Today, Friday March 11
“That You May Be Clothed” Revelation 3:17-18 “Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”
The Church of Laodicea had become lukewarm. It had lost its vigor and was no longer fervently serving the Lord. It had lost its value and didn’t even know it! Because of pride it was claiming to be rich and wealthy and didn’t think it needed anything. The church had lost its vision, it couldn’t see its own true condition. And It had lost it vesture, it was no longer clothed but was naked and in shame.
The Laodiceans were "blind." They could not see reality. They were living in a fool's paradise. The Apostle Peter teaches that when a believer is not growing in the Lord, his spiritual vision is affected. “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:5-9).
These people could not see themselves as they really were. Nor could they see their Lord as He stood outside the door of the church. Nor could they see the open doors of opportunity. They were so wrapped up in building their own kingdom that they had become lukewarm in their concern for a lost world.
What was the Lord’s solution for this blind condition? “Anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see.” The city of Laodicea was noted for its eye salve, but the kind of medication these saints needed was not available in the apothecary shop. The eye is one of the body's most sensitive areas, and only the Great Physician can "operate" on it and miraculously give sight to both physical and spiritual eyes. Do you remember the blind man in John 9 and how Jesus healed him? Jesus put mud, make with His spittle, on his eyes and told him to go wash them in the water of the Pool of Siloam. Can you picture this man stumbling down the streets to obey the Lord and what the people must have said as he walked by? If we are going to get our spiritual eyesight back, we must humble ourselves and by faith apply the Water of the Word to our dirty sinful eyes and hearts. And this means we start living by faith in obedience to His Word!
Sadly, this church had also lost its clothes! These Christians thought they were clothed in splendor when they were really naked! They thought they were glorifying God, when in reality they were disgracing His name just as though they had been walking around naked. To be naked meant to be defeated and humiliated. The Laodiceans could go to the market and purchase fine woolen garments, but that would not meet their real need. They needed the white garments of God's righteousness and grace. According to Revelation 19:8, we should be clothed in "fine linen, clean and white," and this symbolizes "the righteous acts of the saints". Salvation means that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us, put to our account; but sanctification means that His righteousness is imparted to us, made a part of our character and conduct.
One of my favorite verses over the years has been Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Today, if we by faith confess our sins (1 John 1:9&10), Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and He will clothed us in His righteousness for His glory! By His grace we need to “put on Christ and His righteousness” (Colossians 3:1-17).
God bless!