Eric Casagrande      /          Genelyn Novabos

 

 

Book of Revelation - The Church of Laodicea

 

Friends, I’d like to speak with you today about the Book of Revelation, and what I believe is one of the most highly misunderstood passages within the prophetic scriptures.

It concerns the Church of Laodicea.

Let’s take a look at the corresponding verses (Revelation 3: 14-19), and see what they have to say:

 

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write:

 

These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True

Witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

 

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor

hot. I wish that you were cold or hot.  So then,

because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor

cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 

 

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become

wealthy, and have need of nothing’, and do

not know that you are wretched, miserable,

poor, blind, and naked,

 

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the

fire, that you may be rich; and white garments,

that you may be clothed, that the shame of your

nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint

your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

 

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

Therefore be zealous and repent.“

 

The message concludes (Revelation 3: 20-22), in the same manner it does to the previous six churches – with a promise of reward.

Now herein lies the problem. A great many Christians have interepreted this passage to mean that Christ is condemning the Laodicean Church, for being lazy, apostasy-filled, backslidders, who never displayed any of the ritualistic good deeds one might expect from a “real Christian”.

Thus, people believe the descriptive catchphrase “lukewarm“, found in Revelation 3: 16, refers to weak and uncommitted Christians.

But my friends, nothing could be further from the truth!

The reason we often hear this faulty interpretation, is because many folks don’t seem to have a heart-filled, Holy Spirit revelation of God’s incredible grace, as wonderfully shown in the person of Jesus Christ.

Instead, they tend to believe that – despite the completed work of Christ at the cross – God is keeping ’short books’ on everyone, and can hardly wait to crack open their heads when someone does wrong, or falls short.

Friends, if God really wanted to punish humanity so badly, then why did He send Jesus Christ to save us? And why does John 3: 16 say – ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son’?

Let me tell you something: A lot of Christians focus almost exclusively on God’s holiness – and He is holy, make no mistake about it. But friend, it wasn’t God’s holiness that motivated Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ,  to save mankind — it was God’s love! Read Romans 5: 8 sometime:

 

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.“

 

Friends, here is what God’s message to the Church of Laodicea is about.

To properly understand it, you first have to do some background research into what had been going on in the Laodicean Church at that time. Please do remember – the Bible always explains itself.

Similar to what happened in Galatia, both the Church of Colossia and the Church of Laodicea openly welcomed the gospel message – salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone – and had been growing in the knowledge of Him (Colossians 2: 1-6).

But after Paul left them for a season, certain outsiders had infiltrated both Churches, and began to corrupt the purity of the gospel message. I could imagine they probably said things like:

 

‘The Apostle Paul is a good man, and has some great

ideas. But there’s really a lot more to it. We need

to have an open heart and hear what God has to

say on how we can really be holy and righteous.

  

What Paul says about the grace of Jesus - namely

that salvation is only by grace – well that is alright. 

But there’s other things we need to do as well.’

 

So they began to contaminate the simple gospel message of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. They began to mix grace with merit, performance-based religion!

In Colossians 2: 4, we see Paul exhorting the believers at Colossia and Laodicea, to avoid such a one who mixes grace with self-effort, referring to them as ”deceivers“.  Then, as if to stress the gravity of the situation, Paul repeats himself in Colossians 2: 8, where he says:

 

“Beware, lest anyone cheat you through philosphy

and empty deceit, according to the tradition of

men, according to the basic principles of the

world, and not according to Christ.“

 

Paul later goes on to remind them, in Colossians 2: 11-15, that it’s only through faith in the shed blood, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that they were delivered from sin, and given the free gift of eternal life!

He then closes out his argument (Colossians 2: 20-22), by confronting the believers in Colossia and Laodicea, with the $64,000 question: How did they go from salvation by grace, to salvation by grace plus works?

 

“Therefore, if you died with Christ from the

basic principles of the world, why, as though

living  in the world, do you subject yourselves

to regulations?

 

Do not touch – do not taste – do not handle.

 

Which all concern things which perish with

the using – according to the commandments

and doctrines of men?“

 

So Paul is saying: ‘You knew the full truth of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, from the beginning. So why did you allow yourselves to be tricked by those deceivers, who add to what Christ has done?’

My friends, this was a major problem faced by the early churches, and, like a virus, it still exists today! Time and time again, Paul urgently warned them to avoid those deceivers who came in, seeking to distract them from the simple gospel message of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ.

Take some time and study the Book of Galatians, and then take a look at Romans 16: 17-19, and  Hebrews 13: 7-10. Read for yourself. Believe me, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The watering-down of the Message of Grace, was everywhere!

Now someone might say: ‘Okay Eric, I believe your interpretation on the watering-down of the Gospel of Grace is true. But where is the proof that  it applies to the Church of Laodicea? After all, the quotes you make use of are taken from Paul’s writings to the Colossians.’

Okay, fair question. Turn now to Colossians 4: 15-16, and read with me:

 

“Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and

   Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

 

Now when this epistle is read among you,

see that it is also read in the Church of

 the Laodiceans, and that you likewise

 read the epistle from Laodicea.“

 

So you see, every word of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, was meant for those believers in the Church of Laodicea as well … and vice-versa!

Knowing this, let’s conclude our study, by re-examining Revelation 3: 16.

What does it mean, when God says: ‘I wish that you were cold or hot.’ Wouldn’t ‘hot‘ be the ideal situation? Why is ‘cold‘ also mentioned?

My friends, in this setting, being ‘hot‘ means to be saved by grace alone, through the finished work of Christ at the cross. Whereas to be ’cold‘, is to foolishly believe you can somehow be made right with God, through the keeping of the Mosaic Law (or your self-works), alone.

Now the acceptability in being ‘hot’ requires no further explanation.

But the reason behind God’s rationalization of being ‘cold’ is that, perhaps at some point in time you will finally come to your senses in frustration, realizing the futility and the hopelessness of trying to save yourself by the Law or your own self-efforts, and then completely turn to Christ!

So if someone is ‘hot’ – they’re fine. If someone is ‘cold’ – there’s hope.

But the greatest danger – and most vile position – is being ‘lukewarm‘.

To be caught in this diabolical trap is very serious, because it neither fully accepts nor fully denies the idea of being saved by God’s grace alone! It mixes the Gospel of Grace, together with the Mosaic Laws and self-effort, never fully committing to one side (Jesus Christ), or the other (The Law).

By partly including Christ, they deceive themselves into believing they are okay, and never see their need to change! This is why Christ said to those deceivers who infiltrated the Laodicean Church with the doctrine of ‘Grace PLUS the Law and/or self-effort’: “I will vomit you out of my mouth!”

It’s not Jesus plus our works …  It’s Jesus plus NOTHING, my friend!