AN URGENT WARNING AGAINST LUKEWARMNESS

Rev 3:14-22

AN URGENT WARNING AGAINST LUKEWARMNESS

The last of the Seven Churches was Laodicea, whose name meant "justice of the people". It was about an 100 miles inland from the Aegean Sea, 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia, and due west of Colosse. Laodicea was known for its wool industry, a famous medical school and its banking industry. Because the city did not have a good water supply nearby, it had to depend more on diplomacy than military strength to prevent a siege.

This Scripture was not meant to instruct the Laodiceans only, it has a wider aim. The actual church of Laodicea has passed away, but other Laodiceas still exist—indeed, they are sadly multiplied in our day, and it has ever been the tendency of human nature, however inflamed with the love of God, gradually to chill into lukewarmness. The letter to the Laodiceans is above all others the epistle for the present times.

Q "15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."

In this instance, Laodicea's Spiritual temperature is omnisciently understood to be "neither cold nor hot". Our LORD prefers a more straightforward profession of unbelief ("cold") or faith ("hot"). "He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth" (Luke 11:23).

Q "16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth."

Lukewarmness is the transitional condition of having been warm-- but now backslidden. The true warmth, like the glory of God, has departed from Miserable Laodicea. "And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the Ark of God was taken" (1Samuel 4:21).

Like the lukewarm and nauseous mineral spring water near ancient Laodicea, the Lukewarm church at Laodicea caused God to vomit them out of His mouth. Again, the God of Truth (Psalm 31:5) refuses to hold up a compromising and uncertain standard of gray. He-- and His people-- must be known by the certain sound of fervent hot "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD" (Zechariah 14:20).

Q "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 stark contrast between the Laodicean's perception of themselves, i.e., "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing", and the LORD's perception of them. i.e., "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked", is the difference between self-deception and a true assessment. "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself" (Galatians 6:3).

Q "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."

The only advice worth taking, comes from God. "22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at My Reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My Words unto you" (Proverbs 1:22-23). The LORD Jesus gives counsel concerning the repentance of Laodicea's so-called Christianity:

(1) purchase the "Gold tried in the fire" (Revelation 3:18) by seeking "first the Kingdom Of God, and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33),

(2) acquire "White Raiment" (Revelation 3:18), which is the "Righteousness of Saints" (19:8) flowing from a right relationship with Jesus Christ, and

(3) confess your wretched condition of self-deception to the LORD "anoint thine eyes with Eye salve, that thou mayest see" (Revelation 3:18).

Q "19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

God is love (1John 4:8), but that does not mean that He will not chasten His people for sinning. Ask Adam and Eve if sin had consequences. It is actually a matter of joy that the LORD sees something about Deceived Laodicea's sonship, that Laodicea could only prove by repentance. "6 For whom the LORD loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Hebrews 12:6-8).

Q "20 Behold, I stand at The Door, and knock: if any man hear My Voice, and open The Door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."

The words in this verse are for the church at Laodicea.The words were for those with ears to hear, not those needing ears . This section of Revelation has the words of Jesus Christ to the pastors of seven churches of Asia. The church of the Laodiceans was self-confident and self-righteous. Jesus rebuked them for their lukewarm condition and haughty spirit, and He described them as being spiritually wretched, miserable,poor, blind, and naked! They needed a personal relationship with Him for true spiritual riches.

The benefit offered by Jesus in the verse is fellowship, not salvation from hell. The Lord Jesus Christ offered the members of this church His personal presence for spiritual communion and fellowship, not regeneration or justification. These saints were already saved from hell as much as they could be; but they were living a miserable existence without a personal relationship with Christ. This offer was the fellowship and joy that John described elsewhere (I John 1:1-10).

However, notice that the LORD Jesus Christ is standing outside of the church at Laodicea-- knocking for permission to enter. Though God does give "repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth" (2Timothy 2:25), He only receives that repentance from a voluntary submission from the sinner. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

ü Lukewarm Laodicea is also composed of those professed Christians who have never actually been saved-- but are still known to God to be elect-- in addition to the backsliders of Laodicea. These Elect-But-Lost Laodiceans are among those who repent at the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7).

ü Elect-But-Lost Israel will also repent at the LORD's Second Coming. "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children" (Isaiah 66:8). Both of these will enter as subjects of our LORD's Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:6)

Q “21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne."

Overcomers of this Church Age "shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6). "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1John 5:4). The LORD Jesus-- our Example of overcoming-- has graciously invited us to share the inheritance of His Government with us. And, if we will share with Him in judging this world, then should we not be careful to exercise love when making judgments about our daily life? "2 Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (1Corinthians 6:2-3).

Q "22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Let no man say that he has not been warned. It has always been a matter of whether or not we have been willing to listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit. "24 Therefore whosoever heareth these Sayings of Mine, and doeth Them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a Rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a Rock. 26 And every one that heareth these Sayings of Mine, and doeth Them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).

Martyn Lloyd Jones said in one of his Sermons “I know of nothing in the spiritual life more discouraging than to meet the kind of person who seems to give an impression that he or she is always on the mountain top”