“Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” 1 Thessalonians 3:10. So many people say today, “I have the truth.” Do  we not often say it ourselves?  But what happens when people say this—perhaps meaning it from the bottom of their hearts—being thankful for the truths of God’s word that they see amongst God’s people?  Human nature tends to become quite complacent, and self-satisfied when this is said.

And then why do we have to keep searching, keep trying, keep obtaining new and precious victories over sin, self and Satan if we have all the truth?  There are still many things that need to be discovered within the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, and still more reforms to be made in our lives.

This whole process, is caught up the concept of spiritual growth. What are the three steps of spiritual growth?

They are, searching our Bibles, praying and sharing with others those precious truths which we have learned, thus we grow, spiritually.  The context of the Scripture above is about standing fast—being immovable—to that which is principle.  It is only if we realize that we are lacking something that we can learn, and thus, stand fast in the faith.

Or do we think that we know pretty well everything that there is to know?  And have gone just as far as we have to go?

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 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. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:14–21

What is the main point of the Laodicean message?  It is all about them feeling that they do not lack anything. They have everything that they need—or at least, they (we), think that they (we) do. Perhaps the experiences through which we have just come are a blessing to us, in more ways than one. But there is hope in this Laodicean message for those who will just receive, what?  Gold, white raiment and eyesalve, which are faith and love, the character of Jesus, and the spiritual sight of the Holy Spirit.

The real problem with the Laodicean condition is that it is all about self-deception. Laodiceans are deceiving themselves that they are all right, when they are all wrong.  Who is on the throne of the heart?  If it is still self, then we are bound to lose.  But if Christ is there, then and only then can we win.

On the other hand, some are always lamenting about their lack of faith and speculating whether they have committed the unpardonable sin, when the real problem is self being on the throne of the heart.

“In the vision given me, I was shown that a most solemn work is before us. Its importance and magnitude are not realized. As I marked the indifference which was everywhere apparent, I was alarmed for ministers and people. There seemed to be a paralysis upon the cause of present truth. The work of God seemed stayed. Ministers and people are unprepared for the time in which they live, and nearly all who profess to believe present truth are unprepared to understand the work of preparation for this time. In their present state of worldly ambition, with their lack of consecration to God, their devotion to self, they are wholly unfitted to receive the latter rain and, having done all, to stand against the wrath of Satan, who by his inventions would cause them to make shipwreck of faith, fastening upon them some pleasing self-deception. They think they are all right when they are all wrong.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 466

We must learn to be firm as a rock when it comes to principle—invisible when it comes to self, especially justifying self or excusing ourselves, but flexible when it comes to the needs of others.  Many things we still need to unlearn. The thing most needed in this case is humility and motivation to change.  The very essence of the gospel is change.

The Lord sends warnings to His people—not to destroy them, but to correct their errors. I have never been given the testimony to bear to anyone, “You have committed the unpardonable sin.” God never told anyone to say to a fellow being, “You have committed the unpardonable sin.”

“I know that God never gave mortal man such a message as that which Brother Nelson has borne concerning his brethren. It is not like our God. After the disappointment of 1844 there were those who would say to others, ‘You are lost; you have gone too far to be saved.’ Then I was brought to my feet to bid them in the name of the Lord to cease their condemnation. God has never empowered one mortal to say to another mortal, ‘You are lost.’ We are all human beings. We are on this earth to form characters which will fit us to inherit eternal life. If we heed the word of the Lord, He will correct us and guide us.” –The Review and Herald, July 30, 1901

We must realize that we all have a lack, a need that only God can fill.  There is a God-shaped vacuum within every one of us—but what do people commonly try to fill that void with? Drugs, sex, fame, money. . . the list goes on and on.  The Laodicean message has not half fulfilled the purpose that God meant it to, amongst His own people.

“You want to buy of Christ gold, white raiment, and eyesalve. Study this message to the Laodicean church, for it applies to many in New York. You need to be zealous and repent. Please consider, zealous does not mean a few feeble prayers and half-hearted confessions, it means, a zealous, earnest, determined effort to conquer your worldly, selfish love, and to be consecrated, devoted Christians, shedding a tender warmth and love wherever you are. You must have a waking up, and heart culture, or you will fail of heaven. Christ is coming. Are you ready? Are you waiting? Are you loving His appearing? What a wondrous love Christ has evidenced for us! He has said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ We need purity, truth, helpfulness, and the love of Christ that sanctifies our influence. We must be full of Christ and then we shall estimate worldly things in the light of God.” –The New York Indicator, February 28, 1900

We read in James 1 that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. If we always have to be talking about what we did at such and such a time for the Lord, rather than making experiences with Him each and every day, then it is that we can know that we are lacking, as well.

