Reflection on Revelation 3 - 1 | 沉思啟示錄 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!

 

生命冊上的名字

每個當地政府都有個花名冊，記錄在當地出生的人的名字。可是，當他們一旦死了，名字也必須從這個花名冊上抹去。

啟示錄裏告訴我們，神手上也有個名冊。在神的“生命冊”上，記錄了幾個撒狄人的名字，這幾個人的名字是永遠不會抹去的。

主自己說，這幾名撒狄的信徒是“未曾汙穢自己的衣服的”，是與主“同行”的，他們是“配得過的”。主應許說，祂“必不從生命冊上塗抹”他們的名。

盡管大多數撒狄教會的人都是對主不忠心的，但是有幾名是忠心到底的。

大多數撒狄教會的人是怎麽了呢？他們被假教導迷惑，被世俗文化影響，向奢華風氣妥協等等。暫時看來，妥協會讓生活過得容易點兒，但是神要我們把眼光放長遠，讓我們看到，我們如果不持守祂的話語，就不可能榮耀基督。

今天，我們從各種渠道聽到的消息，大都是有悖聖經的。世俗文化誘惑我們放棄從神的標準看問題。我們麵臨著在信仰上妥協，放棄盼望，然後讓世人接受我們，過點兒輕鬆日子的誘惑。但是，因著我們順服基督而行出來的與眾不同，才是我們信仰的證明，像那幾個撒狄的信徒一樣。

我們的主對所有挑戰我們信仰的新舊哲學理念，和生活上的遭遇都了如指掌。祂從不在遠處觀望，祂令我們進入爭戰，並和我們一起爭戰。祂用祂的話語堅固我們和督責我們，困繞我們的雜念和壓力並不會讓祂驚訝，祂知道我們想什麽，為什麽會這樣想。祂可能讓我們處於困難的境地，但不會讓我們白白受罪。我們可能躲不開苦難，但我們會被潔淨。主為了救贖我們而舍己，我們要不要把自己交付與祂呢？

如果我們把自己交付給主，我們的名字就被永遠地記錄在生命冊上，這個是我們的救贖主擔保了的！