Revelation 3:3, commentary and pictures

Christ speaks to those who have a name to live but are dead, whose works are not complete before God, calling them to remember how they received and heard, to hold fast, to repent, and to watch, or He will come upon them suddenly as a thief at an hour they do not know.
To remember is to keep fresh in memory with joy how the light of heaven was first received, the Source from which truth came and how the Holy Spirit witnessed to it, and to give what was heard to the world instead of letting it grow dim or be stolen away.
To hold fast is to keep the truth firmly and live up to all light received, refusing new interpretations and fables that would loosen one pin or remove one pillar, and especially keeping the old landmarks established through the 1844 disappointment concerning the sanctuary, the personality of God and of Christ, and the Sabbath and the commandments.
To repent is thorough conversion and decided reform, humbling proud hearts, turning from sin, doing the first works and confessing wrong without delay, and to watch is to stay wide awake every moment on guard, resisting the enemy, doing the appointed work for souls, and keeping the garment of Christ's righteousness undefiled amid the moral pollution of the last days.
If there is no watching and repenting, He will remove His protection and come unexpectedly as a thief, finding the unwatchful unprepared to meet God, while those who remember, hold fast, repent and watch are as the wise virgins who wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb and will walk with Him in white without blotting from the book of life.

Words and Historical Setting

The word comes from the One who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, spoken to the angel of the church in Sardis as part of the messages in Revelation 1-3 and of the whole third chapter. That whole chapter is to be carefully studied verse by verse, taught as revealed truth, preached and urged, and read as part of the highest education in obedience to God's commandments. Ministers are urged to study every verse carefully because the chapter speaks directly to His people and portrays the spiritual condition of God's people in the last days, especially those who have received great light. It gives the history of Satan's effort to bring dissension into the church, and the difficulties described there must be met today. It is a lesson of warning to Seventh-day Adventists to which they shall do well to take heed, for the time is at hand and perils will thicken until the close of earth's history.

The seven churches symbolize seven states of the Christian church covering the entire period from Christ's first advent to His second appearing. The number seven indicates completeness, showing that the messages extend to the end of time and are in force today. The figures used are symbolic of the state of God's professed people, with wheat developing among tares and truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error. Sardis was a very wicked city where light had been given and where Paul had preached. Some there believed but many departed from the faith, yet even there a few kept their garments from pollution.

The word was first spoken to those who had heard and been convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist but forsook the faith in which they once rejoiced. It was spoken also to others who had received truth from Christ's teaching and were once ardent believers rejoicing in the faith but lost their first love and spiritual strength. Because they did not hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end they quibbled about matters of no special importance which God never gave as tests. They dwelt upon differences of opinion till the differences became as mountains separating them from Christ and from one another and destroying unity and love. The same danger comes from carrying as a test what God has not given as a test, as was done with the subject of the law in Galatians and the agitation over the two laws, which creates division.

The sixth state represents those who with united voice proclaimed the coming of Jesus in the autumn of 1844. To hold fast means to hold firm to that Advent experience and to the correctness of the preaching of time, that the 2300 days had ended with Christ shutting the ministration of the holy place and opening the ministration of the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary. To watch means to wait for light from the heavenly sanctuary to ascertain the true position. That light shows the connecting link between the past Advent movement, present duty to keep the commandments of God including the Sabbath revealed by Jesus standing before the mercy-seat and the ark of the ten commandments, and future glory and reward.

The message to Sardis presents two parties, those who have a name to live but are dead and those who are striving to overcome. It is addressed to those told their works are not found perfect before God and whose remaining things are ready to die, calling them to be watchful and to strengthen what remains. Its warning is presented as being fulfilled, strictly fulfilled, given twice over, and being fulfilled today. Because it is revealed truth of God being fulfilled today there is no time to be idle and indifferent.

