The Laodicean Message
“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, 1 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, 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.” Revelation 3:14-19.
The Laodicean message, as written in Revelation 3, is a very strong message. It tells of spiritual lukewarmness and how detestable it is to God. This is a very accurate description of the time hi which we live. The word Laodicea means: “People of the judgement” so we know we are living in the time of the final judgement. However, John goes on to describe the spiritual condition of the so-called Christians during this time period. We know that the SDA church is prophesied as the church during the Laodicean time period and the SDA Reform church is considered the remnant of Laodicea. While the SDA church has fallen away and become lukewarm in its condition, causing them to fall off the line of truth during the great crisis of World War I, is it possible that the spirit of Laodicea has affected some people in God’s church? Have we ever seen backsliders in the church?
Yes, I am sure we have all met some backsliders in God’s church, those who have become weak or discouraged. This Laodicean message is not for worldly people; it is not for those in fallen Christian organizations; this is a warning message for God’s church. May God help us to heed this warning, and make sure we are not in this condition.
What is the cause of this spiritual lethargy? It is a very dangerous disease.
Laodicean Message, what is its purpose? “I saw that this message would not accomplish its work hi a few short months. It was designed to arouse the people of GOD, to discover to them their backslidings, and lead to zealous repentance, that they might be favored with the presence of JESUS, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel.” 2SG, p. 224.
If the purpose of this message is to arouse God’s people from their backslidings, was it a message only to the SDA church? It cannot be, as they are no longer God’s church today. Perhaps this message is a warning for us to search our own hearts to make sure we are not hi a backslidden condition.
CAUSES OF BACKSLIDING:
Backsliding does not happen suddenly. It is often a slow process and can be imperceptible at first. Slowly the conscience becomes hardened, little by little it becomes “seared with a hot iron;” 1 Tim. 4:2. Our conscience, therefore is not a trustworthy guide if it does not agree with the truth. We must test everything with the truth, and bring our conscience into accordance with truth. It is therefore, very important to check our progress once hi awhile. Have we come closer to the Lord than we have hi the past? Have we slipped slowly back into the world? Are we partaking hi activities that we believed unacceptable hi the past? It doesn’t take much to undo the effects of the gospel. For the rich young ruler there was only one thing that he lacked, and this caused his spiritual departure from the Lord. (See Luke 18:18-25).
Misuse of money: “Your faith and simple trust in God began to wane as soon as means flowed hi upon you. You did not depart from God all at once. Your backsliding was gradual. You ceased the morning and evening devotions because it was not always convenient. Your son’s wife caused you trials of a peculiar, aggravating character, which had considerable to do in discouraging you from continuing family devotions. Your house became a prayerless house. Your business was made primary, and the Lord and His truth were made secondary. Look back to the days of your earlier experience; would these trials then have driven you from your family prayer?” T2 280, 281.
“Many are hi danger of thinking that in the cares of labor, hi writing and practicing as physicians, or performing the duties of the various departments, they are excusable if they lay down prayer, neglect the Sabbath, and neglect religious service.
Sacred things are thus brought down to meet their convenience, while duties, denials, and crosses are left untouched. Neither physicians nor helpers should attempt to perform their work without taking time to pray. God would be the helper of all who profess to love Him, if they would come to Him in faith and, with a sense of then-own weakness, crave His power. When they separate from God, their wisdom will be found to be foolishness. When they are small hi their own eyes and lean heavily upon their God, then He will be the arm of their power, and success will attend their efforts; but when they allow the mind to be diverted from God, then Satan comes in and controls the thoughts and perverts the judgement.” T4, p. 560.
Diet: Some think that diet is not a big issue – it is not so important that you follow the health guidelines that are laid out in the Spirit of Prophecy so strictly. It is ok, to bend a little here and there – to indulge occasionally. “The greatest want of the world is the want of men – men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Ed. p., 57.
Let’s see the disastrous results of the indulgence of appetite. “Some are indulging lustful appetite which wars against the soul and is a constant hindrance to their spiritual advancement. They constantly bear an accusing conscience, and if straight truths are talked they are prepared to be ofTended. They are self-condemned and feel that subjects have been purposely selected to touch their case. They feel grieved and injured, and withdraw themselves from the assemblies of the saints. They forsake the assembling of themselves together, for then then-consciences are not so disturbed. They soon lose their interest in the meetings and their love for the truth, and, unless they entirely reform, will go back and take their position with the rebel host who stand under the black banner of Satan. If these will crucify fleshly lusts which war against the soul, they will get out of the way, where the arrows of truth will pass harmlessly by them. But while they indulge lustful appetite, and thus cherish their idols, they make themselves a mark for the arrows of truth to hit, and if truth is spoken at all, they must be wounded.” IT. p. 548.
