Msg#2540 From Thyatira to Sardis
“In the address to the church of Thyatira (Rev.2:18-29), we find the Lord announcing his coming, and bidding his saints to wait to share then with his authority, authority which the false church, the Jezebel teaching, persecuting with Popery and priestcraft church, was assuming to have already. In Sardis (Rev.3:1-6) we have an opposition to the false church, no claim of infallible authority, no corruption of doctrine, and no persecution of the saints” (F.W. Grant 1902 Lecture 6). They “protested” and they fit the bill of protestants. Christ, as much as ever, had “the seven Spirits of God” i.e. a plentitude of the Spirit, while Sardis had “a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Rev.3:1), i.e. a lack of Spiritual power, nay, of life itself. That is the character of the churches of the Reformation. They now have a name to live, a name assumed to be in the book of life, while the actual condition of the mass is that of death, not feebleness, but death. There are exceptions, “a few names” that are genuine, and “they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy” (3:4), but the mass are dead all together. In this scene of death, there will be a purging of church roles and many will, as it were, have their name blotted out of the book of life.
In Christ’s prophetic church history we have glanced at Romanism and Reformation and ecclesiastic denominationalism gives “a name to live” where there is no life. It is leaven, it puts tares in the wheat; the spiritual are in the minority trying to tolerate Jezebel and Nicolaita. Upcoming, in the message to the church in Philadelphia, there is an open door for individuals to escape ecclesiastical nationalism, state-run churches, and denominationalism. Praise the Lord.
An Essay for week #40, Oct 5, 25
See F.W. Grant Lectures in Vol 09 www.GSBaptistChurch.com/theology
Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs251005.mp3
