Revelation 3:1, commentary and pictures

Christ who holds the fullness of the Spirit and authority over the churches declares that He sees every work, thought, motive and religious experience without mistake, and that Sardis has a reputation for being spiritually alive while it is actually spiritually dead. That deadness is outward profession, worship and activity with a form of godliness but without its power, lamps without the oil of grace and the Spirit abiding within, and confidence without living connection with God. It is shown by a cold heart deficient in love, by imperfect works that fail to help the distressed and strengthen what is ready to die, by worldliness and absorption in pleasure, wealth and popularity, and by fruitlessness that bears only leaves. He therefore commands to be watchful, to strengthen what remains, to remember how the truth was received, to hold fast and repent and do the first works, lest He come as a thief and remove protection. The warning belongs to His professed people in the last days under the third angel's message, yet even there a few remain undefiled, and all who overcome by union with Christ, receiving His life daily to impart to others, will be clothed in His righteousness, kept in the book of life and confessed before the Father.

Speaker, Knowledge and Setting

The words come from the one who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, speaking with full possession of the Spirit and authority over the churches as the True Witness. He declares full knowledge of works, exposing a reputation for being alive while actually dead, and joins that exposure to a solemn call to watch, to strengthen what remains ready to die, to remember and hold fast what was received and heard, and to repent because works are not complete before God and His coming may overtake the unwary like a thief. That rebuke carries instruction for present believers, awakening spiritual indifference and half-hearted working to unreserved consecration, receiving the Holy Spirit, and showing zeal and genuine interest in eternal things. Those who have not defiled their garments are promised to walk with Christ in white, and the overcomer will be clothed in white, kept in the book of life, and acknowledged before the Father and angels.

I know thy works means every person is under complete supervision, for He is acquainted with thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word, act, motive, and religious experience, knowing whom each loves and serves. His knowledge reaches beneath outward appearance and surface profession to the heart, reading even those following evil ways, weighing without mistake, marking deportment and worship, and placing works upon the heavenly records where no unjust act is hidden. That searching sight confronts professed believers whose lives do not reflect genuine faith or likeness to Christ, exposing spiritual slumber, decay, alienation, strife, faultfinding, and misuse of heaven's gifts where warning is heard yet no change is made. It therefore demands close self-examination, true conversion under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, crucifying of self, and a changed life and new birth.

Sardis was a very wicked and godless city where light had been given, for Paul had preached there and the apostles had carried truth, and some believed and received the truth as a bright and shining light. Many departed from the faith into lifeless profession, forgot the wonderful manner in which they had received it, and refused to walk in the light, which hardens the heart and permits judgments to come. One after another of the old standard-bearers fell, others grew weary of oft-repeated truths and in spiritual blindness desired a new and more pleasing phase of doctrine and a wonderful change, not discerning that their sophistries would uproot all past experience. To be in the position of Sardis is to bear the name of Christians while spiritually dead by not drinking the living waters and eating the bread of life daily, and to fail of fitness for translation so that life measures with the life of God.

The messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 symbolize seven states of the Christian church covering the entire period from the first advent to the second appearing. With seven indicating completeness they extend to the end of time and are in force today, portraying the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world and the state of God's professed people as wheat developing among tares, with truth standing on its eternal basis in contrast with error. They give the history of Satan's effort to bring dissension into the church, difficulties that must still be met, given by the Lord Jesus as His last testimony alongside His messages to Ephesus, Pergamos, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Amid trials and exposure to persecution even unto life, His followers must not become dim or cease to shine as lights amid moral darkness, but unite in bearing burdens as a combined power in love to be a light to the world.

The verse was made known by Christ Himself to John on the Isle of Patmos in a book reaching to the close of this earth's history, showing symbols and representations with their meaning explained for study. It concerns the last events, reminds of things which will be, and must be read, carefully studied, and understood now with special force in the first three verses and tremendous testimony in the whole chapter traced down. If Satan can keep minds confused about it now he gains a great victory, for confusion now may be death unto death, while the enemy engages minds in explanations to keep churches in unrest, dull memory of light the Holy Spirit gave, and let go truths of great importance. The sacred Watcher would arouse those losing bearings and sustaining spiritual loss through deceptive teachings and misapplied texts that would destroy faith in truths that stood the test for half a century since the disappointment of 1844, including light on the sanctuary question, calling them to remember the Source the truths came from and how they received, heard, advocated, and had them witnessed by the Holy Spirit.

Living Name Yet Dead

The verse exposes the central condition of bearing a reputation for spiritual life while being spiritually dead, where outward standing, activity, profession, worship attendance, and confidence do not prove life. Those addressed had received light that should have produced different works, for the forgiveness once glowing in the heart was meant to stay alive by helping people in need, the distressed, misunderstood, straying and discouraged. Instead their works were incomplete before God because self-righteousness, pride, and unpracticed truth cooled faith and left them idle rather than restoring souls. To labor merely to keep up a name while neglecting solemn responsibilities is to have a name God regards as dead in influence, so that followers are ruined by false representation. Merely holding the name of a professing Christian is therefore a dangerous delusion, and the warning once given to Sardis stands fulfilled again wherever outward reputation does not match inward condition.

Within the church there are two parties, those who have only a name to live but are dead and those who are striving to overcome. The call to the present church is to examine the life, for works not perfect before God leave what remains ready to die, while eternal life belongs to those united with Christ and receiving Him as Saviour. Deadness is a form of godliness without the power, outward show that weighs nothing with God, the outward form of religion without the love of God in the soul. It is outward homage and even the highest profession with the heart estranged from Christ, for loyalty of heart is prized above all else. It is lamps and the semblance of religion without the oil of grace and without the Spirit abiding within, including ordination or appointment without inward piety and without a living link with Jesus.

That deadness must not be confused with the death necessary to growth in grace. The death God desires is death to self and to desires and inclinations that would dishonor Christ, experienced in being buried with Christ in baptism and rising to newness of life putting away hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong, because it means eternal life. By contrast, having a name to live while dead is a miserable delusion of being without connection with God, without spiritual life, without Christ, and without a sense of His presence in the soul. Without life-giving power and connection with the Life-giver there is no true life, whatever the reputation. That life-giving power comes through being risen with Christ and through the Holy Spirit, whom the Father is more willing to give to those who ask than parents are to give good gifts to their children.

Causes and Marks of Death

Deadness shows itself in a cold and unimpressible heart that lacks love to God and to neighbors, where outwardly praiseworthy profession is joined to Pharisaical harshness that wounds a brother. Excellent qualifications are neutralized when self-love, self-deception, self-justification, pride, self-righteousness and unpracticed truth cool faith into idleness, leaving the love of Jesus to die for want of watchful, persevering effort. Hearts become hard as steel toward one another, insensitive and unsympathetic, grasping all for self, holding to opinion and self-exaltation instead of studying and relieving necessity, and refusing encouraging words and deeds to brethren doing severe and trying work. Such hardness dishonors the holy name and misrepresents a compassionate God of lovingkindness and abundant mercy, and it reveals that the love of Christ is not an abiding principle in the soul.

Works are found incomplete before God because the forgiveness that once glowed in the heart is not kept alive by helping distressed, misunderstood, straying and dying souls who long for pardon and peace yet cannot find God. The sin is want of love and interest to strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die, both inside the church and outside among souls ready to perish, building them up on the most holy faith rather than putting them down. To be watchful is to be wide awake to opportunities to bless humanity, to discern needs, to love God supremely and neighbor as self in keeping the commandments, and to act as the good Samaritan instead of passing by wounded, bruised and robbed souls on the other side. Neglect of this appointed individual work, failure to diffuse light with God-given talents, and leaving starving souls in discouragement, darkness and despair without a hand stretched out to save makes the work imperfect, and those who neglect are weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. Restoration requires awakened interest, searching and personal effort with soft, tender, broken hearts and human sympathy made holy by cooperation with the divine, keeping fresh in memory what was received and heard in order to communicate it in love, holding fast, and repenting for making so little use of truth.

