[NotFinishedYet]

Revelation 3:14-22 (Young's Literal Translation)
14`And to the messenger of the assembly of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the witness -- the faithful and true -- the chief of the creation of God; I have known thy works, that neither cold art thou nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So -- because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth; 17because thou sayest -- I am rich, and have grown rich, and have need of nothing, and hast not known that thou art the wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, I counsel thee to buy from me gold fired by fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white garments that thou mayest be arrayed, and the shame of thy nakedness may not be manifest, and with eye-salve anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I do convict and chasten; be zealous, then, and reform; lo, I have stood at the door, and I knock; if any one may hear my voice, and may open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He who is overcoming -- I will give to him to sit with me in my throne, as I also did overcome and did sit down with my Father in His throne. He who is having an ear -- let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies.'

This passage has been heavy on my mind for the past few weeks and so I thought I’d undertake a study of it. As I read it, I was immediately struck by how the previous teachings I had heard on this passage had missed a vital point: the charge against Laodicea.

I have always heard the teaching that the thing held against Laodicea was their “wishy-washy” ness, their complacent attitude. But in reading this again, my eyes were opened to a very different issue here. Christ describes them as lukewarm and about to be “vomited out”. First off, the descriptor of lukewarm needed clarification. The water piped in through their aqueducts no longer held the properties to heal (hot springs) or invigorate (cold springs). The towns surrounding Laodicea had one or the other. Laodicea’s water though was tepid, and hard; filled with lime which clogged things up. This type of water was good to induce vomiting which could remove illness from people. Christ in speaking of vomiting them out acknowledges this and uses it as a metaphor for bringing Laodicea out of His Body. But that was not what was held against them.

If you look to verse 17, it gives the reason why they faced being put out of the Body of Christ:. Ego. Pride. Vanity. Self-reliance. Wow!

Looking back at the opening greeting, Christ introduces Himself as the “Amen”. . Amen at the beginning of a statement always means that what is to follow is true. He then adds the faithful and true witness, the chief of creation. He speaks of “knowing” their works. It comes to me how this correlates to Jesus’ testimony to Nicodemus that He alone as a man knew all things of Heaven and earth and came here to witness to us of them. He knows our true works and heart, be they earthly or spiritual. That is what He was saying to Laodicea: He saw their worldly and spiritual worth. Their tepidness would invoke the vomiting, but it was importing in the waters that was the problem. They were relying on the riches of man to bring them water rather than drinking from His well. They were caught up in their earthly and spiritual riches, feeling self-satisfied and in no need of His help. They were proudly reliant on their own abilities to do things: services, missions, even salvation and worship without help from God.

Laodicea was the largest church in the area and very popular. The city sat on a main trade route and was extremely wealthy. There was little or no persecution of the faith there, no hardships. The city was known for it’s medical school that made a healing eye salve, and it’s selling of an expensive black wool. They were rich financially, and motivated in their works by displaying their riches, not seeking God for anything. When Christ speaks of their “deeds”, He is looking at the motives behind them which always reveal a person’s true spiritual state. The deeds of the Laodicean church were motivated by pride and the praise of men rather than the glory of God. It was this spiritual illness that clogs things up and causes Christ’s rebuke.

The riches they laid up for themselves were of earthly gold and pride in their accomplishments. This sin was compounded by their self-deception. Christ rebuked them for their prideful and inaccurate assessment of themselves. The Laodiceans imagined that their spiritual wealth mirrored their material wealth. They were rich in spiritual pride, but bankrupt in saving grace. Believing they were to be envied, they were in fact to be pitied. Their wealth brought out the worst in them, not the best, and revealed their pride and self-righteousness. 1 Timothy 6:9 tells us: “and those wishing to be rich, do fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction,” This was Laodicea.

Christ knew the deeds of the Laodicean church; deeds motivated by pride and the praise of men rather than the glory of God. They were not hot believers who love Christ with all their heart and possess the marks of a transformed life. Nor were they cold unbelievers, who have not come to Christ and do not claim to have done so. They were lukewarm, taking on to themselves the glory and praise due only to God. Claiming for themselves the work that Christ and the Spirit would do in us.

