The Letter to the Laodicean Church # 1

The Letter to the Laodicean Church # 1

Revelation 3:14-19

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, "These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: 'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot - I will spew you out of My mouth. You say, 'I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" - and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold tried in the fire - that you may be rich; and white clothing - that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye-salve - that you may see. As many as I love - I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.' "

The Laodicean Church represents the lukewarm professor in every age. He is "neither cold nor hot." He is not what would be called a careless or ungodly person. He know the truth and approves of it. He makes a right profession and pays an outward respect to religion. Yet he is not hearty and zealous. He is not really in earnest. His soul is not the great concern with him. Christ is not first in his affections. Decent and respectable as he is in conduct - he has no love to God and has not given his heart to his Saviour. He is but lukewarm - neither cold nor hot.

What does the Lord Jesus say of such? Something very awful, something that is even startling in its strength and plainness. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!" That is, I will cast you forth - I will utterly reject you - I will disown you altogether. Such was His mind toward the Laodiceans - such is His mind toward the lukewarm now, for He does not change. What was displeasing to Him then - is displeasing to Him now.

The root of lukewarmness seems to be the lack of a due sense of sin. "Because you say, 'I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing' - and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." This may refer in part to worldly riches, for Laodicea is said to have been a rich place at that time. If so, their pride of wealth  was a help to their lukewarmness - and a hindrance to their spirituality. Without great watchfulness, riches are always a hindrance! Our Lord Himself taught us so.

But worldly riches are certainly not all that is meant here. The Laodiceans thought they were spiritually rich  too. They imagined they had some righteousness of their own, some strength and resources in themselves. They did not know themselves. They had not learned truly and deeply, that they were sinners. Hence their lukewarmness - their lack of life and warmth and zeal.

The very first lesson we must learn - is what we are. We may seem to make great progress in religion, we may learn much of doctrine, we may increase greatly in knowledge. But if we have never learned to know ourselves, and if we are not growing  continually in that knowledge - then our progress is no real progress at all - and we are building a house without a foundation. We are like a man pretending to mount a ladder, without beginning at the lower rounds.

What are we, then? Just what the Laodiceans were, but did not know themselves to be, "Wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked!" What all of us? Yes, all of us, in ourselves; all of us, until we have really done what this message to the Laodiceans bids us do.

We are "wretched," for we are in great misery and danger - and all the more wretched because we do not know it.

We are "miserable," worthy to be pitied, even while we flatter ourselves that all is well with us, for we are but deceiving ourselves.

We are "poor," for we have no spiritual wealth, no supply whatever for the needs of our souls.

We are "blind," ignorant of our own hearts, ignorant of God, ignorant of truth and of the way of life.

We are "naked," with no righteousness of our own in which we can appear - no covering, no defense, no refuge.

We are all this - and, worst of all, we do not know it! If we knew it and bewailed it - then our case would not be so bad; for then we would be more likely to seek elsewhere, what we have not got in ourselves. In other words, if we knew ourselves to be sinners - then it might be hoped that we should seek the Saviour of sinners. But we shall never seek Him - until we feel our need of Him!

There is One who knows just what we are. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot." His eye is always upon us. He knows us exactly as we are, each one of us. Profession does not deceive Him. Knowledge does not pass with Him for repentance, faith, and holiness. He knows our hearts - and He knows our lives. The mockery of an empty profession, the mere pretense of a religion that is all in the head or on the lips, the unhumbled heart, the coldness, the hardness, the lack of faith and gratitude and love - He knows them all.

What then? Does He cast off the lukewarm? Does He put an end at once to this empty religion, so displeasing as it is to Him? So displeasing that He even says, "I would you were cold or hot." How gracious He is! How merciful and long-suffering! He will indeed reject the lukewarm - if they continue so; but He kindly and faithfully warns them not to remain as they are.

~Francis Bourdillon~

(continued with # 2)