Deadness is worldliness and backsliding in careless security when promised signs show the coming near, leaving people secure, unwatchful and in peril. Humility and devotion give place to pride and formalism, first love, zeal and interest in spiritual things are lost, love for Christ and faith in His coming grow cold, and transgression of the law follows. Absorption in pleasure-seeking, comfort, wealth, luxury, money-making, popularity and power blinds minds to instruction about the signs of appearing, especially in America just before the advent. In that state the doctrine of the second advent is neglected, its scriptures obscured, ignored and forgotten, outward Christian profession continues while unconsecrated lives mislead others, strengthen the opposing cause, and make faithfulness harder for God's people.

A name is kept alive by intensity of effort to keep up reputation while responsibilities of a most solemn character are neglected, and God cannot put His stamp upon work done in that spirit. Such a name is regarded by God as dead so far as correct influence is concerned, so that those who follow in that tread are ruined by false representations. The condition may wear the reputation of successful evangelist, gifted preacher, man of prayer, man of faith or man of special devotion, going through the whole round of religious activity and even reaching with ambitions and commercial enterprises to the ends of the earth, yet trusting profession for salvation and seeking self-glory and others' appreciation. All work done for self without the love of Jesus woven in, without the life hid with Christ in God and without sense of the Saviour's presence, is worthless however excellent it appears, and even gifted workers in that path become useless and suffer shipwreck of faith unless they repent, confess, surrender self-glory, lose sight of self, look to Christ, dig deep and lay foundation on the Rock.

Deadness comes through men arising with claims of new light who bring a great array of true texts misapplied to suit their own ideas to establish false theories, leading into strange paths through supposed light that is darkness. The enemy engages minds in elaborate, uncalled-for explanations to keep churches in unrest and confusion, dull memory of light given by the Holy Spirit, and cause loss of bearings and spiritual loss. The danger strikes truths that stood the test for half a century since the disappointment of 1844, especially the sanctuary truth and the pillars concerning the personality of God and of Christ, requiring clear firmness on truth already received and advocated, standing on the platform of eternal truth, and refusing every error that denies that personality even when it looks real. In Sardis many converted through the apostles received truth as a bright shining light but forgot the wonderful manner of receiving it, and after old standard-bearers fell others grew weary of oft-repeated truths and in spiritual blindness desired a new and more pleasing doctrine whose sophistries would uproot all past experience. The same spirit quibbles over matters God never gave as tests and dwells on differences until they become mountains destroying unity and love and separating from Christ and one another, as when the subject of the law in Galatians was agitated at Minneapolis, and it calls for humbling of soul, clear spiritual eyesight, remembering the Source and how truth was received, heard and advocated with the Spirit's witness, holding fast and repenting.

Life is proved only by bearing much fruit, so outward profession, orthodox theories, membership, and diligent performance of a round of duties and forms do not prove life. Ministers and paid workers sustained by the tithe who are consumers and not producers, bearing no fruit, doing careless selfish work, wasting opportunities, hiding talents, weakening spiritual strength by inaction, growing selfish and unfaithful, and needing to be tended like sick children, have only the name of living. Without nourishment the seed of truth is not cultivated, there is no advancement in piety, no improvement of entrusted talents, and instead of growing up into Christ there is retrogression into pretension, becoming dead branches with lamps untrimmed and not burning, dispersing no light, becoming stumblingblocks, and dishonoring religion. Such fruitlessness under great light, opportunities and privileges brings the curse that fell on the fig tree bearing only leaves, which withered after it was declared it would bear no fruit, and withering threatens unless there is sincere, earnest, persevering labor for souls in the vineyard counting no work too taxing.

