“I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.” Revelation 3:19
This is the last letter written to the angel of the church of Laodicea. “This is the message from the one who is the Amen-the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” Revelation 3:14
Address this letter to yourself today!
Dear ___________,
“I know all the things you do and I know that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Revelation 3:15-16. You say you are rich and that you have everything you want and you do not need a thing! But what you don’t realize is that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. “I advise you to buy gold from me-gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich.” Revelation 3:18. And while you are at it buy some garments to cover up your nakedness and buy some ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. Remember this I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
Look! I am standing at the door knocking, if you hear me calling and open the door I will come in and share a meal with you as friends. I will invite you and everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat on with my Father on His throne.
Sincerely,
The one who is the Amen and the ruler of God’s creation-Jesus!
P.S. “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:22
This letter is full of discipline and warning. As I read this letter over and over to myself so many things popped out at me. If I am claiming to be hot than I am claiming to put nothing before the Lord, I do not compromise my faithfulness to please my own selfish desires. I do not tolerate sin in my life or sin in the life of my family, friends or church. I obediently follow the commands of the Lord and I do not pick and choose which ones I want to obey. They come as a whole and are to be obeyed as a whole.
If I am claiming to be cold than I am just that, a cold individual who has no life in Christ, and am one who chooses to live by the standards of the world which is of Satan. I live to please only me and have no conviction of wrong.
Then there is the in between, the lukewarm, it is probably the most common one in our society today, and a place where I have been more times than I like to admit. It is the place that is the most distasteful and disgusting to the Lord. It is a mixture between someone who is trying to be hot but has cold still within them. They say one thing but do the opposite.
They compromise their faith to join in with the world and those who partake in the world. They use Jesus for personal gain. They speak of Him when necessary but fail to live out His Word. They say they love, yet fail to apply that love. They want and need Jesus when trouble arises but when life is good, Jesus is gone. They want the best of both worlds, they want Jesus, yet they want to indulge in the world. They pick and choose bits and pieces of His Word to obey and disregard the rest.
The reality of all this is our daily lives show what we truly claim. Brethren, there is no hiding it. Our speech, our lifestyles, our bank accounts, our actions, our thoughts, our decisions, they all reflect our true hearts, hot, lukewarm, or cold.
Don’t you think it is time to get really honest with ourselves, the Lord and others?
Jesus I can’t help but to be frustrated with the fact that we honestly try to claim to be hot yet live a life that does not even come close to being hot for You. How much longer will we deceive ourselves and others. When will reality set in that those who truly belong to You are made new and no longer live the way they did in the world. How can we who claim to be Yours yet be so consumed with the things of this world. Oh, merciful Lord forgive us for being so ignorant. Amen
