HOW INDIFFERENCE AFFECTS JESUS "I counsel thee to buy of me . . . and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Rev 3:14-22)
RECOVER YOUR SIGHT!
Spiritual blindness is never justified! To be in a condition where the things of God cannot be seen – where there is a lack of "spiritual understanding" – is most serious. Jesus declared the church in Laodicea church to be "blind" – a state from which it had once been recovered. Its condition was the result of backward movement, as depicted most vividly by Peter. "But he that lacketh these things [virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly affection, and love] IS BLIND, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (2 Pet 1:9). The idea is that of being blind to what is right before us, and the inability to see what is ahead. This is a two-fold condition created by neglect and absorption with the ways of the world. More specifically, this condition is brought on by forgetting the purging "of his old sins." That is what had happened in Laodicea. Even though Jesus instituted a feast of remembrance to ensure this did not happen, still Laodicea had forgotten. As a result, blindness set in upon their soul.
This church must come to Jesus and "buy" salve for their eyes – a spiritual commodity that will remedy their blinded condition. To be sure, they will not pursue things they cannot see! During His earthly ministry, Jesus once "anointed" a blind man's eyes "with clay," telling him to go and wash that he might see (John 9:6-7). But there was a difference in that case – the man "was born blind" (John 9:2). This was not the case, however, with the Laodiceans. They were reborn seeing, not in a state of blindness. However, they had lost their vision, and required spiritual "eyesalve" to correct their condition – eyesalve" that could only be bought from Jesus. A blind church is tottering on the brink of eternal ruin. If they do not recover their vision, there is no hope for them.
I cannot help but observe the circumstances of our time. Spiritual blindness hangs like a dark cloud over the churches of our land. When it comes to the things of the Kingdom, there is far too much groping. I hear too many sermons, lectures, and discussions that are like blind men groping in the dark. They are unable to handle eternal things, and flounder in the sea of Scripture in a state of disorientation. They have lost their bearings because they are "blind, and cannot see afar off."
Dulness and obtuseness concerning the things of God are inexcusable, especially among those professing to be teachers. Jesus called such teachers "blind guides" (Matt 23:16,24). Paul; said of them, "desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm" (1 Tim 1:7).
We are living in the midst of a great departure from the faith. The purported "great moves" of God that are said to be occurring, nearly all have to do with elementary advances in the Kingdom. They are not characterized by "seeing," or strong spiritual vision. At the very best, in my judgment, they resemble the things occurring during Jesus' earthly ministry, when crowds came to Him, but did not stay with Him.
This is a time for buying "eyesalve" from the Lord Jesus! Let it be clear, we do not despise these "small beginnings," but rather count them to be a token of hope. However, the darkness of the times makes it easy to overstate their greatness.
What is this "eyesalve?" What is the secret to restored vision? It is certainly not in a disciplined procedure, or a special way of studying the Bible. This is nothing less than the illumination of the Holy Spirit. In a marvelous depiction of the advantages given us in Christ Jesus, the writer of Revelation elsewhere said, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things . . . But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him" (1 John 2:20,27). Here is the heavenly Illuminator, who pulls back veil that nature has hung over "all things." The Holy Spirit is the One Who "enlightens the eyes of our understanding" (Eph 1:18), bringing spiritual perspective. We began our walk with Christ by being "enlightened" (Heb 6:4) or "illuminated" (Heb 10:32), and we maintain our walk in the same way.
Without this enlightenment, the world will dominate us, for we have no other way of perceiving the things of God. They are too high for nature to grasp – even refined and educated nature. They extend beyond the reach of the "natural man" (1 Cor 2:14), and are antithetical to the "carnal mind" (Rom 8:7-8). Those unduly enamored of academic pursuits tend to ignore this truth. That is because academics, with all of their lower advantages, are closer to the earth than they are to heaven. They are too easily entered by those who are themselves alienated from God. For this reason, great care must be taken by the saints when in that realm. Like the Laodicea church was corrupted by the society in which it resided, so are many today adversely influenced by lower intellectual climes that tend to vaunt flesh and minimize Divine influences. The marked tendency to think like the world is lethal. The soul must break through the darkness into the light, else it will be finally be thrust away from Christ.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to see and understand You, Your Word, Your will, and Your works.
-- Tomorrow: