Revelation 3:1-6

To the Church in Sardis

1 “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.

"Dressed in white and worthy" (3:4) are contrasted with "you are dead based on your deeds" (3:1). As James 2:26 points out, faith without deeds is dead. The blessing here, that of Jesus acknowledging you before the Heavenly Father, comes not by deeds, but by faith. But don’t miss the point James makes: Deeds are the evidence of faith.