Contentment is expelled
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: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 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– 18 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. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 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. 21 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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ‘ “
I was talking with a pastor the other day and telling him that this was the ministry I felt called to described in the passage above. We all have different spiritual gifts and callings; some are evangelistic, some are encouragers, all are called to repent. I was that guy from Laodicea; I felt comfortable in my life in so many ways, and I felt comfortable in my faith giving God an hour a week at church. I had grown up thinking you went to heaven because you went to church. That was how it worked; I could do all that I wanted and give God my hour to pay my entry gate fee for paradise. I could have all that I wanted now, as long as I sat in the pew on Sunday morning, no matter what I did Saturday night. By the grace of God I came to realize I would regret that lifestyle for an eternity if I did not repent of it. Now I fell called to an uncomfortable, tough ministry of the life I once led, but now through His grace and mercy I left behind.
Church will never save you; being a good person will never save you; no good works will ever save you; you can never do ANYTHING that will earn your way into heaven. Only through a humble repentant heart, is the key to eternal paradise; only through that heart seeking the forgiveness found in Christ’s sacrifice is heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. There comes a point in your Salvation, that God begins the Sanctification process; making you more like Christ. You will be led to let go of sin, and turn to Him. This is a lifelong process, and at many times it is very painful; but it is the ultimate goal of God, to see His Son when He looks at you. This refining process should open your eyes through your heart, and bring about a desire to know more of Him.
I am going to take some time over the upcoming days to study this passage. I hope that you will join me on this journey. I pray that God will speak to you and open your eyes as He did mine. I pray that we will grown closer to Him together as a result of our time together with Him. Will you join me as we try and dig deeper into this passage; to grow closer to Him and move away from that happy medium of contentment? You are either growing in your faith, or you are backsliding. The middle ground of contentment is what is described in Revelation 3 above.
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