My Rights, My Way!
Laodicea 2
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:14-22)
Like all the letters that Jesus wrote to His churches He begins His letter to them with a revelation of Himself which is going to be crucial to them being able to overcome the enemies they are facing. Notice how He is the one coming to them in a conversation. He says, “You say, but I say.” Both parties have an opinion in which they are expressing their rights and their ways.
And the argument is going to get a bit heated, and Jesus becoming rather stern with them. He is going to get very stern and very direct with them in the middle of this conversation. Have you ever noticed how a parent sometimes must get very stern with their kid when they don’t want to listen and insist on their own rights and their own way? It’s no different between our heavenly Father and us.
Interestingly the word Laodicea has come to mean human rights, self-righteous, indifferent, half-hearted. All these issues are linked to the heart, your inner thoughts, philosophies, personal rights, emotions. The argument these saints were having in their hearts towards God are that they are good, they are content with their wealth and status and don’t need God like the “poorer folks of this world.”
In this letter Jesus comes to deal with their great big “I”. The sins of self-rights, self-justification, and self-righteousness are as filthy rags in God’s face. They come with an attitude of entitlement which has infiltrated their faith causing them to believe that their wealth and status is what makes them deserving and acceptable to both God and the world.
However, in God’s worldview never the two shall meet! He sits on the throne and is not interested in our blatant pride, our arrogance, and our superior attitudes and contempt for people and things perceived to be inferior.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil: I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech. When pride comes, then comes disgrace; pride comes before destruction, a haughty attitude before a fall; pride brings a person low; the arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled, for the Lord alone will be exalted. (Pr 8:13; 11:2: 16:18; 29:23; Is 2:17)
I hope you are beginning to see the seriousness of these sins before the Lord and how they cause you to disqualify yourself for the greatness of the reward He desires to bestow on you. It is this attitude of self-righteousness and self-justification that causes a saint to become half-hearted or lukewarm in their relationship and love for the Lord. It is the desire for the things of this world and the exaltation of worldly opinion over God’s Word that causes this inner war between the saints and God.
But God is God, and he is DAD, and He will win this argument with you. He will discipline you (teach and instruct you in His ways) because no brat will inherit the highest award of sitting on His throne. This honour is reserved for the faithful; those who have surrendered their will, their rights, and their ways for the sake of the Lord and His kingdom.
It’s time to overcome your greatest enemy – your ungodly SELF. (To crucify your flesh).
Grace and peace to you 🤗
Yvonne
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