyalty because their family attended there or because their friends are there. In the meantime, their souls dry up. Sentiment is no basis for biblical determination. God says those who are worthy are those who are true to the Lord.
God always keeps for Himself those who are true to His Word. To these people, He supplies a special grace of warm fellowship with Himself.
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