The name without life appears in those claiming to be Sabbathkeepers and to believe truth while the work that must be done is not done and they fail to act as believers ought to act. It appears where religion has degenerated into mere form with very low spiritual temperature, where the Sabbath is kept as only a cessation of physical labor rather than a sweet foretaste of the Sabbath above, where there is no time for religious services, absence from meetings, laying off of spiritual garments, and failure to assemble in prayer and praise with lamps trimmed and burning. It appears in families where children are left uncontrolled with unsubdued wills, indulged in pride until parents yield, where mothers sympathize with children and sway fathers, and where fashion, the opinions of unbelievers, and service of the world rule while profession continues unchanged. It appears in backsliding on health reform, where eating flesh meat animalizes nature, robs love and sympathy, builds the body from a wrong source and lets lower passions control the higher powers, when fruits, grains and nuts are abundant and there is no need to eat flesh of dead animals. As with the Jewish nation that refused the Son and retained a name to live for a little time after light, peace and sincerity had departed, so secret impurity unfits ministers to teach until converted, undisciplined self-choosing separates the soul from God and misleads others, and true life is marked by obedience, piety, devotion and love shown in words and in seeking ways to do good.

Call to Watch and Repent

The works are not perfect or complete before God, but weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. A reputation for life is not enough when works are dead and imperfect, and faith without sustaining works is dead, leaving what remains ready to die. Disobedience makes such works offensive, and those who neglect the appointed duty of helping the dying are found wanting.

The command is to be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, which cannot be done without first obtaining strength. Ministers of the gospel are charged to watch for souls as those who must give an account, to search the Scriptures earnestly with humble heart and willing mind, and to be often on the knees in prayer asking for heavenly wisdom. They must place themselves under divine power by living according to the will of God, letting the Word search the secret workings of the heart and using its promises, directions, counsel and reproof as each case requires, drawing things new and old from the storehouse to lead minds to a personal, experimental knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. They are to guard every outpost, teach in Christ's method, labor house to house, train every member, and bring heaven's light to trembling faith, because the church was giving up the light that had established it. To adorn the doctrine of Christ requires having the mind that was in Christ, overcoming personal likes and dislikes and favoring of self to the disadvantage of others, letting the peace of God rule in the heart, and having Christ within as a living, working power.

Remembering how truth was received and heard means keeping fresh in memory what was received through the ministration of the Holy Spirit and communicating it to others in love for souls. It means holding fast the old landmarks and refusing elaborate, uncalled-for explanations that would loosen a pin or pillar or unsettle faith in truths that stood the test for half a century since the disappointment of 1844, especially the sanctuary truth and the pillars concerning the personality of God and of Christ. It calls for thorough penitence and reformation from practices opposed to truth and righteousness, for repenting of neglect in making so little use of truth to help the dying, and for doing the first works. Watchfulness is doing the work appointed to each individual soul and exercising God-given talents to diffuse light and knowledge, building up the weak on the most holy faith rather than putting them down.

If there is no watching, Christ will come upon the unwary as a thief at an unknown hour. He will remove His protection and remove the candlestick out of its place, and those who act as sinners will be punished as such. This applies to defective characters who have known the truth for years yet have not obeyed it, even stewards in high places and those in positions of responsibility, who dishonor Him by evil works, climb upon the judgment seat to threaten and coerce brethren, hurt and bruise them, and refuse to make crooked things straight unless they humble their proud hearts and repent. Judgment is near, and errors come as a thief to steal away faith.

The rebuke comes not from human lips but from heaven, penned by inspiration of the Spirit of God for all the churches to hear and heed, from One who cannot be swayed by human influence. When spoken it carries strength and force that arraigns hearers before the Judge of all the earth, causing fear, hiding of faces, and faintness under conviction. Yet it carries mercy and encouragement and warning, spoken with tenderness and pity, so that even those in partnership with satanic agencies are not cast off.

