The label was a deception - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 3:1

The label was a deception
The car caught the policeman’s attention. When he checked it, he saw that the emblem with the country code on the licence plate was temporarily attached with a strip of tape. Oddly, the Bavarian state coat of arms was taped on it, but the car had a “VIE” license plate for Viersen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Later, the policeman said, “If the owner had paid closer attention in Geography, he would have realised that his deception would be exposed sooner or later.”

In our Bible verse, God speaks about a church. He says, in effect, “From the outside, one expects life and growth from you – but inside, you are dead. Your label is a complete deception because your core is rotten.”

Is everything lost, is it too late? No, because the Bible verse continues: “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die ... Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent” (verses 2–3).

Obviously, the Christian congregation had started well, but after a few years they were in danger of becoming a lifeless church: their love for Christ and for each other was missing, and God’s Word was neglected. This was not yet observable to outsiders, but their true condition was miserable. Hence the call: “Repent”! It is an uncomfortable word but it is life altering.

Perhaps we also carry a nice label by maintaining Christian rituals but otherwise have no interest in Christ and want to be masters of our own lives. Let’s not deceive ourselves: not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” to Jesus will enter the kingdom of heaven. Some of them will be exposed as evildoers and will be eternally lost (Matthew 7:21, 23).

Today’s reading: 2 Chronicles 7:1-10 · 2 Timothy 3:10-17