Remembering and Holding Fast

Remembering how truth was received and heard means keeping it fresh in memory, not letting warnings grow dim or fade, not forgetting God's past dealings and the light He sent, and guarding it from worldly influence. It means communicating what was heard in love for souls to build up the weak on the most holy faith instead of putting them down, giving it to the world and to those who do not know it, and making present truth the study of the churches by reviving earlier messages and applying them to the present instead of remaining weak and ready to die. The sin rebuked is want of love and interest to strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, with so little use made of truth to help souls ready to die both inside the churches who know the reasons of faith and outside, leaving works imperfect before God and not corresponding with faith, so that weighed in the balances of the sanctuary they are found wanting. Remembering under the manifestations of the Holy Spirit means repeating the messages given in the past, holding that truth firmly, turning from wrong, fortifying with the light God has given, and acting as faithful watchmen who notice when some depart from the faith. Satan works through doctors and ministers and others to steal that truth away, and those who know the truth yet refuse to walk in it and brace themselves against warnings and refuse messages sent from heaven will cause trouble and bring in fallacies and deceptive ideas, so no one must allow anyone to rob them of what was heard and received.

Remembering includes recalling with what joy and gladness the light of heaven was first received and how eager believers were to tell everybody of their happiness. Receiving Christ in the heart fills the soul aglow with the love of God, so that nature appears more beautiful than before and trees, birds, and flowers seem to be expressing the love of God and praising the Lord. Remembering means remembering from what Source the important truths came, how those truths were advocated, and how the Holy Spirit gave light and witnessed to them. Satan makes special effort to dull memory and understanding, which is why this recalling and repeating of the past messages is commanded.

Remembering means recalling the bright shining light of truth as first received through the preaching of the apostles in a wonderful manner, and turning back to hold it fast. After the old standard-bearers fell one after another many forgot that experience, grew weary of oft-repeated truths, and in spiritual blindness desired a new more pleasing phase of doctrine whose sophistries would uproot all past experience. Errors and delusions of the enemy will come secretly like a thief to steal away faith, so the command to watch means diligent constant guarding, and failure to watch brings a sudden visitation whose hour will not be known.

Holding fast means keeping truth firmly and not giving it up because it condemns one's course of action, respecting the light God has given, holding confidence in the Word firm unto the end, keeping the pledge made to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and never becoming discouraged. It means living up to all light received from heaven, grasping eternal truth, and sharing that light with those who do not know God's love. Discouragement leaves a person able to do nothing, and it is used to claim that serving God is useless and does not pay and that worldly pleasure and enjoyment are just as good, yet worldly pleasure gained at the expense of the future world costs the soul. Those in danger from the deceptive, perverting influence of those who have known the truth and had continual warnings yet follow their own course and repeat falsehood after falsehood to deceive if possible the very elect, having departed from the faith and given heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, must break away and take hold with those who will believe the messages God gives and be as true as steel.

Holding fast means refusing new interpretations and elaborate explanations of Scripture that misapply true texts to establish false theories, and refusing human interpretations and fables that would loosen one pin or remove one pillar from the platform of truth. It means keeping spiritual eyesight clear, reverencing the Word while rejecting its misapplication to substantiate error, and turning from false theories and receiving them not. Receiving such interpretations spoils faith, confuses understanding, and makes faith in Jesus Christ of none effect. The call is to remember the faith and convictions first received and hold fast to that original message rather than abandon them for sophistries, fallacious stories, or deceptive claims presented as science, and to be watchful to strengthen those ready to die spiritually through misapplication of the Scriptures.

Holding fast means keeping the old landmarks and pillars of faith that stood the test for half a century and were established through the 1844 disappointment by the ministration of the Spirit. This includes especially the light on the sanctuary question given to those who passed through the disappointment, the certain truths regarding the personality of God and of Christ, and distinct commitment to God's commandments including the Sabbath. To remember and hold fast is to be clear and firm regarding the certain truths received and heard and advocated, to stand firmly on the plain statements of God's Word as the platform of eternal truth, and to reject every phase of error covered with a semblance of reality. It means remaining faithful to evidence and principles already received rather than letting them slip or yielding them under opposition when new theories and misused Scripture are used to unsettle faith, including teachings that remove the sanctuary truth.

Holding fast means not letting go truths of great importance and established truth, but strengthening what remains that is ready to perish and keeping fine correct discernment of what is truth. Watching requires dependence on Jesus Christ and gaining an understanding of the mystery of godliness, because all his science is being used in playing the game of life for human souls, with fallen angels mingling with men all over the world instructing them in the mysteries of evil and presenting wonderful things that will soon appear in a more decided light to lead souls into deception and draw away disciples. Those who have not perfected Christian character through sanctification of the truth must not bring their imperfections into the church, deny the faith, and pick up strange theories to advance as truth, for following that course robs God's people of usefulness.

