With Pastor Dan Nickerson – May 3rd, 2021
(Revelation 3:18-19)…..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. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Notice the invitation to see, to receive eye salve to anoint their eyes that they may see. Jesus invites them to come to Him so that He can restore their spiritual vision. When that spiritual vision is restored they would be able to see themselves as they are, and they will be able to see Him as He is. This will lead to repentance, to obedience, and to humble service. We need that spiritual vision.
The proclamation of the Lord that He reproves and disciplines those He loves is the reason here for the Lord’s words. Do we realize just how much our Lord cares for, and loves us? Jesus gives them a much needed word of advice, but look how He addresses them, “As many as I love.” In spite of their indifference toward Him, He still loves them! What a blessing to see this in the text! The word for love here is not “agapeo” but “phileo,” an intense personal affection is what is described here. What He is saying then is, “even though I rebuke you and chasten you, I am still your friend. Even upon a church as low as Laodicea, He still showers them with His love.
Jesus doesn’t just write people off when they don’t do as He pleases, instead He calls them and continues to love them even when they reject Him and His love, and disciplines them (Job 5:17) (Proverbs 3:11-12) (1 Corinthians 11:32) (Hebrews 12:5-11).
God had One Son without corruption, but none without correction. He loves us too much to leave us as we are. So, He uses two methods to turn us to Him.
- Rebuke – this word means to convict or correct
- He sends His Word and He convicts us in our hearts – (John 16:7-11)
- If we fail to heed His rebukes, He will use more direct methods
- Chasten – this word means to correct with blows
- He may touch any area of life to get our attention
- He might even use death – (1 Corinthians 11:30)
How grateful should we be that He loves us enough to rebuke or chasten us? Notice (v.19), if we come to Him, He will receive us, therefore be zealous and repent. The word “zealous,” means to come to a boil. Jesus is asking Laodicea to get on fire for Him, to get hot about their faith, and when they see their need and turn to Him, it will manifest itself in genuine repentance.
Repentance is defined as a change of mind that results in a change of direction. If Laodicea would repent they would come alive to the Lord and to His presence in their church. They would be moved by the cross and by the plight of the lost sinner. In many ways, the church of Christ needs to repent of our lukewarm condition, of our apathy, of our complacency, we need to ask the Lord to let us see ourselves as we really are, then repent of our our apathy our lack of conviction and concern for the gospel.