It seems that the judgment was unmasking the Laodicean’s false Christianity. A teaching that works of our own hands, the moneys we give, our acts are what will bring salvation and completion to God’s plan. But Christ says no. He tells them to buy from Him their treasures, the purification of our value, to take on the white garments of Heavenly beings rather than the dark sinful garb of earth. To let His salve be the one to open and heal our eyes and to reveal to us our nakedness and to let Him clothe us with righteousness.

And He offers a second chance. He stands firm and gives the opportunity for our spirits to hear His Spirit speaking. He initiates it all, He finds our doors and knocks for us. In acknowledging that we hear, in letting Him do His work, He feeds us, He helps us overcome. Then He sits us with Him, makes us one with Him on His throne. And look at that final part: “As I did overcome and did sit down with my Father in His throne.” Sonship won through denial of self, humility, total obedience; becoming one with God.

What do you think? Are we missing the point here as to what was wrong in Laodicea? Are we missing the point as to what is wrong with us?

[Soulheart3]

Good study of the text Peggy, after seeing your post and studying it myself, I can see as you that people do tend to take this out of context a lot and apply it to anyone who is not HOLY enough. It was a rebuke because they were trusting in wealth, and not the Lord. Thank you for your good post.

[christkid777]

I agree this was a good study. But one thought came to me as I finished up your OP. Don't take this the wrong way but could you explain, in light of your conclusions, just what should they have done to be acceptable? What should their repentance consist of?

[NotFinishedYet]

Originally Posted by christkid777

I agree this was a good study. But one thought came to me as I finished up your OP. Don't take this the wrong way but could you explain, in light of your conclusions, just what should they have done to be acceptable? What should their repentance consist of?

I will think about this tonight, James, but right now, I look back to the words in the warning:
"I counsel thee to buy from me gold fired by fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white garments that thou mayest be arrayed, and the shame of thy nakedness may not be manifest, and with eye-salve anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see."

To me, to buy gold from Jesus or God fired by fire is to submit yourself to their purification, removal of the impurities within, and to be made whole and most precious. In doing this, you store up treasures in Heaven rather than one earth. And the buying of white garments speaks to me again of being cleansed but also being filled with the glory of God as Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration. His garments were whiter than any earthly laundryman could have made them. In being covered this way, we lose our earthly sinfulness and shame as we take on the Spirit of God so He is who anyone sees, not us. And as for the eye salve: letting Christ make the mud and apply it to our eyes so we can see: within and without ourselves. Letting His salve reveal our faults to us, taking away the blind spots we have to ourselves and letting Him heal us.

I will think more on this, brother. In the meantime, does it speak to you of any solutions for redemption?

[CI]

What was wrong with Laodicea?

Greetings NFY and all:

Rev. 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God

Above emphases describe how Jesus Christ manifests to the Laodicean Church. How He manifests positionally describes one/those to whom He manifests.

So, the Laodicean Church was generally full of faithful and true witnesses noted for their faith. Faith is the beginning of the creation of God.

Members obtained the faith of God and parked therein neither becoming fruitful nor advancing unto things of grace (water - hence cold) and things of the Spirit (fire or flame of fire - hence hot) unto the fulness of God.

Whosoever or whatsoever is not of grace and truth is spewed out of the mouth of the Son of God. What in the face of Jesus Christ is the mouth of God?

NFY is right in stating that they faced being put out of the body of Christ for reason stated in Rev. 3:17:

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The Laodiceans, full of faith, were rich (increased in goods). They were carried away by the deceitfulness of physical riches, which is a thorn that chokes fruitfulness - see Matt. 13:22:

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

In same way can some faithfuls become carried away by the deceitfulness of riches that may occassion their faith. But, true riches are refined by fire (Spirit). That is why the Lord cautioned and invited the Laodiceans to come to Him so that their gold may be tried by fire - Rev. 3:18:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

In addition, the Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ also provides:

• "White rainment" for covering;
• "Anointing" (by the Spirit of Grace) to enable vision; and
• "Love" to the disciplined (chastised) child

So, the Lord Jesus Christ wanted the faithfulls in Laodicea to be more zealous for greater things of grace and Spirit, rather than just be satisfied with obtaining faith only. By extension, we must also be zealous for greater things of God than be contented with just the gift of faith.

