Originally posted: 12/12/2021
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” (3:22).
We come to the second part of the Lord’s messages to the churches. This chapter of Revelation holds a very treasured place in my heart. It was 1984; and it was through His message to the church in Laodicea (3:14-22), that I was confronted with who I was.
I was lukewarm, pretending I wasn’t. Lukewarm, but thinking I could get by if I just said the right things, talked the church talk; lukewarm, but trying to convince myself that somehow Holy God would find that acceptable.
I am so thankful He did not leave me in that state. Jesus relentlessly pursued me and knocked so loudly that I could not deny it was Him; and thankfully I opened the door.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me,” (3:20).
And really, each message to the seven churches in these two chapters is the sound of the Holy Savior knocking on the hearts of mankind. And if we have ears to hear, we will listen.
“‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,’” (3:22).
Below are a few notes from yesterday’s post as way of reminder of our introduction into these two chapters:
Chapters 2 and 3 are comprised of seven individual messages to be sent to the seven individual churches of Asia Minor that existed in John’s day…chapter divisions are not inspired but were inserted in the early 13th century to aid us in navigating through His Holy Scriptures; we will consider chapters 2 and 3 together (continued from yesterday) as one collection of seven letters dictated by Him Who Is Revealed to His messengers, as He Reveals What We Need to Overcome and Be Victorious. Before the Lord conveys His individual message addressing the Need in each church, He introduces Himself, and no two introductions are identical.
Each descriptive Title the Lord gives of Himself Reveals that He Is the answer to every Need; and He is so very faithful to Reveal What We Need to Overcome and Be Victorious.
Consider Him Who Reveals What We Need to Overcome and Be Victorious
- He Reveals What We Need: Renounce our dead works that our faith would be Revived.
- …”I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you,” (3:1-3).
- He Reveals What We Need: Rely on His Strength and His Word to persevere.
- “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name…10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth,” (3:8, 10).
- He Reveals What We Need: Repent of our lukewarm ways.
- “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see” (3:15-18).
How do we respond to Him Who Reveals What We Need to Overcome and Be Victorious?
At the close of each of His seven letters to His messengers, the Lord speaks His promise of what is coming to those who Overcome to the end, with a caveat; we must hear what the Spirit has to say. We must have an ear to hear His Spirit prompt and lead us into His Truth if we are to Overcome and Be Victorious.
Let us ask Him to give us ears to hear what the Spirit would say to us today; for in every Need we have, He Is Revealed in His Promises as the One Who Is Able to provide abundantly.
To the angel of the church in Sardis, He Is the One “who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars,” (3:1).
His Spirit tells us that Christ possesses all who belong to Him, and He promises that those who Renounce their dead works will Revive their faith and be presented before His Father in purity.
“‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (3:5).
- Are we Renouncing our dead works that our Faith would be Revived?
- Oh, that we would listen to His Spirit and be more concerned with the Lord’s opinion of us then with trying to make a name for ourselves through dead works. Oh, that we would wake ourselves from the snare of seeking the approval of others.
The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted, (Proverbs 29:25).
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, He Is the One “who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens,” (3:7).
His Spirit tells us that He is Holy and True with the Supreme Authority over His Royal House; and He promises that as we Rely on His Strength and His Word to persevere, He will mark us as His own, and we will dwell forever with Him in His new city built upon His Holiness and Truth.
“‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,’” (3:12-13).
- Are we relying only on His Strength and His Word for our perseverance?
- Oh, that we would hear and believe His Spirit’s assurance for our future, that we would persevere by the Strength of His Holy Spirit and His Holy Word until That Day when we will be marked as His own and kept by Him for all eternity.
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells, (2 Peter 3:13).
To the angel of the church in Laodicea, He Is “The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God,” (3:14).
His Spirit tell us that every promise is fulfilled in Him. He is Faithful and has all Sovereignty over His creation; promising that if we will Repent of a lukewarm existence and accept His invitation to open the door of our heart to Him and live as His new creation, we will share in fellowship with Him on earth until That Day when He grants to us to sit down with Him on His throne.
“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,’” (3:20-21).
- Have we become apathetic or blasé about our relationship with Christ?
- Oh, that we would hear what His Spirit says! He knocks! Oh that we would eagerly open the door of our heart, eager to fellowship with Him every day, that our foremost concern would be loving our Savior King with all that we are.
And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment,” (Matthew 22:37-38).
Oh, let us take to heart what the Spirit has to say through the messages sent to His churches. For we have been called to live as stars in His hand who shine for Him until That Day when He Is Revealed before all the world in His Radiant Glory.
In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength, (Revelation 1:16).
Oh, that we would Respond just as He told us: let us Remember our first love; Refuse to live in fear of the future; Remain in His Truth; Reject false teaching, Renounce our dead works to awaken our faith; Rely on His Strength to persevere; and Repent of our lukewarm ways; that we would truly live as the light of the world that shines to bring glory to Him Who Reveals What We Need to Overcome and Be Victorious.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14-17).