“Neither Hot Nor Cold”

“And to the angel of the church in Leodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation:”

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking: if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me…”

Revelation 3:14-20

Jesus confronted a church that had become accustomed to its crooked spirituality and had even grown to love its inconsistencies. Laodicea was a well-to-do city. Yet that very wealth led to its delusion of self-sufficiency. This had bled into the culture of the church so much that they might have thought they did not need the type of spirituality that Jesus urged them to have. They were neither hot nor cold.

Jesus rebuked them because He loved them and still wanted an ever-deepening communion with them. So He gave them the opportunity to repent.

If self-sufficiency has skewed your fellowship with Jesus, you can straighten it through repentance and a renewal of intimate fellowship with Him.

Repentance

is God’s way

of making the crooked straight.

Our Daily Bread – March 21, 2009