Children of God are known for their obedient and they obey every command.
‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things, which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee’ (Revelation 3:2-3).
‘Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears’ (Acts 20:31).
The Importance of Watching
Christ in His letter did not ask them to be watchful; He commanded them to be watchful. Watching over our soul is a commandment. He who watch over his soul, God will watch over other things he has. When danger is coming and before any destruction take place, Christ normally warns His followers, give them command to escape destruction. The letter to the church in Sardis was a sound of alarm to alert believers to avoid the impending danger. It is a deliverance letter to all believers in Sardis at that time and to all believers of all ages, everywhere today, tomorrow and forever. In time of flood, when most houses have been flooded and ours still stand in danger of being flooded, we must be alerted. At the time of this letter, many churches worldwide have been taken away by the flood of worldliness, pursuit of riches and pleasures without God. The letters to the seven churches in Asia at that time was letters of deliverance for the remnants. The command to be watchful is not optional but for all of us who are alive today. You have to be watchful, be prayerful and determined to follow through to the end. You must be strong, no matter the pleasures before you.
‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong’ (1Corinthians 16:13).
‘Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears’ (Hebrews 12:12-17).
The Dangers of Compromise
As we watch, we must remember the people who have passed through this way before us. We must remember that this is the last days and the danger of compromise is greatly increasing. We must observe the signs, the warning and dangers of compromise. We must remember that Aaron was called by God and he answered. He valiantly stood with Moses in the ministry before Pharaoh of Egypt in Egypt. He later under great pressures, compromised, built idol and worshipped it.
Many pastors, their members who once stood with God are compromising. Some have compromised in moral standard to get material prosperity and solve immediate pressing needs. Others because of the problems and enemies before them and their determination to win at all cost has compromised. They backslide, won their competitors and died without repentance. Others want to draw cloud, get more members, helpers, to attain certain achievements. They compromised, went into the battlefield and died without God. Others because of tender appeal, made to their needs and because they must meet those needs, they compromised. You remember Solomon, the chosen king, the wisest king and a true worshipper of God. Latter in his life, because he did not take God’s warning and command serious, he compromised. He listened to outlandish women and they caused him to compromise and backslide. In many churches today, some pastors are surrounded by influential women they cannot say no to. They bow to women’s requests for ceremonies and ungodly request that demanded for the heads of God’s ministers. They wrongly transfer ministers, kill their anointing and destroy God’s call because of the requests from outlandish women
‘But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods’ (1Kings 11:1-8).
‘Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin’ (Nehemiah 13:26).