Repentance and Watchful Obedience

Repentance is thorough conversion and decided reform, humbling proud hearts, turning from sin to become pure and holy like Christ, doing the first works and strengthening what remains ready to die because works are not perfect before God. It is spoken to those with defective character who have known truth for years yet have not obeyed it, including those in positions of responsibility and stewards who sought high places, who must set house and heart in order with Christ's help and make a real change in heart and perception. It means going back to first experience, recalling first reception with joy, dropping all pretense for reality, bowing before God, returning to early zeal when every power was used through sickness to carry truth, and bringing the soul into right relation to God in individual preparation while the end is at hand. It requires willingness without delay to confess wrong and unchristlike action, to admit sins and forsake them before mercy no longer invites, especially by those whose deceptive words have led souls astray to perish and brought blood and guilt upon themselves.

Repentance is repenting of unbelief and of allowing the tempter's voice to weaken confidence, of the inclination to distinguish oneself as having great light which is darkness leading into strange paths, and of faults and changed ideas of Christ and His personality introduced through subtle theories, satanic science, and the influence of those departed from the faith. It means refusing new interpretations and elaborate explanations that misapply true texts to establish false theories and undermine pillars that stood the test for half a century and were established through the 1844 disappointment, turning from false theories, receiving them not, keeping spiritual eyesight clear, and reverencing the Word while rejecting its misapplication to substantiate error. It means remembering from what Source important truths came, how they were advocated, and how the Holy Spirit gave light and witnessed to them, because Satan makes special effort to dull memory and understanding and imperceptibly imbues by mind upon mind with a spirit that draws away from the faith. Such repentance turns from accepting Satan's insinuations and seducing temptations, from losing faith and first love and accepting falsehood, and from substituting error for truth under plausible theories that deny faith previously held.

Repentance is living in continual repentance and humility in order to be constantly victorious, with true humility bringing victory and simple trust in Christ's promises keeping the soul secure in His hand so the enemy can never take it. It is not bondage or gloom like a funeral procession but cheerfulness joined with ongoing sorrow that after Christ gave His precious life and His all, many years and entrusted time and capabilities were given to darkness and used in the enemy's service instead of His glory, and sorrow for not seeking in every way to know precious truth that enables faith which works by love and purifies the soul. It also means putting oneself in the place of souls out of Christ and feeling repentance before God on their behalf without resting until they are brought to repentance, and even when all possible is done and they still do not repent so sin lies at their own door, still feeling sorrow of heart while showing them how to repent and leading them step by step to Jesus whose arms are open. Trusting obedience makes the mind susceptible to divine impressions and God's light enlightens the understanding.

There is no genuine repentance without sincere continual prayer at daily work, at business and wherever one is for keeping power, for God will keep the praying one from falling. It means receiving divine truth into the heart until the heart breaks before God, for God receives the broken heart and contrite spirit, instead of spending time in faultfinding and criticizing. It means not basing salvation on supposition but knowing for sure that Christ is formed within as the hope of glory and that the Spirit abides with living communion, keeping step with Christ and setting the house in order now while it is called today. It refuses to harden the heart in unbelief like Israel who left Egypt and perished in the wilderness, lest unbelief keep from entering the promised land, and stays ready so sudden coming or sudden ending of life does not find the soul unprepared to meet God.

Watchfulness means spending every moment on guard, never for an instant losing sight of Christ and His power to save in trial, firmly resisting the enemy and all his agencies, placing the hand in Christ's to be upheld by His might, and earnestly striving to perfect a character clothed in Christ's righteousness. Only those so clothed will endure the glory of His presence when He appears with power and great glory, stand before the Son of God, overcome, and be accounted worthy through His atoning sacrifice to walk with Him in white. Watchfulness means doing the work appointed to each soul, with every member exercising God-given talents to diffuse light and knowledge and no leader hindering work for the dying. It means keeping alive received light and forgiveness by helping people in need, for truth not practiced loses power through pride and self-righteousness, and neglecting that work leaves others in discouragement and darkness.