Each person is called to examine the life and to examine whether faith and practice match the reputation for life. The house is to be set in order and immediate preparation made while it is called today, to be ready for Christ's sudden coming or for sudden death. Divine truth is to be received into the heart until it breaks before God, giving up faultfinding and criticizing, that it may be known with certainty rather than supposition that Christ is formed within as the hope of glory and that the Spirit abides within in living communion with God. There is a right side and a wrong side, and all are taking sides for blessing or curse, so the choice must be for the right side rather than hardening the heart in unbelief like the children of Israel who left Egypt and perished in the wilderness and failed to enter the promised land, but keeping step with Christ.

Prophecy and Present Application

The message to Sardis is sent to the church of the present day and portrays the spiritual condition of God's professed people in the last days. It belongs to the proclamation of the third angel's message that brings believers to the closing scenes and the last warfare between those who keep God's commandments and those who make void His law. It distinguishes those who have only a reputation for being spiritually alive but are dead from those who are striving to overcome, for outward reputation does not prove spiritual life. It warns that works are not perfect or complete before God and that what remains is ready to die and close to dying, calling for examination of life, watchfulness, strengthening what remains, remembering and holding fast to what was received and heard, and repentance. Having a name to live while dead means professing present truth while having left first love, with love gone out of the heart and accusing and coldness and distrust reigning where tender and warm and true love should reign, in a strange religious position that has forgotten warnings sent. Eternal life belongs to those united with Christ who accept Him as Saviour, and Christ speaks this with the authority of Him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars and who knows works, harshness, criticism, and lack of tender sympathy unlike Christ.

It describes a careless, worldly, backsliding condition when promised signs show the coming near and the end right upon us. Having a name to live while dead just before the second advent, especially in America, means keeping outward Christian profession while humility and devotion have given place to pride and formalism, love for Christ and faith in His coming have grown cold, and absorption in pleasure-seeking, comfort, wealth, luxury, money-making, popularity and power has blinded minds to instructions about the signs of His appearing. In this state of careless security and spiritual lethargy the doctrine of the second advent is neglected and its scriptures obscured, ignored and forgotten, and those who remain secure and fail to watch are in peril and need arousal to watch. It confronts indifference to foretold signs and gives evidence that the end is right upon us, as an earnest warning to prepare to meet the Lord coming with power and great glory. It calls to advance and receive grace daily so its saving effect is felt and grace is not received in vain, to watch and pray in faith for blessing and strength through the Holy Spirit, to examine life through the Word, and to live for Bible truth alone amid abominations fulfilling prophecy about last-day wickedness.

Its warnings are being fulfilled, for outward standing and activity do not prove spiritual life and what remains is close to dying unless the church watches, strengthens what remains, remembers what it received and heard, holds fast, and repents, lest Christ come unexpectedly like a thief. The warning was strictly fulfilled in stubborn hearts refusing to break in penitence and in testimonies of the Spirit not being heeded, with two fulfilments already given, calling for thorough penitence and reformation from practices opposed to truth and righteousness. It is revealed truth to be read and understood because it is being fulfilled today, leaving no time to be idle and indifferent but calling all who are now taking sides for blessing or curse to strive to develop Christian character and to purify the mind by obeying truth, with spiritual understanding cleansed, purified, sanctified and ennobled under the marking eye of the heavenly Watcher who knows works, marks words and deportment, and reads motives.

Its outward-standing-without-life condition applied for years to the Review and Herald office, where religious standing and sacred work did not match spiritual and moral condition because selfishness and conduct contrary to Bible principles had corrupted moral life. It exposes departure from pure, holy, sanctified principles in business management in institutions, declaring knowledge of works and the true dead condition despite living reputation. It applied to the churches in Melbourne as unconverted while keeping the outward name of being alive in Christ, meaning sluggish indifference misrepresenting Christ and truth, letting souls perish close by for lack of the soul-stirring third angel's message, with lack of prayer, faith, and zealous seeking making it impossible to retain God's favor and communion of a Saviour's love, and without bringing the Spirit and mind of Christ into Christian life or knowing how to draw with Christ when all who name His name should be living epistles known and read. It was a message to the last General Conference in Battle Creek as an opportunity to discern the movings of the Spirit, with decisions made for eternity and never greater evidence to be given than on that occasion, so that all who did not improve it would be more blinded by the enemy to do strange things amid a new order of things, with followers of pernicious ways who misrepresent truth to be turned and overturned, proved and tried, and humbled if they harden hearts as Pharaoh did, with judgment near at an unknown hour requiring truth in the inward parts and putting away all experience contrary to the Word. Without watchfulness Christ's coming would take such by surprise, and the following verses call to watch, strengthen what remains, remember and hold to what was received, and repent.

