Volume 39 | Number 3 | May/June 2011

Inglés Español

Christ’s Final Plea to the Final Church Age: Part Two


By Dr. H. T. Spence

In the previous article we observed that Christ addresses His message of Revelation 3:14–22 to the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans. He declares to this messenger that his congregation has become “lukewarm.” The Greek word used here for lukewarm occurs only this one time in the New Testament; it carries the meaning of “tepid water.” In this address Christ refers to three different spiritual states: a state of coldness, a state of warmth or fervor, and a state of lukewarmness. There are many in the world who are cold to the things of Christ; the Gospel leaves them totally unmoved and uninterested as to any aspect of spiritual fervor. Every believer once knew this cold state that gave no evidence of grace. By contrast, those who are described as hot are ones who show genuine spiritual fervor and leave no question as to the presence of eternal life, the sanctifying power, and the presence of the Holy Spirit; they have a fervent testimony.

When saving grace comes to the cold, dead soul there is an immediate transformation from a state of coldness to a state of spiritual warmth and fervor. A classic example is seen in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus who became Paul the Apostle. Acts 9 reveals this drastic change once the transformation of grace took hold of his life. He never lost that hot zeal and spirit for Christ! Mark 5 tells the story of the man of the Gadarenes whom Christ saved from a legion of demons. We read that he was suddenly “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind” (5:15). Although he longed to stay with Christ, the Lord told him, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (5:19). This is the way it should be in a real work of God: going directly from cold to hot instantly.

However, it is this third state of lukewarmness that characterizes the church in Laodicea. This spiritual state refers to those who have manifested some interest in the things of God. They may be professing Christians who attend church while falling far short of a true testimony for Christ; their attitudes and actions raise questions concerning the reality of their spiritual life. It is seen in the way they dress, what excites them, and what they really desire. Though they have been touched by some concept of the Gospel, there is no clarity as to whether they really belong to Christ. For Laodicea, lukewarmness is not a transition from cold to hot; it is a final state. It is this final fixed state for which the Lord has such great abhorrence. (It is interesting that R. C. Trench observed that no pagan sacrifice to the gods was ever rendered lukewarmly; always it was either a cold or hot sacrifice, never a lukewarm one. Even paganism abhors lukewarmness.)

As a result of this final spiritual state, Christ declared that He was about to spew them out of his mouth. Christ’s disgust here is not with cults and false religions such as Romanism; here, He is disgusted with the church, the closet thing identified with true Christianity. The great tendency of the Laodiceans was toward a policy of toleration, allowance, and compromise.

There is something about the intermediate state of being lukewarm that is utterly obnoxious to God. Far more hopeful is the cold state of one who has been untouched by the Gospel and making no pretense of putting his trust in Christ than the state of one who makes some profession without a life that truly honors the Christ whose Gospel he has heard and professed. How many within the churches in Fundamentalism have satisfied their own hearts and have been lulled into a sense of false security? This unbiblical security has become a prominent, pressing doctrine today among many. They want an eternal security without abiding in Christ, without continuing their belief in Him, without any accountability to God and His Word. The hardest individual to reach for Christ is the religionist, the one who is quite satisfied with the measure of his devotion to God and with the contemporary state of professing Christendom. Yes, it is far easier to win the harlots and publicans than the lukewarm!

The great danger embodied in the term lukewarm is “indifference.” Often the indifferent are ignorant of basic convictions respecting the central doctrines of the Christian Faith, such as the necessity of a dramatic change in life and perspective required of a true Christian. Today, the emphasis upon memberships into organizations is greater than being a part of the Body of Christ, which only comes through the miracle of the New Birth.

It is interesting to note that none of the sins mentioned in the preceding churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are itemized here in Laodicea; at the same time, no works are commended. Is not this shocking considering how much the church today is filled with works? While pressed to believe that we are in the greatest revival period in history, the Head of the Church declares that we are wretched, blind, naked, and in spiritual poverty.

It is evident that the pride of Laodicea’s wealth was carried into the spiritual life. In the Textus Receptus, Revelation 3:17 reads “I, I am rich; therefore I have gotten riches.” It is declaring, “Since I am rich physically, it is evident that I am rich spiritually.” How true is this of the present institutional church! The church’s physical success has become (in the thinking of its leaders) the commentary of its spiritual state. We can never take the view that since we have money and are doing well, this is the commentary on our spiritual relationship with God. On the contrary, it is rare that a person with a lot of money is spiritual. Why is this true? Note First Timothy 6:9–11:

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Riches produce blindness; they have a way of lulling men into a sleep. “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Oh, the deceitfulness of riches!

