Revelation 3:14-17: I Could Wish You Were Cold Or Hot
Revelation 3:14-18 (New King James Version)
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Whenever I read this passage of scripture I am always convicted and challenged. Everytime I read the message to the church of Laodicea I think of the American church. I believe today if Jesus was to speak directly to the church in America, this would be the same message. We believe because we are rich, have become wealthy, that we have need for nothing. But we don’t understand that when we claim to follow Christ yet continue to pursue the world and its desires that we are actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
The only way to have eyes to see is to ask the Lord to help us to see. But this requires that we would surrender and humble ourselves before the Living God. That we would repent of our wicked ways and understand that Jesus has called us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Too many have replaced true biblical christianity with the pursuit of the American dream. God has not promised us a life of comfort. God has not promised us a big house, with a picket fence, with a beautiful family and many cars. God has simply called us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross. Jesus has compared the Christian life of following Him as Lord and Savior to carrying a cross.
These words spoken are from Jesus Himself. In each of the seven messages to the seven churches Jesus gives an introduction describing things about Himself that show this message is directly from Him. Here He refers to Himself as The Amen, The Faithful and True Witness. The things that mark who Jesus is is that He is The Faithful and True Witness. During His earthly ministry He came to reveal the Father and to proclaim the truth of the Kingdom. Jesus never sinned, He never fell short, He faithful proclaimed the message through the power and might of the Holy Spirit. He is the Amen because it is by Him and through Him that all things are created and held together by His mighty power.
Jesus' message to the church is that they are neither hot nor cold. Everytime I read these words it convicts and challenges me personally because I know with the Lord there is always a deeper place to go. Those the Father loves He prunes. The Lord is continually doing a work in our heart and life. If we become content with this world and the things of this world it stifles our growth with God and we end up becoming lukewarm. Lukewarm water has no beneficial purpose and this is why the Lord says you are neither hot nor cold. Hot water is beneficial and so is cold water. But lukewarm water is stagnant and when someone drinks it they desire to spew it out of their mouth.
May we always be willing to go to a deeper place with Jesus. May we be willing to put to death the things that hinder our relationship with God and the things that would try to become an idol in our lives. Satan is always trying to take the worship that is deserving to the Lord alone and place it on other things. May we allow the word of God and the truth of scripture to confront us and challenge us. To prune us and may we willingly surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Prayer
Father I come today and ask you to examine my heart. Remove from my life anything that would hinder what you desire to do. Father forgive me if I have become lukewarm in my relationship with you. Ignite your fire in my heart and prune me according to your will. I desire to be a vessel of your glory. I desire to be used for the purposes of your kingdom. May all that I am simply belong to you in the name of Jesus, Amen!