Read Revelation 3:1–6
How does a hypocrite become a hypocrite? Most people do not have New Year’s resolutions to be known for saying one thing and doing another, and I have not seen many people advise their friends, “If you want to get ahead in life, you really should be a hypocrite.” Yet many of us know people whose reputations are exactly that. At some point, you have probably been one of them. At the time John was writing, the church in Sardis was certainly hypocritical.
When it comes to the church in Sardis, we know the general idea Jesus is getting at. Much like the Pharisees, they are whitewashed tombs and filthy cups whose outsides are clean. Yet Jesus does not get specific about this problem as He does with the other churches. We should be hesitant to get more specific than Jesus.
What Jesus does get specific about is the church’s need to repent. That communicates to us that it is possible for the church to repent. Even though they had not been living in the truth, if they choose it, they can do so now. This should encourage us in two ways: First, when we are acting hypocritically, there remains hope for us. When we recognize the error of our ways (whether it is self-realization or being told by someone else), the One who has the seven spirits and the seven stars will help us turn and be better. Second, when we see others living in hypocrisy, we should pray for them and know that God is able to turn their hearts so that one day we can be with them, dressed in white and counted as worthy of being in the book of life.
