Welcome to Hank’s Place
We’re visiting at that lukewarm church – Laodicea, found in Rev 3:14-22. They were self-righteous for sure, for they say “I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing.” They didn’t recognize their need for Jesus.
All the credit for their success went to themselves. In AD 60 there was an earthquake that really damaged Laodicea. When Roman offered to assist in the rebuilding, the Laodiceans refused, boasting, “We have need of nothing.”
So Jesus tells them the truth. They are actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. He is not speaking to believers, but to these self-righteous unbelievers who thought they did not need Him.
He is writing to save them – letting them know in no uncertain terms that they have fallen short. The solution? Buy from Jesus. Why is Jesus is talking like a businessman? Because this was a church of merchants and business people. Not buying their salvation, but exchanging their sins for His forgiveness. Such a deal! All the fortunes of Laodicea rested on on earthly items.
Jesus councils them to purchase the heavenly equivalent —
– Refined gold is your God-given faith. 1 Pe 1:7. Replaces earthly finances.
– White clothes of His righteousness for their black woolen garments.
– His eye salve so that they may see Jesus and what He has done for them.
Jesus is inviting them to exchange the treasures of this world for something of eternal value.
Those Jesus loves He reproves and disciplines. That does NOT mean Jesus punishes those whom he loves. That’s crazy since He has already born our punishment on the Cross. To reprove means to convict or expose and to discipline means the instruct or train.
In verse 19 Jesus tells them to be zealous and then repent. They were zealous, but they needed to channel their church activity zeal into genuine zeal in the area of repentance. Self-made religion reverses the order of these words and says “Repent and be zealous. Turn from sin – THEN get busy serving the Lord.” That’s wrong. It leads to dead works! The proper order is be zealous and repent. RUN, don’t walk, to Jesus — and COME ALIVE!
NEW BLOG NOTIFICATION
Be notified when a new blog posts