Revelation 3 - Lukewarm is Not Good!

revelation 3

All quotations in italics are from David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary unless otherwise noted. 

To the Church in Sardis

3 “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.

The church in Sardis: At the time Jesus spoke these words to John, the ancient city of Sardis had seen its best days and had started to decline. Yet it was a wealthy city, situated at the junction of several important roads and trade routes. The connection between Sardis and money – easy money – was well known in the ancient world.

This city was also a city well known for its softness and luxury. It had a well-deserved reputation for apathy and immorality. In Sardis there was a large, stately temple to the mother goddess, Cybele

The combination of easy money and a loose moral environment made the people of Sardis notoriously soft and pleasure loving. “The great characteristic of Sardis was that, even on pagan lips, Sardis was a name of contempt. Its people were notoriously loose-living, notoriously pleasure-and luxury loving. Sardis was a city of the decadence.” (Barclay)

Though at one point the church at Sardis was a thriving church, at least by reputation, they were spiritually dead. Oftentimes a church may look good on the outside, but spiritually speaking they have lost their spark. The Holy Spirit is the key to any church's spiritual vitality. Without the Spirit we can do nothing of kingdom significance. 

Jesus tells them there is still time for them to repent and come alive again. Jesus is giving them time, but also warns them that when he returns, it will be like a thief in the night. If we knew when the thief was going comem we wouldn't need a home security system. 

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.

There was a few people in the church who had not conformed to the culture around them. When Jesus came back those who faithful would be dressed in robes of white, a symbol of holiness. This person would never be erased from the book of life. Jesus would vouch for them before the Father, and His holy angels. 

White was also the color of triumph to the Romans, so the white garments spoke of the believer’s ultimate triumph in Jesus. - Guzik

Blot out his name from the Book of Life: Does this mean that someone can lose their salvation? That someone is saved one day – their name is in the Book of Life – and another day, they have fallen away and their name has been blotted out from the Book of Life? We need to first see the context here in Revelation 3:5. The focus is assurance, so we should not think that names are being constantly erased and then rewritten. The focus here is not the idea that Jesus sits in heaven with a busy eraser. At the same time, we should carefully consider what the Word has to say about the Book of Life.

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

Philadelphia: The name means brotherly love, and this city was the youngest of the seven cities, and was originally founded as a missionary outpost for Hellenism, the culture of ancient Greece.

This was a prosperous city. “Philadelphia commanded one of the greatest highways in the world, the highway which led from Europe to the East. Philadelphia was the gateway from one continent to another.” (Barclay)

Jesus reminds the church that He alone is holy and He alone has the authority to open doors for the spread of the gospel. Though the church had little strength through Christ, they would conquer the Jews who were against them, which again Jesus calls "a synagogue of Satan'. These people claimed to be Jews, but by rejecting Jesus, they showed they were not Jews. They didn't know the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, which were many. If they did, they would have recognized, accepted, and come to faith in Jesus. As such they not only did not believe in Jesus, but also opposed and persecuted his church. 

One day when Jesus returns, these trouble makers would fall at their feet. Because of their faithfulness, they would escape the tribulation, possibly becasue of the rapture, where Jesus brought up those who believe in him to heaven. 

Keep you from the hour of trial: Does this imply an escape before the Great Tribulation, or does it promise protection in it? Each side believes this passage easily supports their position.

Those who believe that Jesus will come for His church before this time of Great Tribulation note that protection is promised from the very hour of trial, not just the trial itself. They also point to the worldwide, inescapable cataclysm predicted in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21 and Revelation chapters 6, 8-9, 16).

11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus says he is coming soon, which is curious becasue we know 2,000 years later, Jesus has not yet come again. At the end of the 1st century there were lots of expectations about Jesus' return. Jesus promises another crown for faithfulness. This time they are told they will be a pillar in the temple of God. What does this mean?

This works together well with the image of a pillar. In the ancient world, having a special inscribed pillar added to one of the temples sometimes honored a faithful city servant or distinguished priest. “Philadelphia honored its illustrious sons by putting their names on the pillars of its temples, so that all who came to worship might see and remember.” (Barclay)

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Laodicea was an important, wealthy city, with a significant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a center for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous temple of Asklepios in Laodicea, with a more famous medical school connected with the temple.

Their main water supply came on a six-mile aqueduct from the hot springs of Hierapolis. Because the water came from hot springs, it arrived unappetizingly lukewarm.

This is the famous passage which says, "Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." It has become a common practice to call someone who is not practicing their faiht a "lukeward Christian".

Cold and hot water both have a purpose, but lukewarm water had no purpose. To be a lukewarm Christian means though you say you are a believer, your life is not making any impact on the world. Hot water is good for medicinal purposes. Cold water is good for drinking. A lukewarm Christian is leading an ineffective and non-transformed life. 

Another reason for their lukewarm condition was they became reliant on worldly wealth. There was an eye salve in Laodicea that many people came there for, which is why he says they have become "blind". 

This picture of lukewarmness would immediately connect with the Christians of Laodicea because the water they drank every day was lukewarm. Jesus said, “Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm, you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot.” In this spiritual sense, lukewarmness is a picture of indifference and compromise. It tries to play the middle, too hot to be cold and too cold to be hot. In trying to be both things, they end up being nothing – except to hear the words, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Though many of the believers were "lukewarm" in their faith , Jesus did not give up on them. He rebuked and disciplined them just like a good parent exercises tough love. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time but produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who are trained by it." Hebrews 12;11

Reflection: The consistent theme for every church so far in Revelation is that they were once vibrant in their faith, but had lost their influence and passion for the gospel. If they repented not only their relevance in the world be restored but their crown in heaven would be assured. 

Quesiton of the Day?

If Jesus were to return today, would you be ready? If not, would you change? May 2025 be the year you are on fire for the Lord!