“Christian” in Name Only

Transcript

GR 1514
01-18-09
“Christian” in Name Only
Revelation 3:14-18
Gil Rugh

We are studying the book of Revelation together and we're in chapter 3 and we're ready to look at the church at Laodicea, Revelation 3:14. We're going to take two messages to look at this church so you have an idea where we are going. It's the last of the seven churches, it's probably the most well-known of the seven churches to us and not for good reason. It has the most serious message addressed to it of any of the seven churches. It is again part of the region of Asia Minor, part of modern day Turkey, part of the Roman province of Asia. Paul on his third missionary journey had ministered extensively from the city of Ephesus, a ministry that impacted the whole region. Acts 19 tells us all of Asia heard the gospel, not only directly from Paul, but from Paul's associates who were traveling out into the surrounding cities as Paul was headquartered in Ephesus. Even the silversmiths at Ephesus are upset because of the impact of Paul's ministry on their trade. It says that all Asia has been impacted by his ministry. And that may well be how the church at Laodicea got its start, along with maybe some of these other churches in Asia that we are looking at.

It is in close proximity to the city of Colossae and the letters to the Colossians was written to that city and also the city of Hieropolis, which is also mentioned in our New Testament, although it doesn't have a letter addressed to it. Turn back to the letter to the Colossians, a couple of comments in that letter refer to the church at Laodicea. Colossians 2. Here it is indicated that Paul had not personally been to Laodicea, but he had a great concern for them. Look at Colossians 2:1, for I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea and for all of those who have not personally seen my face. You see the indication there. Paul had not been to Laodicea, but he had a great concern for them, a great interest in that church. Turn to Colossians 4:12, Epaphras who is one of your number, part of the church at Colossae, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hieropolis. So it is together in this valley here, the Lycus Valley, these three cities in close proximity.

The church there has had impact. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Laodicea. Look at Colossians 4:16, when this letter, the letter we're reading here, the letter to the Colossians, is read among you have it also read in the church of the Laodiceanas. So send it over and have it read in the church at Laodicea. And for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Some, and we won't go into this, connect that to the letter to the church to the Ephesians, the church at Ephesus. I think there are real questions about that, but the point we're interested in here, Paul had written a letter to the Laodiceans. So here is a church that has great contacts, great impact, close to the church at Colossae, had read the letter to the Colossians or had had it read to them, had received a letter themselves from the Apostle Paul, Paul's workers had ministered there. So it's a church that has had some great influence.

You can come back to Revelation 3. Laodicea was a city of great wealth, great prosperity, we get some indication of this. In 60 A.D. the city of Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake and it was the practice of the Romans when a major catastrophe like that happened they would intervene with government help. But the Laodiceans chose to rebuild their city without the help of Rome. Indicates something of the wealth, even after such a devastating event as an earthquake, they didn't feel the need to draw on the outside resources that were available to them.

The church at Laodicea in these seven letters in Revelation 2-3 stands with the church at Sardis as the only two churches that don't have any commendation given to them, no word of commendation, nothing good said about the church at Laodicea. In fact the church at Laodicea is even worse off than Sardis. Turn back to chapter 3 verse 4. At least at Sardis, even though he doesn't commend them, he notes in verse 4, but you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. They will walk with me in white for they are worthy. There is not even such an acknowledgment as that for the church at Laodicea. Now we're not saying there were no true believers in this church, but the church is in such a wretched condition that Christ does not take the opportunity even to acknowledge any believers who may have been there.

You know with that and coming to the harshest, most severe of any of the seven letters, we ought to note, there are no doctrinal heresies that are rebuked or exposed in this church. There are no moral failures, indecencies that are addressed as have had to be in other churches. And sadly this is the church that thinks it is doing exceptionally well. I mean, they wouldn't change a thing, they think they are everything a church ought to be. And yet the Lord of the church has to say there is nothing in your church that is pleasing to Me. You totally revolt Me, you make Me sick to My stomach, I'm on the verge of vomiting you out.

But before we get to that the letter begins, to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God says this. As is true with each of the seven letters, Christ identifies Himself in a special way to this church. It's true of Him and for all the churches of course, but for this church He reveals Himself in this threefold way—He is the amen; secondly, He is the faithful and true witness; and third, He is the beginning of the creation of God. The Amen, that's an Old Testament word, a Hebrew word and in the Old Testament it denotes that which is fixed, true, unchangeable. It is carried over into the New Testament and carries a similar meaning. The Old Testament, that which was valid, was binding; in the New Testament sometimes it is translated in the gospels, verily, verily I say to you—amen, amen I say to you. We just carry it over into English, amen, amen and then amen. Verily, verily; truly, truly. It implies certainty and as a title of Christ it denotes that everything He says is true, is certain, it will come to pass. He is the Amen. It's what we say at the end of a prayer, amen, it is sure, it is settled, it is certain. This is our request to God and we believe He will respond. Christ is the Amen, He is the certainty of God and assurance.

So He is going to say some awfully stern things to the church at Laodicea. You can be sure they are certain, they come from the One who is Himself the Amen. He is the faithful and true witness which carries on that same thought. Back in chapter 1 verse 5 Christ identified Himself as the faithful witness. This letter comes from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Now He identifies Himself to the church at Laodicea as the faithful and true witness. Carries on again with what the Amen means and the concept there. Jesus Christ is the One who testifies to the certainty of everything that God has said. So He is that One. Here is the Word of God and I testify to its certainty, to its truth.

Turn back to John's gospel. You are aware that John the Apostle is the human penman of the book of Revelation and he also was used to write the gospel of John. John 3:11, truly, truly I say to you; amen, amen I say to you. The certainty. We speak of what we know and testify. We are the witness of what we have seen and you do not accept our testimony, our witness. Down in verse 31, He who comes from above is above all. Verse 32, what He has seen and heard, of that He testifies, He witnesses and not one receives His witness, His testimony. But you'll note, He is come to testify of what He has seen and heard. He comes as the firsthand eyewitness, He has come from the presence of God the Father, He has the message from His Father, He testifies, He witnesses, His word is the word of the living God. Verse 33, he who has received His witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. We see that emphasis, that's His testimony, it's a settled matter. God is true.

Come to John 18:37, Pilate said to Him, you are a king? Jesus answered, you say correctly that I am a king, for this I have been born, for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth. He is the faithful and true witness and He witnesses to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. So He is the faithful and true witness, He brings the message of God to man with a fullness and a clearness because He is God embodied in the flesh. So He is the faithful and true witness. You see the seriousness of this, come to grips with it. The Son of God speaking and He is speaking not just on His behalf but He is speaking as the authoritative spokesman for His Father. So Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, if you will, are contained in what He has to say as the faithful and true witness. You get the point. You better pay attention is the background for this.

If that's not enough, He is the beginning of the creation of God, back in Revelation 3:14. This has caused some people some confusion. If He is the beginning of the creation of God, He must be the first created thing or being. No, He is the One who began creation. He is not Himself created, He is the Creator. So He is the beginner of creation, He is the Creator. Creation began with His action of calling it into existence. You know there was a time, if I can put it that way, an eternal time when there was only God. No angels, nothing but God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit because He alone is eternal, eternity in eternity past as well as eternity future. In eternity past there was only God. The angels had a beginning, the earth had a beginning. In the beginning God created. There you have the Son of God involved, the representative of God the Father.

Go back to John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And you are aware you can translate that in the beginning the Word already was. When you get to the beginning, Genesis 1:1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the Word, Jesus Christ, was already there. He was with God, face to face with God, He was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him. So you see He is the beginning of the creation of God, He started creation. Why? All things came into being through Him. God the Father created all things through God the Son and God the Holy Spirit was also part of that because when we get into Genesis 1 we read, the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. The triune God now involved in bringing creation into existence. And God the Son is the immediate actor, if you will, to bring about this in the plan of God. All things come into being through Him, apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. And you see that He is the Creator of everything. Down in verse 10, He was in the world and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. I mean, here the Creator has come to His creation and the world that did not know Him did not acknowledge Him.

Turn over to Colossians 1. So you see the church at Laodicea would have had opportunity to read the letter to the Colossians. Remember we read in chapter 4, Paul told them to pass this letter on to the church at Laodicea so that they could hear it. This would be some 30 years earlier to the letter now being addressed to them by Christ in the book of Revelation. And in Colossians 1:15, He is the image of the invisible God, talking about the beloved Son of God at the end of verse 13, the One in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Now again, people get confused on that. Unregenerate people think that this is an evidence that Jesus Christ is just a created being. That is not the case. He is the firstborn, He has priority, preeminence over all creation. Why? Verse 16, for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. So you see He is the Creator, He has sovereignty. That's the issue in recognizing God as the Creator, God addresses this through Isaiah the prophet. As the Creator He has total sovereignty over all creation. That's the point here. He is the firstborn of all creation, He has preeminence. Why? He is the Creator. Fallen man refuses to acknowledge God as the Creator because He will not bow before Him and that's the issue.

So understand here Christ addresses Himself in a position of His complete authority. Interesting, as the Creator, the One who has created everything. Not just the Lord of the church, but the Creator of all things. The church at Laodicea better pay close attention because Christ is addressing serious matters here.

Just an aside. This whole issue of creation, we alluded to it this morning. We sometimes get sidetracked. You understand man's problem is not the scientific issues, it is the issue of the sovereign God and His authority and the willingness or unwillingness to recognize Him. Just a short rabbit trail. Go back to Romans 1. Now you'll note verse 20, for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse. So creation brings the revelation of God to all men. So they are without excuse. Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him. How did they know Him? Look around, look at the heavens, look at the earth, look at the creation. Even though they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks. But they became futile, empty, in their speculations. Their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible ............ They worship themselves, they worship the creation rather than the Creator. So verses 24-32 are the results of that. Man's sinful rebellion and refusal to acknowledge God as the sovereign Creator and thus the One with authority over all creation, therefore God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Verse 26, God gave them over to degrading passions, there comes a natural sexual activity as part of that. Then verse 28, they didn't see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind. And then they do all these things and every kind of sin that is mentioned here. You see it all comes from that basic rebellion against God, refusal to acknowledge Him and bow before Him. That's the issue.

Now Christ reveals Himself, come back to Revelation 3, as the sovereign Creator of all, the One who has complete, absolute, total authority. And He is the faithful and true witness, the Amen. So pay close attention to the witness He is going to bear regarding the church at Laodicea.

I know your deeds, that you are lukewarm. You are neither hot nor cold. But He doesn't go in to talk about any specific activity. He talks about their condition and this is a reflection of what they do. They are neither hot nor cold, they are lukewarm. And that draws out of Him the strongest possible response—I am going to spit you out of My mouth. So you see at the end of verse 16, that word spit, you see in the margin of your Bible, you probably have the same note I have, literally vomit. We have it in English, an emetic is something you give to promote vomiting. You can look it up in Webster, so if they need to do something to make you vomit, maybe get something out of your stomach, they give you an emetic. That's this Greek word, it means to vomit. Here the church at Laodicea, so proud, so sure. Of all the churches in Asia there is none like us. What anticipation to hear what the Lord of the church has to say to us. Can you imagine the commendations we're going to get? And you get a word like this—you make Me so sick, I'm so disgusted with you I'm about to vomit you out. Can you imagine the faces on the church at Laodicea on that Sunday morning? What a shock. I mean, you are not hot, you are not cold. Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Could hardly say it any other way that you are totally revolting to Me, I want to be rid of you, done with you. This is a serious matter. He didn't just say, I'm going to discipline you, I'm going to chasten you. I'm going to vomit you out of My mouth. I mean, could you express it any more strongly that I want to be rid of you.

Cold and hot, I take it cold refers to unbelievers who obviously are the farthest from salvation. The Word of God has no place in their lives. Hot would refer to genuine believers, have a zeal for the Lord and His truth. Lukewarm becomes the issue. I take it is clear here it refers to those who profess to belong to Christ but do not. They are Christians, but in the broad sense of the word. They are not true, born again individuals. They have a professed Christianity and it looks so good. They're next door neighbors to Colossae, they've read the letter to the Colossians. They don't get it. They had a letter from the Apostle Paul. We know what his letters are like. They didn't get it. Something has happened in this church over time. At one time they were probably a good church, maybe back in Paul's day, but we have almost a generation pass and something has happened. This church is lukewarm, professing believers. It sounds strange that the Lord would say, I would rather you would be cold than lukewarm, but that is consistent with other scriptures. The most repulsive to Christ are those who have a veneer of Christianity, they are more repulsive to Him than those who are cold and open in their opposition. We don't think of it that way. We like good, moral people and so we get involved in moral reform movements to help clean up society, to be opposed to certain activity. We say something like, well at least they go to church. Meaning what? They'll have some kind of standards and morality. You know what Christ says, I'd rather they be frozen cold with no interest, no involvement than I would lukewarm. Professing but not real.

Go back to Isaiah. This was true in the Old Testament with Israel, God's people. Isaiah 1. We don't have time, you could read all of chapter 1 and get the awful picture. Verse 2, listen oh heavens, hear oh earth, for the Lord speaks. Sons I have reared and brought up but they have revolted against me. An ox knows its owner, a donkey its master's manger, but Israel does not know, My people don't understand. Middle of verse 4, they have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him. You'll note part of what is going on here—they think they are doing fine. They are still going through the sacrificial system and certain requirements of the law. I mean God says they have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him. And yet you come down to verse 10, hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. You know what God says they are like? Like Sodomites, Sodom and Gomorrah. You people of Gomorrah. I mean, what a rebuke. Sodom and Gomorrah, they are proverbial for the most vile wickedness. God wants to speak to His people, He says, listen up, people of Sodom and Gomorrah. That's what you are to Me, that's how I see you. What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me? This people that have abandoned the Lord, they really despise the Holy One of Israel are going through the sacrificial system. I've had enough of burnt offerings of rams, of fat of fed cattle. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? It's a defiling of the temple when you come before Me with your sacrifices. Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moons, sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure iniquity in the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals, your appointed feasts. Here they are going through all the motions thinking they are doing fine and God says you and I have no relationship at all. You are to Me just like Sodom and Gomorrah was. How can people get so confused and have such an unreal picture of their true, spiritual condition.

Come in the New Testament to Matthew 11. We know Jesus' conflict with the religious people of His day, the religions leaders of Israel. He is going to ultimately be crucified at their instigation. Verse 20, He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done because they did not repent. Chorazin and Bethsaida, if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented. I mean, here His people that He had chosen for Himself, the nation Israel, they are the worst. If I had gone to Gentile cities and done these things, I would have seen a response. But with you, nothing. Same idea. Here the people have the veneer of godliness, not the Gentile cities. He would rather have gone where they are cold, they would have responded. It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. Capernaum, another Jewish city, you will descend to Hades. Sodom would have repented before you. I mean, here we come back to this again, and these are the religious people. These would have been the moral people, these would have been people who stood apart from the vileness of the average pagan of the day and the vices that they would have indulged in. God says I see you just like the people of Sodom. It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. You see that worse position to be in is to be a lukewarm person, whether it was in Israel or whether it is in the church now. To have that veneer of righteousness, but not genuine, you will be worse than the worst when it comes to judgment.

Matthew 21:28, what do you think? A man had two sons, he came to the first and said, son, go work today in my vineyard. And he answered, I will not. But after he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said the same thing. And he answered, I will, but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said, the first. Now note this, Jesus said to them, truly I say to you that the tax collectors, the prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you. That's a stinging rebuke. You see the people that are flat out cold, the tax collectors and prostitutes, they'll get into the kingdom before you, the people that have the veneer of righteousness. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe in him. But the tax gatherers and prostitutes did believe in him. And seeing this you didn't even feel remorse. The hardest people to reach are the religious people. I used to preach in the city mission in Philadelphia. I got a lot better response than I did talking to church people, the average church, not talking about a Bible believing church. Go talk to some religious people, see if you get a good hearing. Talk to those who have nothing to do with it, they are not nearly as offended as the religious people. They think they are good, they are all right.

This is why, back in Matthew 7:21, not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. I never knew you. They totally are dumbfounded. Look at all we did for you. Didn't do it for Me, I never knew you. You don't belong to Me. And they are sentenced to hell.

