Our Appraisal and God’s Appraisal

Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.   Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked -   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.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”  NKJV

Quite often we have reasons to make an appraisal of the situation of events and of ourselves and sometimes of others. Most often our appraisal of the situation is far from what the true situation is. The reason for our error may be many, some of which include: - incomplete data, ignorance and wrong interpretation. It is sad when we base our dealings with others on a wrong appraisal of their person, motives and action. This, no doubt, generates disagreement and sometimes enmity.

Of all wrong assessments that we make, the most destructive and misleading is our appraisal of ourselves. 

It leads to very misleading assumptions and gives us false hope and basis for security. This is true of individuals, of a Church and even of a nation. Many nations have fallen never to rise again because they based their plans on false appraisal of their resources, manpower needs and ability, and wrong assessment of the potentials – whether political, economic or whatever.

“Because you say,‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’...” 

The case of the Church in Laodicea is in focus. The Bible says: - “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’”; that is what they say of themselves. Many people, many Churches, and many nations are saying such words of themselves today. They may not say the same exact words but the implications are the same; the inferences are the same. They build their plans and budgets on such appraisals of themselves. How successful will such plans be? The answer to this question lies in the true situation as we now see God’s appraisal of the Church in Laodicea.

First, God condemns the Church because it is neither hot nor cold. It is lukewarm and God has no need of a lukewarm Church. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

It is both heart-warming and heart chilling to know that God knows all our works. 

Heart-warming for those who are doing what is right and what God approves. These will be happy to know that even though man does not recognize them as great men and women, and they do not often get rewarded for their works, that God knows and keeps records. God will reward the faithful.

It is not the same for those whose works are decidedly evil and continually wicked. They may seem to be getting away with it and sometimes seem to be prospering, God is not deceived. He sees all that is behind the mask and is keeping records. And sure as His word stands, the evil man will never go unpunished. The Bible says: “Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their ways are His delight. Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered." (Proverbs 11:20-21) and in Proverbs 19:9; the Bible further says: “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.” 

Yes, that man, that Church and that government may be deluding itself in his own assessment and appraisal, but God’s appraisal is there and God’s reward or punishment will be based not on the man’s, the Church’s or the government’s appraisal but on God’s.

“...and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”

The second thing we read in the passage is the true appraisal of the Church, this time God’s appraisal; “and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”. What a contrast from the Church’s appraisal of itself. The Church had said of itself ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ . How very ignorant of its true situation! The problem with many people, organizations and even governments is that they do not know that they are sick, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. They delude themselves with false wealth and satisfaction. They will not look for help.

Let us stop for a moment and think. What is your appraisal of yourself? What do you think is God’s appraisal of you? If God were to write a letter to you, our country, our Church, as He wrote to the Church in Laodicea, what would He say of you as an individual, our Church and our nation? It is time to think of this. If a sick man does not know that he is sick, he will not look for a medical attention. That is why High Blood Pressure, for instance, is called a dangerous killer. Most of the people who suffer from the ailment do not know that they have it.

“...buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed...; and... eye salve, that you may see.”

There is a divine solution to this problem of wrong appraisal. God in the very next verse issues an invitation: “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.” 

Today, we, as Christians ought to take seriously to heart God’s indictment of the Church in Laodicea.One certain way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” May be this is responsible for the malaise of our nation, our Church and families. Many people have thrown their hands hopelessly into the air, in apparent surrender to the evil that has plagued our society – the evil of false living.
Compromise with ungodliness is easy but deadly. Personal and collective spiritual and moral decline can come through either positive action or negative inaction. Someone has said; “

There is only one path to spiritual life and victory. It is found in our heavenly Father’s invitation which we have read earlier. The “gold tried by fire” speaks of the atoning, risen, victorious Lord our Savior, Jesus Christ. Any nation, any Church, and any individual that does not enthrone the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Lord and Head, will continue to grope in the darkness, and will continue to walk naked. Since we flushed Jesus out of our national life, we have continued to make fake declarations of ourselves. We need Christ-centered lives in our affairs; it is only then, that we will begin to walk in the path of light and truth.

The “white garments” speak of “the clothing of His grace” that makes us acceptable to God and makes us “living epistles” of God’s grace to men groping in darkness. To ask a non-regenerate man to do good is like asking the blind to write a poem on the colors of the rainbow. What has the vulture got to do with the barber?

Today in our Churches, in our government, there are many unregenerate people at the helm of affairs. They do not know anything about the grace of God and are not acceptable to God. They are therefore blind, miserable and wretched. How do we expect the best from them? Is there any doubt why our homes, are broken up the way they are and the society so battered?

The “eye salve” speaks of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believing and obeying Christian, who gives spiritual sight and understanding. He is the “Christ in you; the hope of glory”. We need men and women filled and led by the Holy Spirit of God for our eyes to be opened to see our weaknesses, rottenness, faults, and failures. Then we will understand how we have failed and fared. We will rightly appraise ourselves – “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)

Let us “hear what the spirit is saying to the Churches”. He is saying the same to the individual, the society, and the government. Let us obey! God bless you all.