THEOLOGY BLOG
THINKING BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD
THEOLOGY
THINKING BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD
THE LUKEWAR CHURCH OF LAODICEA
BY CALEB CORNELOUP
THE LUKEWARM CHURCH OF LAODICEA
BIBLE COMPARES THE LUKEWARM CHURCH TO SODOMY
I want to show you something in scripture that you have probably never noticed before. I want to show you two passages of scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. When you look at what is being said in both of these verses you will quickly see that according to the Bible a lukewarm church makes God just as sick as incest, bestiality and homosexuality.
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Leviticus 18:22-25
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:14-16
Notice here that in the same way that the land of Canaan vomited out the Canaanites for adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality and child sacrifice, so too will Jesus vomit out lukewarm Christians. Lukewarm Churches make Jesus just as sick as someone who has sex with animals. Think about that. What is it about these people that makes them lukewarm and makes God want to vomit them out? It’s their works.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. Revelation 3:15
The issue Jesus had with this lukewarm church is their works! In fact, when you look at all seven of the churches in Revelation, each time God was examining their works. Jesus was examining the fruit of those that claimed to have faith in Him.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:18
It’s not that works contribute to our salvation, rather, works are a result of our salvation. In the same way a fruit tree bears good fruit because its a fruit tree, we as Christians produce good deeds because we are already Christians. The lukewarm church thinks it is rich but really it is poor.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Revelation 3:17-18
Jesus calls them wretched and uses the same word that Paul uses to describe himself prior to conversion in Romans 7:24 when he says “wretched man that I am”. He calls them pitiful or miserable using the same word Paul uses to describe those who have no resurrection hope in 1 Corinthians 15:19. When the Laodicean church looked at themselves with their physical eyes they appeared to be wealthy, well dressed and increased with material goods. But when Jesus looked at them they were poor, like beggars, blind and naked. Man looks at the outside but God looks at a person’s spiritual condition. They professed to know God and claimed to be Christians but their works revealed that they were not saved at all.
In place of their poverty he encourages them to buy gold tried in fire that they can become rich. 1 Peter 1:7 tells us that gold refined in fire represents a tested and tried faith. In place of their nakedness he encourages them to buy white raiment so that they can be clothed. Revelation 19:8 tells us that white raiment represents the righteous deeds of the saints. Their blindness refers to their ignorance and lack of understanding and the only solution is for them to humble themselves and ask God to help them understand the Word of God. To man people base their beliefs on their own wisdom and understanding or some spiritual experience they have had or heard from others. Without the Bible these people are blind.
Compare this to the church in Smyrna;
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich). Revelation 2:8-9
True riches are not material, they are spiritual and they are found in Christ.