Revelation 3:17 also states that thou “knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Here the original Greek is very emphatic: Thou art the one wretched, or “Thou, thou that boastest, thou art the one miserable; thou art poor [absolute spiritual poverty]; thou art blind.” It is evident that their blindness is because of self-complacency. The Church, obsessed with its riches and goods, cannot see its miserable spiritual poverty. Oh, this is the Great Pretence, the great deception! Matthew 24:24 declares that with the show of great signs and wonders and all that the church seems to have, that if it were possible the very elect would be deceived. The church can be deceived by the world, by contemporary false religion, and through self-deception. We cannot deceive ourselves that positive providences are the sign of spirituality, for they are not.

In contrast, note Christ’s call to the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:18:

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.

Can we not hear the Head of the Church!? “I counsel thee to buy of me.” “You think you are wealthy and able to obtain anything you want? You must buy of me, not from the world!” How are spiritual things purchased from God? Isaiah 55 declares that it must be without money, and without price. It is procured of me: through and by Christ. He is acknowledging that it is exclusively His wealth and His gold.

“I am about to spew thee out of my mouth”—You must buy of me quickly! Gold, the white raiment, and the eyesalve must all be gained from the Head of the Church. Are we blind to the spiritual state of our church? Are we blind to the spiritual state of our own life as a messenger? Are we blind to the true condition of Fundamentalism? The End-time Church, the last Church Age is fully deceived concerning what it truly is spiritually!

In Revelation 3:19, Christ then gives the warning to repent: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” The word here for “love” may be surprising. It is the term phileo, a term for affection with less depth than the term agapao. Here, those who are the objects of His affection are also the objects of His rebuke and chastening. Christ will be the hardest on the End-time Christians—those whose souls He rebukes, exposes, or convicts. This is not simply a verbal rebuke; they are also chastened: trained, disciplined, and educated. These rebukes are to a few whose lives have taken on the same lukewarm characteristics as those professing Christians around them. The fact they are rebuked and chastened is evidence that they are true children of God. Sometimes Christians become and look like those who only have a profession. But God knows the difference. Those whom He loves, He will deal with, sometimes severely.

Revelation 3:20 declares, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” To all who will hear comes this great invitation to the final Church Age. Christ is represented in relation to the church as well as to the individual, as standing outside the door and awaiting an invitation to come in. Christ must be invited to come in and become the center of worship, adoration, and love; and this must also be true of the heart of man. In this present age God does not force Himself upon anyone. No one is compelled to obedience who wants to be rebellious. Nevertheless, to the one who longs for Christ to come, He will come in.

In Scripture, the concept of the door is often associated with the Second Coming. Luke 12:35, 36 states, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for the lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” Observe how quickly this will be: immediately. Note Matthew 25:10, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” This is noted after the coming of the bridegroom; here the foolish virgins came and knocked on the door. Here and now, the door of the present time and age is the time for men of lukewarmness to hear Him.

Thank God, He stands at the door! Thank God, He stands continually there at this time! And not merely standing there, He knocks at the door! What door is it? The palace of the soul has many doors. There is the door of the intellect; to this He comes with the evidence of reasonableness of His faith and makes His claim. There is the door of the conscience: showing how He ought to be obeyed in righteousness. There is the door of love: expressing how much He has done for us over our lifespan. There is the door of fear: this is the alarm of the awakened conscience, looking for His judgment to come. And, there is the door of hope: Christ’s promises for the change that can come!

He knocks in many ways. Sometimes it is by His Word; either through reading, through preaching the soul is aroused. Oh, how often He has done that! Sometimes it is by His providence: through sickness, bereavement, loss of wealth or friends, disaster, nearness of death, trouble of mind, body, or estate. Sometimes it is by His Spirit’s calling: “The Spirit says, Come.”

Dear reader, Where are you spiritually before the Lord? Are you in lukewarmness? Will this lukewarmness be permanent? Dear preacher, is it to the messenger the Lord speaks? or to the church? or to both? Lukewarmness is the most paralyzing power now in the church! We must acknowledge it; we must come to see it . . . now! For Christ declares, “I am about to spew you out of my mouth.” What awaits the insensitive Christian? May the Lord help us not to be part of this last church age!