““Write to the angel of the Church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead……But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. “In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:1, 4-6 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/rev.3.4.CSB

The Lord Jesus speaks to seven churches in the early chapters of Revelation. In this particular Church, there are many Christians who have a reputation for being good Christians, alive in their faith, but God says they are dead. Why are they dead? They continue to sin against God, defiling the righteousness appropriated to them by Jesus upon His resurrection from the dead when they placed their faith in Him. They do not remain in His word doing His work, for they are not with Him as those who will receive eternal reward and are identified as conquers. Those with Jesus are likewise engaged in winning people to Jesus, including discipling people to obey everything Jesus commanded. The Church is full of people who believe themselves to be good but are neither in God’s word nor doing God’s work. Only One is good, God alone, but the one who will be rewarded by God is the one who conquers their selfishness, their apathy, their appetite for this world and instead places love for Jesus first and most in their life demonstrated by learning from Him to serve with Him in reconciling the world to Him.