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August 26 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Revelation 3:15-18. All churches need to consider this passage. Every individual, who makes up the church, also needs to take this message to heart. The Lord Jesus is addressing our deeds and our heart condition. He warns us about being lukewarm. All of us have had the experience of wanting a cold drink of refreshing water. All of us have had the experience of desiring a hot drink that will awaken us or warm our chilled bodies. But in contrast we all know that a lukewarm drink provides little or no pleasure. It is the same with the Lord—He cannot stand “fence riders” or those who would “play at church.” We may find ourselves in churches that become fascinated with their earthly possessions, their buildings, and their stockpiled funds. But all these things will fade or rust away. We are to buy gold from God—gold refined by fire. What does that mean? Proverbs 16:16 says that wisdom is better than gold. 1 Peter 1:7 says that faith is more precious than gold. So the gold that is being considered here must not be earthly gold. Instead it must be a description of the spiritual gold—the Lord Jesus. In the city of gold described in Revelation 21, the temple is said to be the Lamb (Revelation 21:22). Yes, my friend, we are to use our faith to ‘buy’ Jesus. He is looking for nothing more. Out of that faith, placed in Him, will come all the works that He desires. We are to clothe ourselves with the perfectly clean garments of Christ. When we see Him in glory, we will see that we are like Him (1 John 3:2). Yes, God has chosen to respond to our faith by seeing us clothed with Christ. We are not to be found naked, which is to be found unrighteous. (2 Corinthians 5:2-4). Of course the Holy Spirit is the only one who can anoint our eyes—spiritual eyes to see God in our lives. Physical blindness, partial or complete, was common in the dusty, dry regions of the Middle East. But spiritual blindness can also be removed by ‘purchasing’ Jesus by faith. Father, let me not be a lukewarm follower of Jesus, for that is not be a follower at all. Let me be hot or cold so that You can work with me day by day, with no necessity for spitting me out. Let me not trust in earthly gold or possessions. It is only You that I want to possess. Amen. |
