Verses 5, 6 “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 has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
The overcomers of all ages and of all the churches will be dressed in white, just as the few faithful believers from Sardis.
The reference to God having a book goes all the way back to Moses’ time in Exodus 32: 33 when God said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.”
In this verse Jesus makes his commitment to the overcomers with a negative and positive promise.
-First, their names will never (negative) be blotted from the book of life.
-Second, their names will be acknowledged before my Father and his angels. Both of these references speak of eternal life.
In ancient cities the names of the citizens were recorded in a register until their death. Then their names were erased or marked out of the book of the living. A person’s name could be removed from the city register before death if they were convicted of a crime.
In the first century, Christians were under constant threat of being branded political and social rebels and therefore stripped of their citizenship. Christ offers them an eternal, safe citizenship in his everlasting kingdom if they remain loyal to him.
Overcomers demonstrate their righteousness in this life by confessing Christ faithfully before a hostile world through the help of the Holy Spirit. For these Jesus has promised that whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
Did you know that the light from the polar star takes thirty three years to reach the earth. That star could have died thirty years ago and its light would still be pouring down on earth. It would be shining today as if nothing had happened, living off the light of its past. That’s the story of Sardis. Don't let it be the story of our church today.
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