I Know Your Reputation and the Reality

Revelation 3:1
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Contemporary English Version
This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Sardis: I have the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Listen to what I say. I know what you are doing. Everyone may think you are alive, but you are dead.

Amplified Bible
“To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead.

Reputation is what is commonly held or believed about someone. It may not be true but reputation is common knowledge. What is said and understood to be the truth and reality about someone or something. Reputation many times differs from reality.

The ideal situation is when your reality is also your reputation. Those with bad realities want to create and maintain a good reputation. Those with good realities hope that their enemies will not succeed in creating a bad reputation.

It is because of the struggle between reality and reputation that a whole discipline of public relations was created. Organizations have realities and reputations. Therefore organizations hire experts to manage a balance between realities and reputation.

In our text today, God sends a message to the church in Sardis. God tells the church that He knows the reputation of the church and its reality. The reputation out there is that the church is alive and doing very well, but the reality is that it is dead.

Revelation 3:2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

However, the situation is not hopeless. God tells the Sardis church to wake up and address that which is about to die. God says there is hope. God’s message delivers hope and not embarrassment. God knows us in detail and with all that He knows, He mercifully forgives and seeks to save us from the situation we find ourselves in.

God knows my reputation and yours, but He also knows the reality. He knows our church life. He knows our perceived commitment to the choir, church growth, preaching, teaching, truth, justice, integrity, etc. He also knows the reality that you are an abuser, arrogant, subscriber to witchcraft, racist, tribalist, neglecter of your family, greedy, etc. God says to you and me that I know your reputation and I know your reality!

God knows the reputation you are projecting and the reality you are living in. God knows you are pushing a reputation of good health but the reality is that you are sickly. God knows you are pushing a reputation of a well-ordered family but in reality, you are living in a storm that is draining you mentally. God knows you are pushing a reputation out there of being comfortable and at peace with whatever comes, even when you declare you are ready for anything, God knows the reality is that you are in deep fear. God knows that you are presenting a reputation of financial stability but deep within you know its hand to mouth and your current lifestyle is not sustainable. God speaks to us whose reputation and reality don’t match. I know your reputation and reality!

God knows that what others are presenting out there about us is not true. God knows what negative energy has done to our reputation. God knows all stories being said about us. God knows the source and spreaders. God also knows the reality that we are genuine people serving God, even though others have branded us otherwise. God knows the reputation and reality!

John 4:16-18
(16) He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
(17)“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. (18) The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

Jesus knew the reputation and reality of the Samaritan woman. Jesus helped her to know that God is not blind to that truth. That became the beginning of a better life for this woman.

When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed Uriah, he designed events and covered up the story. David after these sins looked like a God-fearing focused and hardworking king. Then God sent Nathan to tell David that I know your reputation and your reality. You seem good outward, but you are a wicked man. I know your reputation and your reality!

That revelation triggered a process of change in David’s life. May the fact that God knows our reputation and reality jolt us into a better spiritual life and better days ahead, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

NB: At this site, we study a chapter of the Bible daily. We have been studying chapter 3 of the Bible from Genesis and today we are at Revelation! We are sincerely grateful for your support!

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