Revelation 3:18 KJV
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.
Over the years I have heard the seven letters to the seven churches used to apply
To the actual churches addressed
To churches in all ages having these various traits
To seven church ages that have progressed through centuries until now
I personally see all three applications as valid and believe too that the traits of all seven churches might be found in any one church at different times in the church's life.
When the seven church ages have been used, generally I have found that we are speaking about Christendom in general and usually not about our church or our type of churches. But what if this is not true? What if the spirit of apostasy as so influenced our day that even the very best of churches are "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked"? One of the worst problems with spiritual blindness is that the blind are unaware of their blindness.
In this case would it not be wise for us to pay careful attention to the counsel Jesus gave this Laodicean church?
Buy of me gold tried in the fire.
This could apply to the Word of God which is more precious than gold and has been purified in a furnace of earth seven times. We are to buy it of the Lord. Only He can give us the living Word and only He can give us the inerrant Word.
And white raiment
This appears always to be a reference to salvation; having on the righteousness which is Christ's. Salvation can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ and it always comes through faith brought about from the hearing of God's Word.
And anoint thine eyes
Could this refer to the Holy Spirit of God Who opens our eyes that we may behold wonderful things in God's law?
It is time for those who call themselves believers to repent and humble ourselves. Too long we have boasted about our friendliness, our effectiveness, our righteousness, our bigness and so forth. It is time for us to see ourselves as the Word of God describes us and call upon the Lord, who alone is worthy for the praises we so often shower upon ourselves!
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.
Over the years I have heard the seven letters to the seven churches used to apply
To the actual churches addressed
To churches in all ages having these various traits
To seven church ages that have progressed through centuries until now
I personally see all three applications as valid and believe too that the traits of all seven churches might be found in any one church at different times in the church's life.
When the seven church ages have been used, generally I have found that we are speaking about Christendom in general and usually not about our church or our type of churches. But what if this is not true? What if the spirit of apostasy as so influenced our day that even the very best of churches are "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked"? One of the worst problems with spiritual blindness is that the blind are unaware of their blindness.
In this case would it not be wise for us to pay careful attention to the counsel Jesus gave this Laodicean church?
Buy of me gold tried in the fire.
This could apply to the Word of God which is more precious than gold and has been purified in a furnace of earth seven times. We are to buy it of the Lord. Only He can give us the living Word and only He can give us the inerrant Word.
And white raiment
This appears always to be a reference to salvation; having on the righteousness which is Christ's. Salvation can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ and it always comes through faith brought about from the hearing of God's Word.
And anoint thine eyes
Could this refer to the Holy Spirit of God Who opens our eyes that we may behold wonderful things in God's law?
It is time for those who call themselves believers to repent and humble ourselves. Too long we have boasted about our friendliness, our effectiveness, our righteousness, our bigness and so forth. It is time for us to see ourselves as the Word of God describes us and call upon the Lord, who alone is worthy for the praises we so often shower upon ourselves!
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