Rev 3:14-22 | KingComments | STEP | . You have seen that Sardis has emerged from Thyatira and Philadelphia from Sardis. This development is continued in Laodicea, for Laodicea emerges from Philadelphia. In church history it refers to denominations and churches that have emerged from revivals of the nineteenth century. They indeed have their roots in what originally is a work of God’s Spirit, but the roots have withered. They boast on spiritual inheritance, but there is no connection with the Heir. In Laodicea you see what happens if the light, which God has given to Philadelphia, extinguishes. Or better said: when the warmth of the love for the Lord Jesus wanes and lukewarmness sets in. That lukewarmness is what the Lord Jesus blames the angel of the church in Laodicea for ( ). The church is boasting of the spiritual riches, while there is no place for the Lord Jesus. He is outside. The difference between Philadelphia and Laodicea has been aptly described this way: Philadelphia has nothing but the Lord, Laodicea has everything but the Lord. The Lord does not present Himself to Laodicea with one of His judicial characteristics from chapter 1. The characteristics He shows here demonstrate the contrast between what the church has become and what He has remained. He is the measure of what the church ought to be. In this way He puts the church in the light and He shows the deviation. He presents Himself as “the Amen”, because there can no new phase be expected in church history. The next thing to happen for the church is the rapture of the believers. ‘Amen’ also means that Christ will have the last word ( ). While the church has fallen into great decline, He is and will always be “the faithful and true Witness”. He testifies to God’s rights in absolute faithfulness and all truthfulness. He is also, as He is the beginning of the first creation, “the Beginning of the creation of God”, in other words: the new creation ( ; ). This is what is said of Him in the letter to the Colossians, a letter that was known by the Laodiceans ( ). The church was supposed to be a manifestation of the new creation. The church has deviated from that, but Christ remains the Same. . The deeds that the Lord is talking about here are not deeds that He can praise, but deeds about which He must express His disapproval. They think that they are full of good deeds but the Lord looks right through it and sees their real condition. They were not that cold as Sardis and not that hot as Philadelphia. If they could have been one of both, then at least they had a conviction. You’re better dealing with a totally unbelieving person, a person who fanatically defends something than with a person who is full of himself. . Lukewarm is nauseating. It makes one’s stomach turn. The only thing that is left for the Lord is to spit them out of His mouth. He is about to do that too. . Before He spits them out He tells them what their lukewarmness consists of. He also offers solutions to change their lukewarmness and gives the opportunity to the individual to repent. Their lukewarmness consists of being full of themselves instead of being full of Christ. The church is left on earth to testify to Christ. It does not do that anymore. Not only does it not bear witness to Christ anymore, but instead it starts to bear witness to itself. That shows how deeply it has fallen. The church becomes everything and Christ disappears. The church makes itself attractive, not Christ. A small illustration of this development: Many years ago committed believers put up a sign in a building of an English church. Painted on it was the text:: ‘Only Jesus’. Those two words expressed their great love for Him. After many years, the letters ‘Jes’ on the sign faded away, so that it only read: ‘Only …us’. The church in Laodicea talks only about itself. To them the Name of the Lord Jesus has become a means of self-exaltation, not an object of love. They are rich and they have the truth. They do not need others, for they have no lack of anything. But they do not know that they “are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” in the fullest sense of the word. They are totally blind for their own situation, for where they spiritually are. They do not even realize that the Lord is not with them anymore, but that He is standing outside the door. . The Lord advises them to buy from Him. In return for handing over their self-importance they will receive “gold” from Him. Gold speaks of Divine glory and is in contrast with their human glory, the boasting in themselves. This gold is free from any impurity, for it has been purified through the fire of the judgment. The possession of Divine glory through the work of the Lord Jesus is the true wealth of the believer. The professing Christian without Christ also has no “white garments”, which speak of purity that can be in God’s presence. The white garments are in contrast with the dirty clothes of self-righteousness. But the lukewarm nominal Christian can be clothed with Christ by repenting ( ). Through the blood of the Lamb the believer is sure to be pure and covered before God. All their deeds ( ) are no cover, like the fig leaves that Adam and Eve made, were no cover for their nakedness ( ). God gave them the right cover by the skin of an animal ( ). That means that an animal had to be killed, which refers to the work of the Lord Jesus. Only through that “eye salve” is available to be able to see. It is the anointing with the Holy Spirit ( ; ), through which we can get insight in the things of God. . In His love the Lord Jesus is punishing and chastising them. He wants to address all who find themselves in a condition that is comparable to that of Laodicea, also through events. All His efforts are focused on making their heart beat again for Him and bringing them back into right relationship with Him. He wants them to be zealous in judging themselves and that they may turn to Him. . In His grace He even now tries to reach their heart and conscience. He seeks a place in their affections. He is standing at the door and He knocks. That means that the Lord is standing outside the door and they do not even realize it! They haven’t even noticed that He has left. In their imagination they think that He is with them. Of course, they have the truth, haven’t they? For the church as a whole the situation has become such that it will be spit out. But the Lord addresses the individual. If there is “anyone” who hears His voice and opens the door, then He will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Him. Are you maybe in such a situation? Then it is not hopeless. The Lord is knocking at your door now. Do you hear His voice? Then open the door for Him and let Him come into your life. His coming in means that He partakes of everything you are engaged with and wants to share in all your tests and exercises. Then He will let you share in everything that He has. The result will be that you will rejoice again in all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in Him ( ). . You can be an overcomer. An overcomer in Laodicea is someone who in the midst of this evil company opens his heart to the Lord and allows Him to come in. There is a reward attached to that and that is to reign with Him. It is not the greatest of the seven rewards. It is not a typical Christian reward. This reward is shared with all believers of the Old Testament and with those who come out of the great tribulation. Still, it is great to sit together with the Lord Jesus on His throne. He connects Himself to the overcomer in Laodicea by saying that this overcomer has overcome in the same way as He did. Indeed the Lord gives a proof of His great mercy here by comparing their victory to His own. He did sit down Himself on the throne of the Father, having accomplished the whole work that the Father had given Him to do. Therefore He is entitled to that place. That is not grace; He has acquired and taken that place on the basis of Who He is and what He has done. . The Lord Jesus does not get tired of calling to hear, but it will stop some time. He does it for the seventh and last time. Do you have an ear to hear? Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Now read Revelation 3:14-22 again. Reflection: Is the Lord allowed to come in to you to dine with you and you with Him? How do you open your heart to Him?