God’s Goodness and Severity in Laodicea

God’s Goodness and Severity in Laodicea

It was the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, who stood before the lukewarm church in Laodicea. At the conclusion of His own life, He could say “Amen” to a wholehearted race of love in faithfulness to His heavenly Father. He received the name “Faithful and True.” Rev. 19:11. There wasn’t a single lie to be found in the course of His life, and there wasn’t a single breach of faithfulness on any point. Death and Hades could not hold Him. He arose as a conqueror to set free all those who desired to be set free from sin.

Now He stood before the church in Laodicea, fully prepared to help them and share everything with them, if only they were willing to repent radically from their lukewarmness. They could not be saved in their lukewarm state, and they were disgusting in His eyes. They were rich and satisfied and had no need of the fullness of the glory He was prepared to give them. It must have been terrible for Him who burned with love for them and who knew from what their lukewarmness excluded them.

Here we can see His great and good Father’s heart that did not reject them right away, but offered them the greatest treasures in order to soften their hearts. He counseled them to buy gold refined in the fire and white garments and eye salve. If they would just open the doors to their hearts, He would come in and dine with them. He even offered them the tremendous opportunity of sitting together with Him on His throne, if only they would repent of their lukewarmness and accept the grace and power He was ready to give them to overcome just as He had overcome.

We can really learn something from this and reach out for it. What is our attitude toward people who are disgusting in our eyes? Do we meet them with love, goodness, and care to melt their hearts, if possible, or do we meet them as cold and critical instructors? There have always been many instructors, but only few fathers. “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers . . . .” 1 Cor. 4:15.

God was grieved with the children of Israel for forty years; nonetheless, He showered them with all kinds of good things in order to save them, if possible. Ps. 95:10.

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Rom. 2:4.

How can we possibly remain in our sluggish and lukewarm state, knowing that He who stands before us with such great love and care hates our disgusting condition? We shall not have to wait long to experience His sincere fellowship—He who loved us first—if we radically repent of our lukewarmness.

Nevertheless, even though He is infinitely good, He is also equally severe. He gave the church abundant opportunities to repent but if they would not do it, He was radically firm in His decision to spew them out of His mouth.

Let us abide in His goodness and be careful not to fall under His severity. Rom. 11:22. May we also conclude our life with an “Amen” after a wholehearted race of love in faithfulness to Christ, seeing and hearing clearly in this boiling hot love for Him, so that we can be faithful and true witnesses of everything we see and hear.

It doesn’t take much for people to reject or be intolerant of one another. However, love gives the others time; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 1 Cor. 13:7. We can only be co-workers of God and Christ with this father’s mind in the spirit of love. There are few fathers, but may their number increase.