Laodicean Love

Laodicea became extremely wealthy during the Roman period, likely, among other reasons, because of its raven-black wool industry. Materially, they wanted for nothing; spiritually, they were but lukewarm for Christ, despite the fact that God demands total commitment from those who worship him.

To be Laodicean materialistically these days, we need only hail from Canada or the United States as we, too, want for nothing. To be Laodicean spiritually, we might feel that God owes us; therefore, we need only say a little prayer, bend a little knee, or sing a little song during the two big annual celebrations of Christmas and Easter. The more that we get away with doing less, without observable repercussions, the more we think that God has fallen asleep, despite his warning in Colossians 4:15, "Take heed to the (your) ministry...that you fulfil it." Not fulfilling one's ministry has consequences of Laodicean magnitude. God says, "Because you are lukewarm, I will spue you out of my mouth." Would a Laodicean-type taste any better than a mouth full of swamp water to God?

Laodiceans of long ago would have had today's equivalent of a car, visa card, television, Gameboys for kids, movie houses, and other such luxuries of the day. In effect, Laodiceans would have had as much as us in the material sense as could be possessed in their time. But, in the spiritual sense, as are today's version of the same creature, Laodiceans were as blind as the Emperor in the children's tale of The Emperor's New Clothes. That emperor roamed about the countryside fooled into thinking he was wearing the finest of garments. As he traipesed through his kingdom, people were hand-over- mouth to see him parading around in his long underwear. In a similar way, Laodiceans today cannot see that they do not have on what overcomers in Christ wear. Revelations 3:5 says that overcomers will be "clothed in white raiment..." Because overcomers are so clothed, Jesus says, "I will confess his (their) name(s) before my Father and before his angels."

The Laodicean mistakenly feels that a lukewarm love for Christ is just enough to get him/her into heaven. Like the Emperor, Laodiceans will be without the clothing of Christ. To better understand lukewarmness, take a bath in a tub topped up with lukewarm water, sip a lukewarm coffee, go to the altar with a lukewarm love for a partner-to-be. Get it? Laodicean-ism is (1) not praying, or praying so little that it is worth nothing while Jesus himself had to pray as seen in John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father..." How much less are we supposed to pray? (2) Not reading the word for yourself. 2 Timothy 2:14 says, "Study to show yourself approved unto God." If Laodicean means lukewarm and lukewarm defines you, or if you could care less, then where you are is just where the devil wants you to be. 2 Timothy 2:19 says, "The Lord knows them that are his." Likewise, the devil knows whose his are. Whose are you?