Sardis 36
And finally, as we approach the end of Jesus’s letter to Sardis it culminates with two of the most wonderful of all God’s good promises – eternal life and eternal relationship with the Father.
In all the business of life and religion Jesus warns His beloved to not loose sight of what really matters, and that is your relationship with Him. He calls this being born again or being born of God. Look at the wonder of what Jesus discussed with Nicodemus as this is a direct reference to all He addresses to His most holy children in Sardis.
Now there was a prominent religious leader among the Jews named Nicodemus, who was part of the sect called the Pharisees and a member of the Jewish ruling council. (Nicodemus was as spiritual and religious as they came in his day.) One night he discreetly (did not want his peers to know) came to Jesus and said, “Master, we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one performs the miracle signs that you do, unless God’s power is with him.” Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, listen to this eternal truth: Before a person can perceive God’s kingdom realm, they must first experience a rebirth (be born again).” Nicodemus said, “Rebirth? How can a gray-headed man be reborn? It’s impossible for a man to go back into the womb a second time and be reborn!” Jesus answered, “I speak an eternal truth: Unless you are born of water and Spirit-wind (of the Spirit/God), you will never enter God’s kingdom realm. For the natural realm can only give birth to things that are natural, but the spiritual realm gives birth to supernatural life! “You shouldn’t be amazed by my statement, ‘You must be born from above!’ For the Spirit-wind blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. (It is a mystery) So it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born!” (They are a mystery) Then Nicodemus replied, “But I don’t understand, what do you mean? How does this happen?” Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, aren’t you the respected teacher in Israel, and yet you don’t understand this revelation? I speak eternal truths about things I know, things I’ve seen and experienced—and still you don’t accept what I reveal. If you’re unable to understand and believe what I’ve told you about the natural realm, what will you do when I begin to unveil the heavenly realm? (The rest of the Book of Revelation is heavenly realm reality) No one has risen into the heavenly realm except the Son of Man who also exists in heaven.” (Jesus as a man existed in two places, earth and heaven – so do you for you are just like Him) “And just as Moses in the desert lifted up the brass replica of a snake on a pole for all the people to see and be healed, so the Son of Man is ready to be lifted up, so that those who truly believe in him will not perish but be given eternal life. For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of God’s beloved Son. (Joh 3:1-18 TPT)
“If you openly and publicly acknowledge me, I will freely and openly acknowledge you before my heavenly Father. But if you publicly deny that you know me, I will also deny you before my heavenly Father. (Mat 10:32-33 TPT)
And the one who experiences victory will be dressed in white robes and I will never, no never erase your name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge your name before my Father and his angels. So the one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is now saying to all the churches. (Rev 3:5-6 TPT)
Salvation, or being born again, is experienced through your internal belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and your public declaration that you believe in Him. It is profoundly simple and eternally magnificent. Once you know you are His – it is a living experience – there is nothing anyone in heaven or on earth or under the earth can do about it. Your life on earth will fade away but your eternal life in the presence of the Father remains intact for all eternity.
Your promise from your Saviour is eternal life and His plans for you stretch throughout the heavens and the eternity of eternities. You have no idea and will never comprehend all the wonders He has in store for you simply because you chose Him as your God and Father. This makes you a mystery to the world and a wonder in heaven.
And so, our journey with the saints in Sardis ends as we embark on our next adventure with the saints (God’s most holy children) in Philadelphia.
Yours in the Father’s love. 💖
Yvonne
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