Picture from https://www.stonesoffire.online/blog/tag/the+spirit+of+laodicea

by Alan Brozik

7-15-26

Of all the 7 churches addressed by Jesus in Revelation perhaps the most infamous one is the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22).  Jesus warns them of their being lukewarm and in danger of being spewed from His mouth.  They were self-sufficient trusting in their own resources but were spiritually dead. They were trusting in their riches and gold, their black wool garments that were the envy of the Roman world, and their world famous eye salve which supposedly had medicinal healing properties.  Instead, Jesus condemns their “worldly riches” countering each with His “real riches.”  Instead of their gold He counsels them to buy from Him gold refined in the fire so they could truly be rich.  Instead of their coveted black wool garments He told them to buy from Him white garments to hide the shame of their nakedness (salvation from their dead spiritual condition for a restored relationship with God).  Instead of their famous eye salve He said to buy His salve to anoint their eyes so they could truly have “eyes to see” their true spiritual condition and need.  Then Jesus gives them this admonition with a one sentence encouragement, correction, and remedy:

“Those whom I love (encouragement), I reprove and discipline (correction), so be zealous and repent (remedy)” (Rev. 3:19 ESV)

God laid this verse on my heart as I read especially the part to “be zealous and repent.”  I had never noticed this combination in scripture before.  I was intrigued and the Holy Spirit led me on a time of exploration and discovery to see what this might mean for us today. Here’s what I found.

From Bible Hub:

Zeal Defined: A Burning, Active Love

• Greek zēloō—“to boil, to be intensely eager.”

• Not noisy emotion but steady, focused devotion to Christ.

• Romans 12:11: “Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

• Titus 2:14: Christ “purify[ies] for Himself a people … zealous for good deeds.”

My Thoughts

Jesus rebukes (reproves, corrects) and disciplines them for being “lukewarm” and gives them the solution – “be zealous and repent.”  Jesus uses a play on words between being lukewarm and being zealous.  The definition in the Greek for zeal is – “to boil, to be intensely eager.” He uses a contrasting example to show them what to do “rather than being lukewarm and unpalatable, be boiling with intense eagerness to know and serve Him.”  In repenting from their sin with a turning back to Him, these works are more than just palatable, they are tasteful and a pleasant aroma unto the Lord (Gen. 8:21; Eph. 5:2 ESV).  They are pleasing and acceptable to Him.  This is not salvation by works, for salvation comes by grace through faith.  We were created in Christ Jesus (saved) to do the works God prepared in advance for us to do, the outworking of our salvation (Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13).

The Question Becomes

“Am I a tepid, lukewarm liquid in my love and service towards Him so that Jesus would spew me from His mouth?  Am I self-sufficient, relying on my own strength, leaning on my own understanding?”

Or

“Am I a boiling pot, intensely eager to do the will of the Lord, turning from the sin that so easily entangles, running the race laid out before me by the Lord, trusting in His strength, wisdom, and provision to do so, leaning not on my own understanding but acknowledging Him in all my ways, with a desire and love for Him that overwhelms me?” 

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21 ESV)

The second choice is more than just palatable unlike the lukewarmness. It is tasteful, a pleasing aroma to the Lord receiving His endorsement of “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21, 23).

The Romans Road

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

[But} there is no one righteous, no, not one; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[So], if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved…for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Rom. 1:16-17; 3:10, 23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-10, 13 (ESV, NIV, KJV)

So, where am I today?

Lukewarm or Boiling

Self-Reliant or Zealous

Unpalatable or A Pleasing Aroma Unto the Lord

And, where are you today?