Watchfulness cherishes the love of Jesus by watchful missionary painstaking labor, for love dies when not cherished by persevering effort, and hardness toward one another without sensitivity, sympathy, kindness and love offends God, dishonors His name, and misrepresents Him as other than full of compassion and mercy. It adorns the doctrine of Christ by having the same mind which was in Christ, overcoming likes and dislikes and self-favoritism, letting God's peace rule, and having Christ within as a living working power. It calls those in spiritual indifference and half-hearted work to awake to unreserved consecration, receiving the Holy Spirit and laboring with zeal in work of eternal importance, strengthening what remains ready to die. Remembering how truth was received and heard means keeping it fresh in memory and in love communicating it to build up the weak instead of putting them down, for so little use of truth to help souls ready to die, inside and outside the churches, made works imperfect and not corresponding with faith, found wanting in the sanctuary balance.

Watchfulness means watching for souls as one who must give an account, often on the knees in prayer for heavenly wisdom, living under divine power according to God's will, and using the Word with its promises, directions, warnings and reproofs as occasion requires. It means searching the Word with humble heart to draw out truth and lead minds to personal knowledge of truth as in Jesus, learning Christ's method in the Spirit's power, and doing earnest personal house-to-house labor studying Scripture and praying with people because many are tempted and ready to die and perish for lack of knowledge. It lays on watchmen to stay awake, guard every outpost, and answer in clear decided tones under the Holy Spirit that the morning comes and also the night, rousing ministers and doctors from stubborn unbelief lest blood of confused perishing souls be required at their hands. Neglect of this watching and personal work leaves churches lacking power, weak, dependent and inefficient.

Watchfulness means staying wide awake to advancing light and guarding against Satan's devising, keeping the garment of Christ's righteousness undefiled, with promise rich in hope to parents and children only on faith and obedience, honest dealing with self, looking to Jesus and change into His image. It means continuing as a Christian every day, hour and minute after first accepting Him without becoming careless, indifferent and prayerless, for names written in the book of life will not remain unless watchfulness is maintained. It means detecting Satan's artifices by Christ's grace and Spirit in an enemy's country, where foes come with smooth words and as a roaring lion, where will unless subjected to God is as often on the enemy's side, requiring watching unto prayer as stewards left in charge by their absent Lord to wait, prepare and be faithful lest coming suddenly He find them sleeping. Diligent study of Scripture and love of truth prepare to recognize deception when senses offer contrary evidence, for cares of life weigh down the heart and temptation tests whether faith is genuine. Such watchfulness is possible through advancing grace received day by day whose price is grace itself, with prayer in faith bringing rich blessing through the Holy Spirit, and it watches against indifference to foretold signs proving the end is right upon them.

Watchfulness means diligent constant guarding because errors and delusions come secretly like a thief to steal faith, especially against Satan's deceptive theories which replace practiced truth with falsehood and bring weakness and death, risking being found among workers of evil who call falsehood truth. It means remembering what was received and heard and holding fast, not losing hold for deceptive new theories, repenting of faults introduced through such teachings, and refusing to let false messages hypnotize or lead to act on satanic ideas, but watching and praying and strengthening what remains. Giving up light God provided to establish in the faith makes watchfulness especially necessary, and many forgot the wonderful manner and bright shining light of first reception through apostolic preaching, and after standard-bearers fell grew weary of oft-repeated truths and in blindness desired a new pleasing doctrine whose sophistries would uproot past experience. Jesus seeing the end from the beginning sent warning through John that failure to watch brings sudden visitation at unknown hour, with vigilance needed against subtle deceptions and corrupt influences before faith dies.

Watchfulness remains spiritually alert amid fearful moral pollution of the last days when only a few through grace keep garments pure and are counted worthy to walk in white, with no time now to be reckless but to watch while forming character after the divine likeness. It means living Bible truth alone with humility and prayer in light of abominations and crimes fulfilling prophecy of last-day wickedness, remembering how truth was received and heard, holding fast knowledge from God, arousing from insensibility, and repenting for departing by heeding seducing spirits. It is spoken to a peculiar chosen people and especially to those presiding over them to reveal highest principle by keeping the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, holding fast integrity, keeping souls unspotted, making the Bible supreme guide, companion, standard and lamp. Drawing near to God by prayer, contemplation and reading His Word causes Him to draw near and lift a standard the enemy cannot pass, giving courage amid darkness, requiring consecration, devotion and humility so the enemy cannot control the mind.

Coming as a Thief

If there is no watching and repenting, Christ will come upon the unwatchful suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief at an hour they will not know beforehand, finding them unprepared to meet God at His coming or at life's sudden ending. The call is to remember what was received and heard, to hold it fast, and to repent, for works that are not complete before God are in danger of spiritual death, and the message applies to the church of the present day. Those addressed have a name for being alive but are dead, and they must watch and strengthen what remains ready to die.