For that reason, He was stands at the door (faith is the door or access) and knocks for those who will heed.


---
Grace and peace from the Father and from the Christ unto all!

[christkid777]

To be honest NFY I have not given it as much thought as you seem to have done. And that is one reason why I really like the current crop of poster's on this site. You all make me think and study. I will give it some thought and will share if it seems good. I am glad to see you posting things like this again. You seemed out of it there for awhile.

Very good NFY. This caught my attention at the last...."Satisfied only to have obtained faith..."

I see it! We've all seen it...people who hold the sign of God up but strangely seem to also hold up resistance to his Spirit. "Yes I am a Christian who attends church, so don't press me, I've already admitted I am a believer! That should be good enough, now let me get back to my worldly conversation will you?

And you stand there puzzled! How can a person say they are loyally God's but yet cannot "hear you?" And also you are not hearing their voice which does not resemble the Shepherd's voice that you know. The sheep all know the same voice right?

Oh boy, the weight of faith that seems to be standing on and trusting in earthly treasures! On wealth and "ease" and public acceptance and populaity...

I Love what Charles Finney said....something to the effect that.."public acceptance or approval is like a god that many serve."

Do you "see" it as I do today? How being acceptable is the priority which people will stoop to all levels of evil to achieve?

[christkid777]

The thoughts that came to me as I was cleaning my airless paint gun, again, was that these people had began to take Christ for granted. That they had arrived at a place where their perception of need had been met. They didn't see any need to seek God further. They had therefor began to let their zeal for God go stale. But Christ was saying that they had not seen or obtained the true treasure. That the life of Christ and all He offered was what was really important. As Christ stated in John 17 "This is life, that they might know you [the Father] and Jesus Christ whom you have sent". The Laodiceans had actually stopped short of the goal. Christ was warning them to finish what they had started. IMO

[NotFinishedYet]

James, I agree! And while I haven't had the time today that I had hoped for to pray/study over this more, each of the postings has added a bit more insight for me. Especially you, CI; you added some things I missed and sparked some thoughts like the ones James had.

As I read CI's post, the issue of faith being the being of creation popped out at me. It sent me right to 1Cor 13:13: "and now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these [is] love." We all know it, but it was made fresh again today to me. "Now": the present moment, this very instant as well as "now" as since the other thing is over. How powerful! Pointing to the exact moment I am living in, and also affirming that since Jesus' time, things had changed, or even since our redemption only these 3 things remain in importance. Faith as the manifestation of our righteousness as the NT writings teach over and over (for by grace we are saved, through faith...), Hope also taught repeatedly as a believer being glorified by God, and Love: oneness with God as we fulfill all His commands, loving Him completely and all others. This being the highest work and prize to obtain. It also comes to me the representation of the 3 manifestations of God as I think this: Jesus making us righteous to God, the Spirit filling us with God's glory, and God Himself loving us beyond comprehension.

Laodicea per CI's posting was found faithful but had not allowed the workings of God to move them beyond this to glorification and full unity with God. They already knew Christ; He was not a stranger at their door but one they would open the door to and let in. To move on to add Hope and Love to their Faith, they needed to do this and nourish themselves at the table with Him, reclining their heads on His bosom. Only in realizing that these 3 things were what abided now, and gaining the hope to go with the faith, could they move on to the highest achievement of love.

Faith alone doesn't cut it, hope alone doesn't cut it, faith and hope together places us closer, but until we achieve the love, we still fail the victory that is now ours to have.

I hope this makes sense, and I will continue to pray over this. Peggy

[quote=NotFinishedYet;42223][size="4"]

Faith alone doesn't cut it, hope alone doesn't cut it, faith and hope together places us closer, but until we achieve the love, we still fail the victory that is now ours to have.

Love indeed is a big part of the picture. But I have to ask you where does Jesus say: "Your love has saved you.", "Your love has healed you."? Be careful lest Pauls lack of understanding and subtle deceptions lead you astray of what Jesus clearly states is the most important.

I hope this makes sense to you.