The Bible Column 2018 01 13

“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.” Revelation 3:17

The Scripture above is one of several verses which the Lord uses in His message to the church of old, in Asia Minor, in a city called Laodicea. The church in Laodicea was lukewarm before God. They were neither cold nor hot. As a result, the Lord had determined to, “spue thee out of my mouth”. (Verse 16)

The name Laodicea means, “The people’s rights”. They said of themselves that they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing. They were, in their own minds, doing just fine. They wanted their own rights and their own way, and on the surface, all seemed to be well to them.

Rather, the Lord who knows the true heart, declared that they were in real and dire trouble. They were actually miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. We might ask, “How could they be so blind as to their real spiritual condition?” The answer lies in the fact of spiritual blindness through the sin in their lives. They could not see because of their sinful heart. They thought that they were just fine when actually they were not okay at all.

The narrative regarding Laodicea, clearly pictures the majority of professing churches today. With the wealth in our great land, and the present ideology of the people’s rights in our society, regardless of the infringement to others, many are in character and action, Laodicean in nature.

More, next week the Lord willing!