Today we will be looking at Christ’s message to the seventh church: the church in Laodicea. The church in Sardis thought that it was alive, and other churches thought the same of that church, but they were a nearly-dead church, having forgotten the gospel and what God desires of them. The church in Philadelphia, while being small, was mighty in the Lord because they persevered, regardless of how they were persecuted. They did not forget the gospel or what God desires of them. By contrast, while the church in Laodicea did not forget the gospel or what God desires, they simply compromised with the world around them, all the while claiming and affirming the gospel of Christ and His Word. In some ways the church in Laodicea was worse than in Sardis, since they both knew the truth, but chose to reject it anyway through their hypocrisy. Laodicea was not ignorant of the truth, but sought to hold onto the benefits and privileges of both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. In other words, their allegiance was so sharply divided, that they could not be regarded as having any allegiance to God. Think of it this way. If two countries were at war, and there were the same soldiers serving on both sides, would not both countries brand them as traitors? One thing that differentiates the kingdom of the world from the kingdom of God, is that the kingdom of the world welcomes those who compromise in their Christian convictions. All the world cares about is that everyone partakes of their worldly wares: idolatry, love of money, adultery, bitterness, and so on. This is because the world does not care about holiness—except for their counterfeit form of being set apart towards evil, which is what happens when professing believers compromise with the world. By contrast, God requires true holiness: loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength. It is to be a pure allegiance, without compromise. All compromise to our allegiance to God is sin. That is the difference. So, going in to our passage, we should keep in mind the differences between allegiance to God and allegiance to the world. God cannot tolerate mixed allegiances.
Jesus introduced Himself to the church in Laodicea, saying, “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation’” (Rev. 3:14). The more that I learn about the seven churches, the more that I see that the Exalted Christ gave very particular introductions to each of the seven churches: introductions that both showed the need of the church, and that indicated their issue (if there was an issue). Jesus’ introduction is no different here. By calling Himself “the Amen,” not only is He taking on the name of God, but He is declaring that He is the finality, concluder, and absolute judge. “Amen” means “truly” or “let it be so.” Applied to Christ, “the Amen” shows Him to be the determiner and discerner of all things. So, what He is about to say to Laodicea is final. He is also “the faithful and true witness,” sharply contrasting the Laodicean church’s serious lack of faithfulness, and their lack of genuine Christian witness that comes as a result of their hypocrisy. Jesus is making a statement that the church, like Christ, is to be a faithful and true witness to the gospel, which means living by God’s grace in accordance to God’s Word, and therefore manifesting the evidences of true faith. Jesus as “the beginning of God’s creation” also places Him as deity, and therefore the determiner of all creation, including what being a faithful and true witness entails.
In verses 15-17, Jesus then says,
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Like the other churches, Jesus knows their works. He knows all things. Notice the compromise between two extremes: hot and cold. Laodicea was in a place where water had to be transported to them via aqueducts. They had both pure water that was originally cold (bringing refreshment), and pure water that was originally hot (having healing properties). However, in transit, the water would turn lukewarm, losing much of its valuable qualities, and becoming susceptible to contamination. Jesus was saying that the church in Laodicea was acting as though it was trying to be both hot and cold at the same time; both for the world and for God. That is why Jesus threatened to spit them out. Notice that in verse 17, the church in Laodicea claimed to have no real need for Christ or His gospel, since they were satisfied with earthly wealth and privilege. Like Jesus, given the evidences, we should be able to see their true state. The evidence of their compromise is clear. Since they see no need for Christ, they therefore do not realize that, without knowing their need for Him, they are actually poor, naked, and blind. Despite claiming to possess every good thing, they actually lack every good thing. Christ Himself has every good thing for His elect, and outside of Him is no good thing—only true poverty, nakedness, and blindness. The Laodicean church, in reality, cast aside true riches for refuse—preferring manure to the truly valuable, like sows that know nothing but their own primal desires.
Jesus continues, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (verse 18). Jesus’ counsel is that they take true riches from Christ—that is, that they believe in Christ, leave the ways of the world, and pursue holiness. Notice that no mixture can exist between the world and its ways and Jesus’ ways. Either a person has true riches, or they do not. Either they are naked, or they are not. Either they are blind, or they are not. Despite the traitorous conduct of many of the Laodicean believers, Christ called them openly to repent and come serve Him once again. What mercy! He continued by declaring His love for them, even though they greatly compromised with His enemy: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (verse 19). To be “zealous” is for them to be fervent for Christ, meaning also being dead-set against the evils of the world. Loving God entails both loving God (Deut. 6:5) and hating evil (Prov. 8:13). So, the two commands to “be zealous” and “repent” mean to fervently love God, hate evil, and viciously turn from all their evil ways—attacking all their sin as one attacks enemies of their Lord.
Many often misunderstand the next verse, which says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (verse 20). This verse is not about Jesus “knocking on the door of your heart,” begging for you to simply open your heart to Him. Many falsely attribute this passage to being about conversion—as if Christ needs to plead for us to be saved. However, nothing in the context indicates or even hints towards this meaning. Rather, the context is that Christ is calling believing Laodiceans to repent and turn from their evil ways, that they may be sober-minded for His return. Here, Jesus is disciplining those that He loves (verse 19). He is also speaking to all of them in terms of His imminent return in judgement, and is preparing them to meet Him in faithfulness for when He returns. For Him to say, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” shows that His return may happen at any moment. It would be terrifying thing to have Christ return when we are not being sober or watchful. So, Christ is calling on them to decide in that moment who they will serve, rather than for them to wait until some later time to repent when it will be too late. They cannot serve two masters, but must reject one in favour of the other (Matt 6:24). His return is also indicated in the next verse, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (verse 21). This is, in fact, the emphasis placed in every message from the exalted Christ to the churches. Those who overcome will be given certain rewards by Christ, thereby sharing in His exaltation. Note also that in verse 20, when Jesus said, “I will come in to him and eat with Him,” this is referring not to something in this life, but to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-10). Jesus swore that He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until He returns in glory: “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom” (Matt. 26:29, a reference to the Lord’s Supper). Luke 12:35-40 lays out this context well. Jesus said,
35 Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
We don’t know when Jesus will return, so we need to be ready. The church in Laodicea was not being sober or watchful, and so were on course for judgement. A few verses down in Luke, Jesus said, “the master of that [unfaithful] servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful” (verse 46). However, those who do watch for His return (those who remain faithful) are those who will have the exalted Christ Himself “dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” He will have supper with them—the promised supper at His return. At that time, we will be exalted with him, and loving service will be an inherent part of us, having the love of God and neighbour perfected in us, as it is in Christ. When we are exalted, our humility with the exalted Christ will be an exalted and perfect humility; a humility that knows no sin. We will be with Him perfectly, and without any barriers of sin, embracing wholly the greatness and holiness of Christ, and Him embracing us.
Yet, for us now, we do not know when Christ will return. Behold, He is at the very door. Will we repent of our evil ways and be sober-minded, choosing this day to declare war against all the evil in our lives, or will we remain in unfaithful compromise with the world? How are your loyalties with Christ compromised? How are you playing both sides: the side of the world and the side of Christ? Choose this day which master you will serve, and no longer seek to satisfy both the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of Christ. We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in Christ. Mixed allegiance is no allegiance. Be willing to look diligently into your life daily, and daily purge all that does not line up with your perfect and pure allegiance with Christ. Our time is short, and Christ will return soon. “He has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 3:22). Amen.
Next time, we will be looking at the core parts of Jesus’ messages to the seven churches. That should help us to focus on the spirit of His message.