Sardis – “The Seven Spirits of God.”

We now pass on to the letter to Sardis where we have a brief but very important portrait of the Lord Jesus. “He who has the seven Spirits of God” is no contradiction to the Truth of the One Spirit in the Epistles, for in this letter we have the Lord presented as the One Who is in control of the diversified activities of the Holy Spirit in the Church rather than as the Person who sanctifies and seals the individual and as, of course, these activities in the assembly are perfect it is apt that the numeral seven should be used.

It is evident that this church was spiritually dead in spite of the fact that they had a name to live, it would appear that human system and organisation had taken the place that should have been occupied by the Holy Spirit, or in Old Testament Type – the “new cart” was being brought in and the oxen had stumbled. Possibly all this may have been outwardly appealing, but He Who watches actions and weighs motives puts a true value on it all and writes across the whole thing “dead”!

Note please – in His hand the Seven Spirits and the Seven Stars are associated, but when the stars deem themselves sufficient then this Holy association is broken, and whether it be worship, ministry or service it will only mean the name without the power to live it, and a big accumulation of wood, hay and stubble to be burnt up in the coming day.

Thank God, the union of the Seven Spirits and the Seven Stars which are blessedly true “in His hand,” may be equally true and vitally experienced in our meetings, and then shall we be found in the holiest in our worship – in the holy place in our ministry and reaching out to all men in our service.