Dress: “I have been shown that the main cause of your backsliding is your love of dress. This leads to the neglect of grave responsibilities, and you find yourselves with scarcely a spark of the love of God in your hearts.” 4T, p. 647.
Inactivity in God’s cause: “Inactivity and indolence in the cause of God would result hi backsliding from God themselves, and by their example they would hinder others from going forward.” 4T, p. 285.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. 10:12. “None are in greater danger than he who feels that his mountain standeth sure. It is then that his feet will begin to slide. Temptations will come, one after another, and so imperceptible will be then- influence upon the life and character, that, unless kept by divine power, he will be corrupted by the spirit of the world and will fail to carry out the purpose of God. All that man has, God has given him, and he who improves his abilities to God’s glory will be an instrument to do good; but we can no more live a religious life without constant prayer and the performance of religious duties than we can have physical strength without partaking of temporal food. We must daily sit down at God’s table. We must receive strength from the living Vine, if we are nourished.” 4T, p. 560.
For those in a backslidden condition, it is not always God who punishes the sinner, “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” Jer. 2:19. Many times it is the results of the persons’ own sin that come back upon them. The smoker will more than likely develop lung cancer, the meat eaters have a greater risk of receiving tumors and cancers. The lazy person loses his spiritual strength that only God can provide. Those that leave the presence of the Lord are left to the results of their own evil course. The Lord has withdrawn His protecting hand.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Ps. 66:18. Any sin that is held onto can nullify all the effects of the gospel. I have met several people in the past who have cherished one sin and ended up giving up the faith. For one lady it was dress reform. She loved the truth when it was brought to her. She embraced it with joy and thankfulness. She loved the Sabbath rest and the health message, however there was one point of truth that she had difficulty giving up – only one. It was the dress reform issue. She felt she must dress very lightly hi the hot part of the summer and she dressed quite immodestly. She could not fathom the idea of being modest and still be comfortable in the hot summer. She ended up turning her back on the whole message. She gave up the Sabbath and the health reform. All that was beautiful to her hi the past, was now an unnecessary yoke in her eyes. I saw the same thing happen to a lady who could not give up her cosmetics. She turned her back and is no longer walking with us. It was only one point, but it was enough to undo the effects of the gospel. “And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2Thess. 2:11. It is God who sends the delusion, not Satan. Jesus says if you do not gather with me, you scatter abroad. We must be 100% with the Lord or we are none of His.
OUR DUTY TOWARDS BACKSLIDERS:
We do have a duty when we see those hi a backslidden condition. We are not to leave them alone to work out then- own salvation., and struggle alone. We are hi a church, the family of God, so that we can help one another. When we see a brother straying we do have a duty. “Some of the church had no special anxiety to have Brother A return. They cared not enough to unbend from their dignity and pride and make special efforts to help him to the light. They stood back on their dignity and said: “We will not go after him; let him come to us.” Viewing the feelings of his brethren toward him as he did, it was impossible for him to do this. Had they regarded the lesson taught by Christ, they would have been willing to yield their dignity and pride, and go after the wandering ones. They would have wept over them, prayed for them, implored them to be faithful to God arid the truth, and to abide with the church. But the feeling of many was: “If he wants to go, let him go.” 2T, p. 218,219.
“Hunt up the backsliders, those who once knew what religion was, and give them the message of mercy.” CH, p. 533.
Not every one will accept correction. Once lukewarm backsliders have entered the downward pathway, they will continue hi that direction. Even if they have not gone into apostasy, they may be lukewarm church members, who will come to church only to sit and listen every week. They have no interest hi any missionary endeavours of the church, taking part hi the meetings or any activities and extra meetings of the church. Either way, both are drifting slowly in the wrong direction. “But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Jer. 7:28. This is a fearful condition to be hi, when any encouragement and reproof is refused. Often the person drifting is blind to their own condition.