Christ comes as a thief only upon those who do not watch, so they are left not knowing the hour of His coming upon them. Though no one knows the day nor the hour, believers are instructed and required to know when the advent is near, and to disregard the warning and refuse or neglect to know is as fatal as it was for those in the days of Noah not to know when the flood was coming. Those found watching and teaching His coming are blessed and rewarded, while the unfaithful servant who says in his heart that his Lord delays His coming and denies it meets doom. Those who truly watch and hold fast will know the time of His appearing, but those who fail to watch will be caught unprepared.

The warning applies especially during the closing work of the atonement while the investigative judgment is in progress and before it reaches the cases of the living. No one knows how soon that will happen, each person's case will be examined and life comes under review, so each must remain watchful. Watching means remaining spiritually alert and prepared through repentance and earnest heart-searching, since each person is examined individually and the hour of decision is unknown. They must confess and forsake their sins before their cases are examined, or their names will be blotted from the book of life.

The day of God comes like a thief and a snare to people who make this world their home and live in carnal security. They are absorbed in worldliness, pleasure-seeking, business, fashion, wealth, luxury, popularity and power, with humility and devotion replaced by pride and formalism and love for Christ and faith in His coming grown cold. False teachers expect earthly peace, prosperity and glory and interpret the signs of the times accordingly, while people put off His coming, laugh at warnings, pursue pleasure and worldly work without regard for principle, or seek knowledge while neglecting the Bible. Sudden destruction comes while they feel secure, and the doctrine of the second advent is neglected, obscured and forgotten while they are blinded to the signs of His appearing. The signs of the approaching end are given so people may recognize that it is near and be ready, but the ungodly who remain careless and weary of watching and turn to worldly pursuits will face sudden destruction without warning and be found wanting when judgment is pronounced.

Failing to stay watchful leaves a person unaware and unprepared when a crisis comes. A person who had watched would be ready to serve Christ and help guide a soul in peril, but without His Spirit the human agent is unprepared. The day of trial can steal unawares like a thief in the night, requiring training and consecration of all powers, time and means to glorify God and bless others rather than spending holidays and time on games.

If the warned do not watch and repent, the Lord will remove His protection from those who dishonor Him. They will pass a boundary line where their evil works dishonoring His name are revealed, the candlestick will be removed out of its place, and those who act as sinners will be punished as sinners. Their works are weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and are not found perfect before God, but wanting, unless they repent. The warning is spoken to people of defective character who have known the truth for years yet have not obeyed it, including those standing in positions of responsibility, who must humble their proud hearts, do the first works, and strengthen the things that remain.

Dead Name and Imperfect Works

The charge is that of having a name to live while being dead, a terrible condition of living in name while dead in fact. It was spoken to Sardis, whose name for being alive concealed death and whose works were not complete before God. The same state is found in the churches of the present day and in every church claiming to believe the truth, in professed commandment-keepers, and in those of defective character who have known the truth for years yet have not obeyed it, including those standing in positions of responsibility and stewards who thought it their privilege to ascend to high places. Their deficiency is having a form of godliness without the power, being dead so far as exerting a saving influence is concerned. A religious life can look alive and praiseworthy yet be dead, cold, unimpressible, and deficient in love to God and to neighbors.

Those addressed have works that are not perfect or complete before God. Every transaction of life is registered in God's book of records, and in the great day everyone will receive according as his works have been. Characters are weighed by One who never makes a mistake, who measures the temple and the worshipers, who is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word and act, and who knows all about each one's religious experience and whom each loves and serves. Weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, such works are found wanting unless there is repentance.

The deadness comes through want of love and interest to strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. It grows through pride and self-righteousness, self-importance and formalism, and cold-hearted worldliness shutting Christ's love from the heart, so that truth not practiced loses its power. It shows itself in hardness of heart toward one another, in dealing with human minds without sensitivity, sympathy, kindness and love, in selfishness and covetousness, bitterness, self-love, self-deception and self-justification, in faultfinding and dissension, and in gross neglect to help brethren by encouraging words and deeds and to help souls ready to die and ready to perish. Those in this state may have some excellent qualifications, but they are neutralized like a dead fly in the ointment because the love of Christ is not an abiding principle in the soul, self is not yet crucified, and true conversion is not perfected. Their neglect of duty makes works imperfect before God and not corresponding with faith.

