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3¹ “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. ⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Sardis is the fifth of the seven churches in order of merit. The Light of its star is dim and weak. Sardis is hypocritical, pretending to be alive, but the Lord knows their inner activity and they are almost dead. The Lord manifests as the Creative Will, the Holy Spirit, the Lord of all Creation. Sardis is addressed with severity straight from the embodied Holy Spirit (alternate translation, the seven-fold spirit of God) who is Lord over the seven Universes and their guardian Angels.

The church in Sardis is not completely dead. They need to awaken to their true position and honestly face their condition. They will have to strengthen what remains and is about to die. All they need had been given to them but they need to remember and make appropriate use of them in humble repentance. The visit of the judge will be swift and unannounced by any fanfare and certainly, will not be expected. The promise of the Spirit of Truth has been fulfilled. The Message has been granted and all the Truth we need brought to our attention. There is nothing anymore that we may expect from the Father to help us in the Judgment, which will now inevitably advance.

Yet even in Sardis there are still few who remain pure, who have walked the path of faith and will walk with the Lord. These are those who are alert enough to recognize and follow the Spirit of Truth promised. They are the specially called ones. All other striving human spirits who overcome at the end will be dressed in white (purity) and will not be rejected by the Son of Man; their name will be permitted to remain eternally in the book of life before the throne of the Father. Note again the admonition to listen and to awaken their spiritual intuitive perception.