It is not an easy task to go and tell someone that they have wandered away from the Lord. There is always the fear that the message will be rejected and this had led some to ignore the backslider and turn the other way. “Some ministers who profess to be called of God have the blood of souls on their garments. They are surrounded with backsliders and shiners, and yet feel no burden for then” souls; they manifest an indifference in regard to their salvation. Some are so nearly asleep that they seem to have no sense of the work of a gospel minister. They do not consider that, as spiritual physicians, they are required to have skill in administering to souls diseased with sin. The work of warning shiners, of weeping over them and pleading with them, has been neglected until many souls are past all cure. Some have died in their sins, and will in the judgement confront with reproaches of their guilt those who might have saved them, but who did not. Unfaithful ministers, what a retribution awaits you!” 2T, p. 506.
Perhaps a person may not have hardened then- heart towards the truth, but have backslidden due to discouragement; they feel as though they have lost hope. “There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.” Jer. 2:25. This is the condition of some and we have to bring to them the message of love that Jesus has for His people today. There is still time. While there is life, there is hope.
JUDAH VS. ISRAEL
The nations of Israel and Judah are good examples for us. If we see others who are punished for their backslidden condition, we should take heed that we do not do as they have done. In the time of Israel and Judah, Israel went into captivity some years .before Judah because of their departure from God. Judah saw all the punishments yet they refused to repent. This was the Lord’s reaction to the sad condition that Judah found herself in. “And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” Jer. 3:7,8.
Judah actually had greater privileges which made her guilt worse. “And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.” Jer 3:11. And Judah went about trying to justify her course of action. When we wander away and are brought reproof by our brethren to encourage us to come back, we should never try to justify ourselves or make excuses as to why we are going the way we are. Shi is sin; the simplest solution is to simply confess our sin and return to the Lord. There is no excuse for sin ever, under any circumstances.
As I mentioned above, Judah’s guilt was worse than Israel’s due to the greater advantages they had been blessed with.
Judah’s advantages included:
“1) An unbroken succession of kings descended from the house of David. During all the years of her existence as a kingdom, but one dynasty ruled. As a result she was spared the political upheavals that plagued her northern neighbor.
2) The presence within her boundaries of the Temple and the visible manifestation of God’s presence hi the Temple.
3) The presence within her boundaries of the majority of the priests and Levites, official representatives of the worship of Jehovah.
4) The warning example of Israel’s downfall for a hundred years.. . In the face of these advantages Judah became faithless, hypocritical, and intolerably proud. Hence, Israel, hi spite of her open apostasy, was less guilty that Judah.” BC, vol. 4, p. 366.
The nation of Judah prided themselves that they were the sons of Abraham, having the royal line of David as kings, and thus they were favoured of God. The temple also was in their capital city so God must be with them. They were looking towards outward things for their salvation, as do many Christians today. Their faith is in their church buildings, their preachers, their schools, hospitals and sanitariums. “It was not enough that the ark and the sanctuary were in the midst of Israel. It was not enough that the priests offered sacrifices, and that the people were called the children of God. The Lord does not regard the request of those who cherish iniquity hi the heart; it is written ‘he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.’ Pro. 28:9.” PP, p. 584.
Yet, Judah compared herself to Israel and assured herself that she was not as bad as Israel. Her apostasy was not so great hi her own eyes, however hi the eyes of God it was worse due to then- greater privileges. “Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied their abominations more than they, and has justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.” Ezk. 16:51. Shamefully the chosen nation had “walked hi the counsels and hi the imaginations of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” Jer. 7:24. “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not hi the LORD; she drew not near to her God.”Zeph. 3:2.
What a sad condition to a great nation; a nation that was God’s church at that point in time. May God help us not to be as Judah, comparing ourselves with Israel and assuring ourselves that we are okay, since our sins don’t appear as grievous. We would then be in danger of having the Laodicean spirit and hi need of nothing.
INDIFFERENCE TO ONE’S OWN BACKSLIDDEN STATE:
“The knowledge of the state of the backslider from God seems to be hidden from him…. I call upon all who are resting unconcerned in then” present state of spiritual deadness, to arouse and arise from the dead, and Christ will give them light. Many rest content as though the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night were sheltering and guiding them. Many profess to know God, and yet deny Him hi then: works. They reckon themselves among God’s peculiar, chosen people, who have a special, solemn message entrusted to their keeping to sanctify then- lives and to give to the world, and yet the power of the truth is scarcely felt or manifested hi our midst in zealous work for God. How great is our darkness and we know it not! The light has not diminished, but we walk not in its rays.”TM,. P. 451.