It exposes defective characters who have known truth for years yet have not obeyed it, even those standing in positions of responsibility as stewards in high places, shepherds, ministers, and leaders who know Scripture and defend the law yet persist in sin. It calls for a most earnest work of humbling proud hearts, watching, holding fast what was received and heard, strengthening things ready to die, and repenting, because works have not been found perfect before God. Those addressed do not discern spiritual need, are careless regarding spiritual standing, keep only a form of godliness without power and without saving influence, and contaminate pure principles of truth with worldly influences. If they dishonor Him by evil works, climb upon the judgment seat to threaten and coerce brethren, hurt and bruise them, and refuse to make crooked things straight, protection will be removed and the candlestick removed out of its place, and those acting as sinners will be punished as such. Profession and reputation cannot substitute for a pure life, for the True Witness knows works, judgment is near, and the warning applies to many as the investigative judgment is about to begin for the living, while the message still carries mercy, encouragement, and warning from heaven by inspiration of the Spirit to be heard by the churches, continued in the promise that the few who have not defiled garments shall walk with Christ in white and that the overcomer shall be clothed in white raiment with name retained in the book of life and confessed before the Father and angels.

The whole third chapter with every word is to be diligently studied, read, heeded, and understood, held line upon line with daily searching for hidden treasures and kept in order to receive blessing. It charges watchmen who watch for souls as those who must give an account to guard every outpost and answer in clear decided tones under the Holy Spirit, and calls ministers, doctors, students, youth, and churches to rouse themselves, awaken, and do the work given them, not stubborn in unbelief lest souls pass into uncertainty or perish confused in the enemy's snare with blood required at their hands. With special force in the first three verses and tremendous testimony in the whole chapter traced down, made known by Christ Himself to John on Patmos, it is a solemn warning from God for these last days concerning the last events of earth's history, reminding of things which will be, so that if confusion about it is kept in minds now a great victory is gained and confusion may be death unto death amid perils upon us. It points out danger of losing hold upon things heard and learned from the Source of all light, calling to remember how truth was received and heard, to hold fast, repent, and do first works, guarding against subtle theories spreading mind to mind through those departed from faith that imperceptibly imbue with a spirit drawing away from faith, against skepticism and falsehood, and against listening to interpretations that would loosen one pin or remove one pillar from the platform of truth, like salt losing savor and believers leaving first love. It gives the highest education from the highest source, the voice of God Himself with the same authority as the law from Sinai, teaching obedience to all commandments.

Unless heeded, the Lord has a controversy with His people, the Spirit withdraws from the world when warnings from heaven are not heeded, destructive fires in cities are no accident but the hand of omnipotent power, and a similar dead condition comes among professed people unless they beware. It is a message for all changing faith and receiving false science from the archdeceiver, to be given to those in Battle Creek and every other place influenced by sentiments brought in to spoil the flock, preparing acceptors for bewitching skepticism and science from satanic agencies. The warning must be lifted whether men hear or forbear toward those who have had great light but have not opened the heart's door to Christ's knock.

Overcomers and Restored Life

Even in Sardis a few names have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Christ in white because they are worthy through His atoning sacrifice. Faithful witnesses will stand firm when tested, while those who refuse to shine will have their light put out and the faithful will take their places to testify to the Word for Christ and His glory. The sleeping condition of the church is one in which many are fast asleep, a few are dead asleep so that they have fallen over, and only two or three sleepily drag out words of prayer, and it must be labored with by warning and reproof to bring believers into a right position, lest sins and wrongs remain as a heavy polluting stench that drives souls from the truth and disgusts unbelievers instead of convicting them.

