Revelation 3:5-6 5The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Not everyone in Sardis walked with dirty clothes. The reward for faithfulness to Jesus and victory over temptation comes in three related ways. The first reward builds on the image of verse 4 and how the faithful remnant will be given white garments. The beautiful, clean, and exceedingly comfortable clothing provided by Jesus compares with the dirty rags the world gives. The blessing of white clothing qualifies one to be in the presence of the one who also white. To be in the presence of the Holy God, we must also be holy.
The second reward that results from victorious obedience through remaining pure and unsoiled is having one’s name put in the book of life. This special book is also called the “Lamb’s book of life” in 13:8 and 21:17. The image of a book of names first appears in Exodus 32:32–33, where Moses intercedes for the people, and he asks the Lord to forgive the people or blot out his name from the Lord’s special book. Another reference is Psalm 69:28, where the image of having one’s name blotted out of the “book of life” is used. Paul uses the same image in Philippians 4:3 for how his coworkers had their names in the book of life. The book represents a list of the names of believers, like a directory or roster of citizens of God’s kingdom. These are people whose identity is clear and known to Jesus.
The third reward comes as a result of the second: Jesus will acknowledge before the Father the persons whose names are in this special book. This affirmation echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 about those he knows because they obey him. This naming ceremony will be better than any graduation, where every graduate has his or her name read out loud and the crowd cheers. Our diploma will be having the ability to be in the presence of the Holy God, the Creator who loves us beyond measure.
Being victorious requires listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and responding to the Spirit’s conviction. We must continually dedicate and commit ourselves to God. Without growing in one’s faith, temptations grow, and the memory weakens. Since we become citizens of a new kingdom, we must follow its ways. We must not let the world blind us with its enticing traps. We need the help of the Holy Spirit and one another to make it on this journey.