Revelation 3:15-16; Neither Cold Nor Hot

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15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

It is interesting such a physical imagery was used to describe the spiritual hypocrisy of the Laodicean church. They were blind to their own needs and unwilling to face the truth. Jesus says, I “know” you speaks of intimate, complete and infallible knowledge that our Lord has concerning who we really are:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God isquick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and isa discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

There is no hiding with Him. He reads us through and through. Man cannot see through our motives but Jesus does and He is exposing this church for her good!

When we were visiting the 7 churches, the guide explained that this city was located near Hierpolis, 10 km north, the city famous for hot springs and Colossae, about 20 km to the east, the city known for its pure, cold, refreshing supply of water. Laodicea did not have her own source of water supply and to survive, this city has to pipe water through stone aqua-ducts to the city from their nearest neighbours. The hot water from Hierpolis would become lukewarm by the time it reaches Laodicea and the cold water from Colossae would also be lukewarm by the time it reaches Laodicea. And so, it was a most striking illustration that our Lord used by the domestic life of the city to describe, diagnose their spiritual condition.  

These are those who are not zealous and fervent nor cold. This lukewarm state is so sickening and obnoxious it caused our Lord to spue, literally the word mean “vomit”. Who are these? They are professing Christians who go to church, claim to know the Lord, but are not saved. No spiritual fruit can be seen, like the barren fig tree that our Lord speaks about.

Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

John Bunyan in his book, “The Barren Fig Tree” calls “it the fruitless professor that standeth in the vineyard of God.”A picture of fruitless Israel![1]

Amen.

[1]John Bunyan, The Barren Fig Tree, Reiner Publications, 1974, 5.