There was an interesting experience that I made recently when I met a pastor, who, knowing the truth of James, still tried to manipulate me away from making the point in favour of the Ten Commandments, being the law that is to judge us.

How do people act when they are needy?  Humble, deferential—just like Christians are supposed to be.

How do people act when they are full, in need of nothing?  Several years ago, one of the members of our local church in Vancouver said he was really having a hard time getting his little 6 year old son to eat.  He asked me what could be done to give him more of an appetite? I mentioned several things, all of which he said he had tried, so I said that I would like to observe his son for a time, in order for me to see how I could help. What I  observed was that the child’s grandmother was constantly following him around with food, urging him to eat, but the boy was really contemptuous of all this. So I encouraged the brother to just let the boy get hungry and not urge anything on to him, so that his natural appetite would come back.

Why is it that people who have the least seem to be the most generous and kind to others, when others have any kind of need?  But it is those who have so much, quite often, that cannot be bothered to help others in need.

Sometimes God hides His face from us to help us to see how life would be without Him.  Has this ever happened to you?  Perhaps in a dream or in some other way or time?

You saw all the darkness and despair of sin and you felt as if you were left without a way of hope.  And when you woke up from that dream, how did you feel?  Were you thankful that you still had time to make sure of heaven?  Or did you just go back to your worldliness and lukewarmness?  Feeling self-satisfied and like you had no lack in your life?  It is only when we know that we have needs in our spiritual lives that God can do anything for us.

We must unlearn the ways of the flesh, the world and the devil. Pride, stubbornness, obstinacy, insisting on our own way, all of it does not glorify God.

On the other hand, one way we show our lack is always speculating if we have committed the unpardonable sin.  If we do this, we are merely saying to others that our faith is lacking and that self is still on the throne of the heart, rather than Christ.   Neither will we be always talking about what we did for the Lord at such and such a time, when the Lord is trying to give us experiences with Him each and every day, in overcoming pride, worldliness, and, in a word, self.

We must accept the gold, white raiment and eye salve of the Holy Spirit’s leading, the character of Christ and the wonder of faith and love.  We will not be found saying that others have committed the unpardonable sin, and certainly will not have to speculate if we have ourselves, but rather trust in Christ for salvation, hope and correction for our errors.

“Many who are sincerely seeking for holiness of heart and purity of life seem perplexed and discouraged. They are constantly looking to themselves, and lamenting their lack of faith; and because they have no faith, they feel that they cannot claim the blessing of God. These persons mistake feeling for faith. They look above the simplicity of true faith, and thus bring great darkness upon their souls. They should turn the mind from self, to dwell upon the mercy and goodness of God and to recount His promises, and then simply believe that He will fulfill His word.

“We are not to trust in our faith, but in the promises of God. When we repent of our past transgressions of His law, and resolve to render obedience in the future, we should believe that God for Christ’s sake accepts us, and forgives our sins.

“Darkness and discouragement will sometimes come upon the soul, and threaten to overwhelm us; but we should not cast away our confidence. We must keep the eye fixed on Jesus, feeling or no feeling. We should seek to faithfully perform every known duty, and then calmly rest in the promises of God.

“At times a deep sense of our unworthiness will send a thrill of terror through the soul; but this is no evidence that God has changed toward us, or we toward God. No effort should be made to rein the mind up to a certain intensity of emotion. We may not feel today the peace and joy which we felt yesterday; but we should by faith grasp the hand of Christ, and trust Him as fully in the darkness as in the light.

“Satan may whisper, ‘You are too great a sinner for Christ to save.’ While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and unworthy, you may meet the tempter with the cry, ‘By virtue of the atonement, I claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my own merits, but to the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses me. This moment I hang my helpless soul on Christ.’ The Christian life must be a life of constant, living faith. An unyielding trust, a firm reliance upon Christ, will bring peace and assurance to the soul.” –Messages to Young People, p. 111–112

May the good Lord help us to always feel our need of Him, understand that we may lack many things spiritually—and always look for ways to help and bless others—knowing that in this same way, we will find the grace and means to overcome.  Amen.

Jerry Eaton