“Pure And Permanent”
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"Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay." — Robert Frost
We're so used to things getting ruined in our lives. Your new car gets dented in the parking lot. Your new phone with a shattered screen. Time and decay happens all around us. What if you had something which could never degrade, become dirty, or get destroyed?
Jesus' closing words to the church in Sardis is a promise of purity and permanence to those victorious over sin.
"The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. ..." (Rev. 3:5).
Pure White Clothes
Sin stains our lives. While we can't get that stain out by ourselves, Jesus can make us like new again. Paul describes Jesus' cleansing work for his church, saying that he "gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27).
Truthfully we can all echo Isaiah's words, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips ..." (Isa. 6:5). Fortunately, because of Jesus' love for us, he can make us pure again! We choose to hate the stained clothes of sin (Jude 23), and carefully navigate around our sinful desires using his words as a guide.
And when we overcome sin and keep ourselves pure in this life, God promises to make us permanently pure for all eternity.
Permanent Ink
Jesus also mentions a fantastic book — the book of life! John writes more about this book, when he "... saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." (Rev. 20:12). “The books” record our works, which will determine whether or not our names are in “the book of life.”.
If we overcome in this life, our names will remain in the book for all eternity. If we fail to stay obedient in this life, our names will not be found in that book, and we'll face the full extent of punishment. "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).
So what clothes will you wear and will your name be found in the book?