Come back to Laodicea. This is a church in trouble. Verse 17, look how they see themselves. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, have need of nothing. That's how they see themselves. I take it this is not just external things, they are talking about their spiritual condition. This is how they see themselves before the Lord. I am rich. Laodicea was a wealthy city, the church may have been prosperous. They probably are really talking about how they see themselves spiritually. They are confident, proud of their spiritual condition. We are doing well. It may have been part of their thinking was corrupted by their material prosperity. And you know you begin to think things are going well in the physical realm, that is a validation of your spiritual condition as well. Just like sometimes when we get into trouble, we wonder, has the Lord abandoned us? Things aren't going well, why would the Lord let this .......... Sometimes we go the other way and say, things are going well, we're prospering, our church is doing well. The Lord must be blessing us so what we are doing must be pleasing to Him. And they thought they were well off spiritually, they were rich spiritually. They had become wealthy.

Go back to Hosea 12, and talking about Ephraim, referring to Israel, of course. The chapter opens up, Ephraim feeds on wind and pursues the east wind continually, multiplies lies and violence and makes alliances with these, and on it goes. Come down to verse 8, and Ephraim said, surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin. You see their evaluation of themselves? I'm doing so well and there would be no sin or iniquity found in me. We don't have time to read the whole chapter, but you can read it. What God finds in them is nothing but that which He finds revolting. I mean, how confused sinful people can be, it's a dangerous thing to be around truth, it's a dangerous thing to be with believers but not yourself be saved. Somehow over time we develop a totally unrealistic view of ourselves and we think we are just doing well. Sometimes I have contact with churches and an opportunity to look at what is going on. Isn't anybody there seeing what is happening? I mean, where did we get this totally confused view of how things are?

Come back to Revelation 3. So you see these aren't new problems for “the people of God.” Somewhere along the line the people of God become the people of God in name only. But they see themselves as genuine. You have need of nothing. This church was totally satisfied with their present condition. They couldn't think of any way they could improve or be any better off spiritually than they are.

Christ's evaluation? He says, you say I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing. You do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Can you imagine sitting at the church and hearing that? That you were the spiritual giant of the land, rich in spirituality, can't think of anything you'd want to improve in our church. It's everything I would want our church to be. And Christ says, you don't understand. You don't know you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. Their evaluation came out of ignorance of their true spiritual condition. They are wretched, a word that means extreme poverty. You are totally destitute. You are miserable, it means an object of extreme pity. Your condition is as pitiful as it could get. You are poor, the word here ptochos, totally destitute, a complete beggar, you have nothing. Blind, you are in spiritual darkness, a metaphor used a number of times in scripture for spiritual condition—blind. The god of this world blinds the minds of unbelievers, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ should shine in, II Corinthians 4 tells us. Naked, they don't have the garment of salvation, they are spiritually naked before Him. You see the overall condition of this church is it is a church of unregenerate people. The people who have joined over the last 35-40 years, the people who have grown up in the church, they have never experienced genuine salvation. They are spiritually naked before God.

Come back to Matthew 22. Jesus tells a parable here, we can't pick up all of it, we have to highlight it. Verse 1, Jesus spoke to them again in parables saying, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, sent his slave out to call those invited to the feast. Said it is all prepared. They went out, called them, but they paid no attention. They seized his slaves, mistreated them. He was enraged, sent his armies to destroy the city. They said the wedding is all set, those who were invited are unworthy. You go out and invite people, verse 9, go to the main highways and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding feast. The slaves went out to the streets and gathered together all they found, evil and good. The wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. The king came in to look over the dinner guests and he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes. He said to him, friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? The man was speechless. The king said to his servants, bind him hand and foot, throw him into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Many are called, few are chosen. The call goes out to all, but only a few are chosen and come to genuine salvation.

You see these are called from the highways and byways of life, the dregs of humanity. They were provided the wedding garment on coming in, but one didn't come in the prescribed way. He doesn't have a garment, he is unclothed. So the picture, you are naked, you don't have the required clothes. What are the required clothes? It is the righteousness of Christ provided to us which manifests itself through our righteousness as the beauty of His character comes out in our conduct.