The overcomer is clothed in the white raiment of Christ's righteousness, which is the only garment that will do, walks with Christ in white as accounted worthy, keeps his name in the book of life without being blotted out, and is confessed by Christ Himself before the Father and before His angels. In view of these encouraging promises earnest striving is needed to perfect a character able to stand before the Son of God, for only those so clothed will be able to endure the glory of His presence when He appears with power and great glory. This rich promise full of hope and encouragement to parents and children is only on conditions of faith and obedience in doing the works of righteousness, with precious promises also held out to the overcomer through the rest of Revelation 3.

True life belongs to those united with Christ and accepting Him as Saviour, in contrast to those who have only a reputation for being alive while dead. To be in the position of Sardis is to fail to drink of the living waters and eat of the bread of life every day, and so not to be fitted for translation to the heavenly world where life measures with the life of God. Taking the name Christian does not pay unless one is Christlike, with a living connection with God that braids the life with Christ, receiving His fullness grace for grace with capacity growing by what is imparted, being washed by His blood and receiving the engrafted Word as laborers together with God, and having Christ live within and be revealed at home and abroad through love, grace and power. Without that life-giving power and connection with the Life-giver through being risen with Christ and through the Holy Spirit, whom the Father is more willing to give to those who ask than parents are to give good gifts to their children, profession has a name to live without earning it by doing the works of a living church, and faith is dead because not sustained by works.

That living connection means receiving from Christ to impart and give to others instead of being satisfied to keep precious glorious truths to oneself. It means not becoming dim or ceasing to shine as lights amid moral darkness, immorality and sin, but uniting in bearing one another's burdens as a combined united power in love and efficiency to be a light to the world, flashing gathered divine rays upon dark pathways and becoming living epistles known and read of all men rather than misrepresenting Christ by sluggish indifference that lets souls perish close by for lack of prayer, faith and zealous seeking. It means giving the Word of life with freedom to large attentive gatherings including the sick, directing sufferers in faith to Christ as physician who rebukes disease and raises sufferers to health, who alone as the risen Saviour who is the resurrection and the life can heal the sick and raise the dead, in connection with establishing sanitariums for the sick.

Becoming an overcomer means firmly resisting the besetments of the enemy and all his evil agencies, being on guard every moment and never for an instant losing sight of Christ and His power to save in the hour of trial, with the hand placed in His to be upheld by the power of His might. No one must be deceived in self but must deal honestly with self and look unto Jesus, and by beholding become changed into His image. True spiritual life from God is a reflection of the life of Christ, with the meekness and lowliness of the Saviour apparent in daily life, the gentleness of Christ revealed, continually speaking His love and telling the power of His grace with conversation made fragrant by His grace through continually beholding Christ, which humbles the soul, exposes need, and ends desire for self-importance and self-satisfied vanity clothed in filthy rags of self-righteousness. Profession without conversion avails nothing while self remains uncontrolled with passion, fretfulness and wrong deportment, like salt that has lost its savor and like those who have left their first love; the truth must sanctify heart and life, control self and give an elevated manner and deportment that secures respect and fellowship, and this comes only through a painful course of persevering untiring effort in copying the Pattern in business and spiritual things.

Even in that dead state there is still hope, for the warning applies to many in the world today and the Lord is willing to give what spiritual awakening and heart-searching require. Spiritual death-like slumber must be left behind or it will lead to eternal death, for without the Holy Spirit acting within, obedience to its prompting and dependence on its influence and God's strength, profession is a delusion that may prove fatal. Those in this condition must be converted and receive light before they can give light. What is needed is renewed spiritual life, a resurrection from apparent death and from energies long torpid, through revival and renewal of the straight testimony borne in earlier years by holding confidence steadfast and refusing to tear down the foundation.