Members of the church in Laodicea did not see any need for God. They had wealth, good clothing and good medical care, especially for the eyes. We might say they had left home. The Lord saw them as spiritually destitute, but He would not force them to change. The Savior did not command but lovingly counseled them to buy from Him all their spiritual necessities (Revelation 3:14-22).
They needed the riches of the knowledge of God to withstand being tested in difficult circumstances (Colossians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 1:7). They needed to put on the clothing of holiness, purified in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 1:5; 7:14). Their spiritual eyes needed to be opened to the stains of sin that needed to be cleansed from their lives (James 1:25).
The Lord still loved them and only disciplined them because He desired to see them change (Hebrews 12:7-11). He wanted them to turn aside from their sinful uselessness so that He would not have to spew them out of His mouth.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). How shocking and sad it must have been for the Laodicean Christians to realize they had cast Him out of their hearts. He, nonetheless, stood and repeatedly knocked outside the door of each heart. He lovingly called to be let in so that he could “dine” with them. Had this church banished the Lord from his own Supper?
The good news is that Jesus has overcome the tomb and is now seated on the throne with his Father (Acts 2:32-36; Hebrews 1:3). The Christian who overcomes sin through letting Him into his heart will be blessed to reign with Christ Who overcame.
He still desires to have an intimate relationship with each Christian. Let Jesus come into your heart.
[Editor’s Note: Many sincere religious people mistakenly believe that they can through merely praying ‘receive Jesus into their hearts.’ Instead, Christianity is a doing religion. Jesus is only Lord to those who “do” His will (Luke 6:46). Only those who “do” the will of the Heavenly Father may one day enter into Heaven (Matthew 7:21). Initially, to “do” the will of Jesus one must comply with His directive to believe and to be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). This, anyone desiring to be saved from his or her sins and to have Jesus in his or her heart, “must do” (Acts 9:6). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
