By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 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. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Revelation 3:17-19
In this letter sent by the Lord Jesus to His church in Laodicea, He scolds them. In their assessment of themselves, they were incorrect. They were ignorant of their true spiritual condition. This reveals that we are responsible to accurately understand how our souls are going.
When it came to spiritual things, they thought they were fine. They thought they were actually pretty healthy. They thought they were impressively prosperous in the things of the Lord.
But they weren’t.
Do you think most people in our society feel the same way? I’ve invited people to church only to receive the reply, ‘I’m fine.’ Or you offer someone a gospel leaflet and they refuse it. ‘I’m OK, thanks.’
But they’re not.
Maybe you and I aren’t either. It’s not just unbelievers who brush off the offers of spiritual help from Christians.
Like the Laodiceans, we have an overinflated view of ourselves. Almost unintentionally, we are guilty of what Agur feared in Proverbs 30:9 where he says, ‘Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?’ He feared an assumed self-sufficiency.
The point is, we need the Lord. I mean, really need Him.
When’s the last time you were in a prayer meeting and sensed almost a desperation for God’s assistance?
How about in your own private prayer closet?
Perhaps our praying would be more earnest if we saw ourselves as spiritually naked, needing Him to clothe us with His righteous purity. Perhaps our Bible study would be more earnest if we grasped that we need His ability to discern according to His Word. He says, ‘that thou mayest see.’
Praise the Lord that the cure for us is the same as the cure for the Laodiceans. Verse 19 says we must zealously repent.
I urge you to join me in taking the time to have a vital and accurate assessment of your spiritual condition. And if necessary, repent! Get back on track with the Lord today!
Father, show me my need to hear Your voice. Show me my true condition, and assist me in repenting with all my heart of my self-sufficiency. Fill my lack with Your fullness. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ my Saviour, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.