The rebuke falls on departing from pure, holy, sanctified principles in business management in institutions. It comes also to shepherds in the flock who do not discern spiritual need, who are careless about their own spiritual standing, and who do not keep pure principles of truth uncontaminated by worldly influences. It is applied to ministers and workers sustained by the tithe who are consumers and not producers, charging inefficiency, selfishness, careless dealing, and inaction that weakens spiritual strength and wastes opportunity, and calling for sincere, earnest, persevering labor in the vineyard for souls and bearing much fruit. It condemns marked neglect in seeking to save lost sheep and hard, unsympathizing conduct that lays stumbling blocks and drives souls into the wilderness, and especially leaders and brethren in responsible positions who drive souls away, discourage and wound the brokenhearted, and exercise a proud, domineering, condemning spirit instead of restoring the erring in meekness, bearing burdens, and living in unity and lowliness, for which course they are held responsible for perishing souls.

Working with intensity of effort to keep up a name while neglecting responsibilities of a most solemn character God cannot approve, and a name kept up in this way is dead so far as correct influence is concerned. Those who follow in that tread will be dead, destroyed by false representations. There is nothing more dangerous to a professing Christian than to have merely a name. The pursuit of a name can lead people to neglect solemn responsibilities and exert a destructive influence on those who follow them, and pursuit of self-exaltation can make a person useless in God's service and lead to shipwreck of faith.

Promises and Scriptural Connections

The call to remember, hold fast, repent and watch stands joined to precious promises held out to the overcomer. The few undefiled names who have not defiled their garments and keep the garment of Christ's righteousness undefiled through grace are worthy to walk with Christ in white. The overcomer will be clothed in white raiment, his name shall not be blotted out of the book of life, and Christ will confess his name before the Father and His angels. That promise is rich and full of hope and encouragement to parents and children, but only on conditions of faith and obedience doing works of righteousness, dealing honestly with self, looking unto Jesus and being changed into His image. To be counted among that worthy number requires living in consecration, devotion and humility so the enemy cannot take control of the mind, and drawing near to God by prayer, contemplation and reading His Word causes Him to draw near and lift up a standard against the enemy that the enemy cannot pass.

Those who obey the call are as the five wise virgins who have perfected a Christian character by washing their robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb. Holding fast and repenting means knowing that there is a right side and a wrong side, holding fast to the right and repenting of the wrong. In Noah's day the largest number chose the wrong side, and the world under Satan's training and inspiration now chooses the wrong side by sustaining sin and transgression of the law of God and giving it popularity. That popularity does not lessen the force of one principle of God, and it is of the highest consequence for students and for young men and young women to be on the right side.

Names once written in the book of life will not always remain there unless watchfulness is maintained by continuing as a Christian every day, every hour, every minute after first accepting Christ, without becoming careless, indifferent and prayerless. The warning applies to people facing judgment: they must confess and forsake their sins before their cases are examined, or their names will be blotted from the book of life. Church members are on trial, and those who fail to testify to God's Word will lose their place, while the faithful will stand firm and shine for Christ. All are now taking sides and must choose a blessing or a curse by purifying the mind through obeying the truth, with spiritual understanding to be cleansed, purified, sanctified and ennobled, because a heavenly Watcher marks words and deportment and reads the motives that prompt action, so there is no time to be idle and indifferent but to watch and strive to develop a Christian character.

Revelation 3:1-5 is a communication for all who live in these last days and belongs to the solemn testimony of the third angel's message, which combines the first and the second messages and binds them up with the third. It brings believers down to the closing scenes of this earth's history and to the great and last warfare between two classes — those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void the law of God. It is named as a scriptural standard for measuring character, showing that a Christian name and religious profession are not enough unless life and character are shaped by truth and made Christlike.

Present Application and Duty

The call to remember what was received and heard, to hold fast and repent, and to watch lest the coming be as a thief at an unknown hour belongs to the church of the present day. It belongs to Seventh-day Adventists and to those claiming to be Sabbathkeepers who proclaim the last closing work, whose works are not perfect before God and who must strengthen what remains ready to die. It belongs to every church claiming to believe truth, to professed Christians who have fallen from first love or lost zeal for spiritual things, and to those who have received great light but have not opened the heart to Christ. Each is summoned to search the heart, to return to early zeal when every power was used through sickness to carry truth to every community, and to heed heaven's messages with the Spirit's power so an impression is made.

