The Dead Church Series

The reason I believe many of them were lost, that is dead, is the Lord’s reference to a remnant in verse 4. There were a few, a small group of godly saints, a few that were undefiled. God has always, and will always have a people. They had garments that were undefiled. This causes me to consider a soldier or sailor that is in uniform. It is pressed and all elements of it are in place. There were some that did not defile themselves by unbelieving. They were not guilty of an unbecoming walk. They could not be accused of a denial of Christ or embracing false doctrines. This remnant was promised an eternal fellowship, walking with the Lord. I do not only walk with the Lord by faith in this present time, but I am going to take a stroll across eternity with Jesus. The saved are made worthy to do this. We are not worthy ourselves, not of works, but worthy because we had been genuinely redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Genuinely saved people are not just religious, but redeemed. There is much controversy in the media and many liberal news anchors like to ask if someone believes that a Muslim or Jew will go to heaven. The answer is very simple. A Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Mormon, Baptist, Methodist, or pagan can all go to heaven the same way. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. It is not religion or affiliation that redeems, but faith solely in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection. Any less for any group will bring damnation. Jesus declared this in His own words in John 14:6, as He declared to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” What more can be said, Jesus is the only way.

The Jews had a saying somewhat like this , "they that walk with God in their lifetime, ‘are worthy’ to walk with him after their death." In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5, we read that,

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.

This manifest token is the proof of God’s work in our lives. It is only by the work of God that we can be counted worthy of the kingdom of God.

Not only is their a remnant, but a rejoicing. The lost have nothing over which they can rejoice. We will rejoice that we are robed in white. White raiment was used among the Romans as a token of joy at festivals, and on birthdays, and at weddings, and such like times. It gives a glimpse of the imputed righteousness of Christ. The saved are pure in Him. Also, the name is in the book of life. An indication of some being blotted out is evident. Though many books are mentioned, it seems clear that some are blotted out of this book, so who are? All that die without Christ will die the second death, that is they will not exist as far as God is concerned. They will not be in any of His books. This is simple when you consider Jewish traditions. A custom among the Jews and Gentiles of registering the inhabitants of the city. All that were born were put in the book, and when they died, they were taken out of the book. Jesus never blots His redeemed out of the book, only those that die without Him. We are not saved by works, so we cannot earn a spot in the book. We do not keep our spot by works. This is the book of life, a list of all for whom Christ died! At some point, all humanity, all that have possessed life, the inhabitants of the world are in the book. Again, to make the point clear, when a person dies, if they have not received Christ, their name is blotted out, or wiped away, out of the book. When a person is saved, their name is confirmed in that book forever and their name is "confessed" or acknowledged openly and joyfully. Plainly stated, the only ones who will remain in this book are those who trust Christ and have heavenly citizenship.