Come back to Revelation. Isn't it amazing a church in this miserable condition could say of themselves, we have need of nothing? But it is not hopeless because God graciously offers them salvation. Revelation 3:18, I advise you, I give you counsel, I give you advice. Here is my counsel to those who don't think they need anything. Buy from me gold refined by fire so you may become rich, white garments so you may clothe yourself. The shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. Eye salve to anoint your eyes so you may see. Buy from me.

We have to go back to Isaiah 55, I love this passage because of the way it is put. Buy from me. I thought salvation was free. Yes, you can buy salvation with no money. Isaiah 55:1, ho everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Come you who have no money. Come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and mile without money, without cost. Verse 6, seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and He will have compassion on him and to our God for He will abundantly pardon. The beautiful paradox—come buy it with no money, without cost.

So buy from Me, come back to Revelation. I advise you, buy from Me gold refined by fire so you may be rich. The gold he is talking about is faith, genuine faith in salvation. In I Peter 1:7 Peter says that our faith is being refined by the trials like gold is refined. And here that saving faith that brings us salvation. Buy from Me gold refined by fire that you may become rich, find in Me the salvation, trust in Me that you may become rich. You think you are rich, you are destitute. But buy from Me without cost, without money gold refined by fire so that you may be truly rich, white garments so that you may clothe yourself. The white garments are the righteousness of Christ which clothe us. It's manifest in the deeds we do. So these white garments are the righteousnesses of the saints. Where does that come from? The righteousness of Christ that we have received by faith that is now produced and manifest in our conduct.

Look in Revelation 6:11, and these are the martyrs in heaven awaiting God's vengeance on their enemies. There was given to each of them a white robe and they were told to rest awhile. The garment that He provided, the white robe, white garments. Come to chapter 7 verse 9, after these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes, peoples, tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes. Come buy from Me gold, white garments. Chapter 7 verse 13, then one of the elders answered, saying to me, these who are clothed in the white robes, who are they? Verse 14, these are the ones who came out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. You see these white garments, they come through faith in Christ and the cleansing that His blood brings. And now we are clothed in the wedding garment that will be required to be part of the wedding feast and the kingdom that He will establish. Over in chapter 19 verse 7, concerning the marriage of the Lamb. His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. You see we receive the garments washed in the blood and now our conduct is shaped by the righteousness that we have received in Christ, and so ultimately we are rewarded for the righteousness that is manifest in our lives.

Nakedness, to clothe their nakedness, remember. Revelation 16:15, behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked, men will not see his shame, the shame of being revealed as unregenerate, unsaved, without the garment of salvation, doomed. Matthew 22:11-13, you don't have the wedding garment, he is cast into outer darkness. And you can have it, no cost, buy it from me. But as Isaiah said, you buy salvation from God but it is of no cost to you, takes no money. You just cast yourself upon the mercy of the Lord.

Back in Revelation 3:18, white garments so you may clothe yourself, the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed and eye salve to anoint your eyes so you may see. Laodicea was famous for its eye salve, supposedly to help certain eye conditions. Come for your blindness and get from Me that which will cure spiritual blindness. As I mentioned to you from II Corinthians 4, the god of this world has blinded the mind of the unbelieving, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ should shine in. But now this church is graciously called to salvation and to receive salvation in its fullness, saving faith, Christ's righteousness, spiritual sight at no charge. The sad thing is people think they are fine, people think they are okay. I'm good enough, I'm doing well. Don't be judgmental, don't be so narrow. And here the church that thought it was the best is the worst.

We are not done but we have to stop here and it's a good place to stop with God's invitation to the church for unbelievers in the church to receive His salvation and become part of the true church.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for this letter so stark, so harsh, so striking. Lord, what a sad reminder of the terrible condition the church can degenerate to, that it is sickening to you. A church that in its present condition you are about to having nothing to do with, to disassociate yourself from, to vomit it out. And yet even in that condition you graciously offer to them your salvation at no cost, they can buy it from you because you have paid the price. Now they simply have to come to you and receive what they cannot acquire on their own—your complete and full salvation. Thank you for the blessings of that salvation, thank you that we are clothed in your righteousness, that we have received the pure gold of the saving faith that is found only from you and in you and our eyes have been opened to see the glorious gospel, to see the wonder of your salvation, the Savior who loved us and died for us. We praise you in His name, amen.