For years the rebuke of having a name to live while dead, with works not right before God, has applied to the moral condition of the Review and Herald office. Its words stand in characters of fire on the walls of the printing office and council rooms, calling those responsible to turn from selfishness and conduct inconsistent with Christ's principles, to let received truth purify the heart from selfishness and worldliness, and to show patience and Christlike love that saves those ready to die. The same warning was addressed to the church in Battle Creek, to whom the Spirit was proffered again and again yet whose heavenly anointing departed through lack of pity, scarcely existing faith, and sharp critical handling of sacred things, and to those in Battle Creek and every place influenced by sentiments spoiling the flock. It was spoken to the Fresno church in its distracted condition to set things in order without rashness or unsanctified planning, to a husband and wife as a call to decisive stand toward God's work, and judgments such as fires in New York show God's controversy when warnings are unheeded.

The message to Sardis is to be studied as God's revealed word, and ministers are urged to study every verse of the third chapter which portrays the last-day condition of those who have received great light. Watchmen watching for souls as those who must give account are to stay awake, guard every outpost, and answer in clear tones under the Holy Spirit that morning comes and also night, lest through stubborn unbelief souls pass into uncertainty and their blood be required. Believers must earnestly study Revelation to understand and keep what is written, arousing to do the first works, with blessing for those who read, hear and keep, and with careful heed to theories that misapply true texts to destroy faith in truths that stood the test for half a century, especially the light on the sanctuary question given through the 1844 disappointment.

The verse is a grave warning to those in spiritual indifference and half-hearted work to awake to unreserved consecration, receiving the Holy Spirit and laboring with zeal in work of eternal importance. Remembering how truth was first received in purity means dropping pretense for reality and doing an individual work of preparation in the little time remaining, for the end of all things is at hand, a charge laid especially on youth learning from Scripture what to do now. It means beginning seasons of gathering with deep heart-searching without deferral, each soul seeking the Lord, emptying self, humbling before God while He may be found, and curing alienation, for workers are not prepared until this heart work is done. Those spiritually torpid must confess sins, turn back and become watchful, and the Lord's promised Spirit will resurrect long-torpid energies from apparent death into renewal of the straight testimony and spiritual life.

Recalling how the message was received and heard means making present truth the study of the churches, reviving earlier messages and applying them to the present instead of remaining weak and ready to die. Instruction once allowed to fade through careless indifference must be kept alive, held fast, and given to the world and to those who do not know it by diligent proclamation and the work to be done in the churches.

Thorough work is required in home life, educating and training children to well-balanced characters God can approve, for while these duties are neglected His blessing cannot be expected. Children are to be placed under the best influences where they hear truth, taken from public schools to schools learning God's Word as preparation for the higher school above and immortal life, and kept close under the home roof away from worldly unbelief as Israel sheltered children from the plagues in Egypt, lest they imbibe the unbelief that barred Israel from the promised land. Remembering also includes the light on health reform: backsliders are called to conversion, to temperance in eating and drinking to keep mind and body fit for service, to deny perverted appetite so God can cooperate, and where fruits, grains and nuts abound to avoid flesh meat which animalizes nature, robs of love and sympathy, and lets lower passions control higher powers, though no precise dietary line is marked out.

The exhortation is of utmost importance concerning salvation, given by Him who died to make salvation possible, and is to be treated with no carelessness. It is a testimony of most fearfully solemn import with no guesswork, arraigning hearers as before the Judge of all the earth over present and future welfare, commanding the dead in name to remember, hold fast, repent, watch and strengthen what remains. It is a special message of life or death commanded before the churches, directed not to the common sinner but to professed Christian churches in every place living in transgression of God's law, on which eternal interest depends. The whole third chapter is a lesson of warning for the time is at hand, with perils thickening to earth's close, calling those resisting light to respond to the Spirit and grace rather than remain blind.

The warning carries mercy and encouragement as well as reproof, coming by inspiration of God's Spirit from heaven's Messenger who cannot be swayed by human influence. Watchfulness is possible through advancing grace whose price is grace itself, working savingly day by day unto strength, and prayer in faith brings rich blessing through the Holy Spirit to prepare to meet the Lord coming with power and great glory. God will work with human effort, but He will not do the work He has given people to do.