“What greater delusion can deceive the human mind than that in which individuals flatter themselves that they have the truth, that they are on the only sure foundation, and that God accepts their works because they are actively engaged hi some work in the cause of God, when they are sinning against Him by walking contrary to the expressed will of God? They work mechanically, like machinery; but preparation of heart, the sanctification of the character, is wanting. Sacred and holy things are brought down to the level of common things, and commonness, a. cheapness, is working itself into our churches. The service is degenerating into little else than form.” TM,p. 451.
“We are not safe for one moment in cherishing indifference and carelessness in regard to our soul’s salvation. Many will have to arouse and change their course of action if they are saved. The perils of the last days are upon us. Connection with divine influence through a strong, living, working faith, can alone make us to be laborers together with God. Those who would shun the self-denying, self-sacrificing part of religion, will never be partakers with Christ in His glory. There must be prayerful study and determined effort on the part of all who shall win the crown of life.” 2SM, p. 212.
Some refuse to come back, no matter how earnestly the Lord calls. “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.” Jer. 8:5. Yes, their great sin was not only hi disobeying the voice of the Lord, but they refused to return when corrected. There is great danger in not listening to counsel and encouragement given from our brethren. “When duty is presented of cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness hi the fear of God, they are offended. They see that they cannot retain these hurtful gratifications and yet secure heaven, and they conclude that since the way to eternal life is so strait, they will no longer walk therein.” PP, p. 181.
“Oh LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou has consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.” Jer. 5:23. “. . they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” Jer. 4:22.
Sister White wrote many testimonies to the believers living hi her days. Many were heeded, but many were ignored. It is a fearful thing to ignore the voice of the Lord brought by His servants to help and encourage us.
A CALL TO RETURN:
“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.” Jer. 3:22.
The Lord is calling all those who have backslidden to come into line. He wants everyone to search then-own hearts to see if there is any dark corner of sin left. If we find something that should not be there, the Lord, hi His mercy, will welcome every repentant shiner. Today there is still time to come back to the Lord. Tomorrow may be too late.
Even with all the Jove that the Lord has showered upon people, many refuse to come to the Lord. When the Lord has withdrawn His protection and prospering hand, even then some have hardened then- hearts, as did Pharaoh hi Egypt. His nation was hi nuns but he still stubbornly refused to acknowledge the God of heaven. In the time of Jeremiah, it was God’s people who were the stubborn, hard-hearted ones. “Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.” Jer 3:3.
Often when a crisis comes hi a person’s life they will react in one of two ways; they will call to God or they will curse God. God will often allow a crisis to come to reveal to us what is really in our hearts and if we find some evil hidden there, evil that we were not aware of before, it is a fearful thing to harden our hearts and to not be ashamed of our sin. Sin is a terrible thing hi the eyes of God and not something to be trifled with. Affliction made no impression on the hearts of the people hi the nation of Judah. May the Lord help each one of us to see God’s leading hand in our afflictions.
“Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever.” Jer. 3:12.
“Let those who have become sleepy and indifferent, awake. We are called to be holy and we should carefully avoid giving the impression that it is of little consequence whether or not we retain the peculiar features of our faith. Upon us rests the golden obligation of taking a more decided stand for truth and righteousness than we have taken hi the past. The line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God and those who do not is to be revealed with unmistakable clearness. We are conscientiously to honor God, diligently using every means of keeping hi covenant relation with Him, that we may receive His blessings – the blessings so essential for a people who are to be so severely tried. To give the impression that our faith, our religion, is not a dominating power in our lives is greatly to dishonor God. Thus we turn from His commandments, which are our life, denying that He is our God and we His people.” 9T, p. 251.
“The time has come when we must know for ourselves why we believe as we do. We must stand for God and for the truth, against a reckless, unbelieving generation. That man who has once known the way of life, and has turned from the convictions of his own heart to the sophistry of Satan, will be more inaccessible and more unimpressible than he who has never tasted the love of Christ. He will be wise to do evil. He has bound himself to Satan, even against light and knowledge. I say to my brethren: Your only hope is in God. We must be clothed with Christ’s righteousness if we would withstand the prevailing impiety.” 4T, p. 596.
We are living hi a solemn and fearful time. Each one of us must daily search our hearts to make sure we have not become lukewarm. The warning of Laodicea is for us today. Let us pay heed to that warning.
AMEN