Reflection on Revelation 3 - 1 | 沉思启示录 3 - 1

Author：Karen   Narrator：Liying

Name on the Book of Life

In every county, a register is kept of the names of those born in that county. However, when they died, their names had to be erased from the list.

In Revelation, we learn that God also keeps records, but His "book of life" contains the names of such people as these few Sardians, which will never be erased. 

The LORD says these few Sardians did not soil their clothes, they walked with Him, dressed in white, and they are worthy. God says He will never blot out the names of these few Sardians from the book of life.

Despite the large numbers in Sardis church who had been unfaithful, a few had remained true and faithful to the LORD.

What happened to the majority? They were entrapped by false teaching, cultural influence, dangerous compromises, and deadly complacency and so on. In the short term, compromise may make life easier, but the LORD calls you to take the long term view. You cannot honor Christ and compromise His Word.

Today, from all kinds of sources, the message we are most likely to hear is one opposes what the Bible says. The culture often presses us to agree with viewpoints that differ from Christ's standard. We face the temptation to compromise faith and practice in hope that the world will accept us or we'll have an easier life. But it is the difference that you demonstrate in obeying Christ that proofs your faithfulness, like the few Sardians did.

The LORD knows every old and new philosophy and life circumstance that challenges your faith. He never simply watches from afar. He orders and enters into the battles you face. He strengthens and corrects you with His Word. The ideas and stresses you face do not surprise Him. He knows what you think and why you think it. He may choose to put you in difficult circumstances, but He never causes needless pain. You are not exempted from suffering, but you are guaranteed to be purified. He committed Himself to you and to your salvation. Do you commit yourself to Him?

If you do, your name will be on the book of life forever, guaranteed by your Redeemer!

 

生命册上的名字

每个当地政府都有个花名册，记录在当地出生的人的名字。可是，当他们一旦死了，名字也必须从这个花名册上抹去。

启示录里告诉我们，神手上也有个名册。在神的“生命册”上，记录了几个撒狄人的名字，这几个人的名字是永远不会抹去的。

主自己说，这几名撒狄的信徒是“未曾污秽自己的衣服的”，是与主“同行”的，他们是“配得过的”。主应许说，祂“必不从生命册上塗抹”他们的名。

尽管大多数撒狄教会的人都是对主不忠心的，但是有几名是忠心到底的。

大多数撒狄教会的人是怎么了呢？他们被假教导迷惑，被世俗文化影响，向奢华风气妥协等等。暂时看来，妥协会让生活过得容易点儿，但是神要我们把眼光放长远，让我们看到，我们如果不持守祂的话语，就不可能荣耀基督。

今天，我们从各种渠道听到的消息，大都是有悖圣经的。世俗文化诱惑我们放弃从神的标准看问题。我们面临着在信仰上妥协，放弃盼望，然后让世人接受我们，过点儿轻松日子的诱惑。但是，因着我们顺服基督而行出来的与众不同，才是我们信仰的证明，像那几个撒狄的信徒一样。

我们的主对所有挑战我们信仰的新旧哲学理念，和生活上的遭遇都了如指掌。祂从不在远处观望，祂令我们进入争战，并和我们一起争战。祂用祂的话语坚固我们和督责我们，困绕我们的杂念和压力并不会让祂惊讶，祂知道我们想什么，为什么会这样想。祂可能让我们处于困难的境地，但不会让我们白白受罪。我们可能躲不开苦难，但我们会被洁净。主为了救赎我们而舍己，我们要不要把自己交付与祂呢？

如果我们把自己交付给主，我们的名字就被永远地记录在生命册上，这个是我们的救赎主担保了的！