Letters 5 and 6 (Revelation 3:1-13)

Jesus knows the temptation that faces every church. See how he responds to the ones Sardis and Philadelphia are going through. The command is not spiritually to cruise or corrupt our given righteousness; the commendation is for not compromising in the heat of opposition. 

1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. 3 Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled[fn] their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

5 “In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.

6 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens: 8 I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying ​— ​I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.

12 “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God ​— ​the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God ​— ​and my new name.

13 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.