Revelation 3_20
October 5
Happy Friday Everyone,
The scripture for today is Revelation 3:20
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.
The message of Revelation 3:20 is Christ's message to all of us who exist in the Laodicean condition. In order to fully appreciate the message we must receive it as a personal message, not to others, but to ourselves. If the condition of our church life is neither hot nor cold, but rather lukewarm, Jesus is outside standing at the door knocking. If He is at the door knocking He cannot be inside enjoying fellowship. This is, of course, the Laodicean dilemma. We think Christ is having fellowship with us when in reality He is outside knocking, wanting to get in. Not only is He knocking, He is also calling. Can we hear Him? And if we hear Him, are we willing to open the door of our hearts?
This lukewarm condition is the result of compromise. We have added the things of the world to the purity of God’s word. When hot water and cold water are mixed, the result is lukewarm water. When the purity of God’s word is mixed with the things of the world, the result is a lukewarm spiritual condition. A lukewarm church makes God sick; He says "I will vomit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:16 Thankfully, He offers remedies for the Laodicean condition. This is the voice we hear along with the knock; "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white clothing, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:18-19 Even through our transgressions and resistance to Him, He continues to seek to have relationship and fellowship with us. He doesn't just tell us what our problem is; He gives us the solution. He offers us faith and love, the covering of the righteousness of Christ and spiritual discernment as the remedies for our lukewarm condition. Will we hear His voice? Will we respond to His knocking and open the door and receive what He offers? As each of us makes the decision to respond to Christ and reject the world, we will rise out of the Laodicean condition and the world will see the powerful remnant Church of the living God, the church that seeks no compromise with the world and has no fear of assailing the gates of hell.
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim