The Last Days Of The Church III

 Given what we know about the final iteration of the Laodicean church, we can clearly understand why Paul urged that his letter to the Colossians also be read to the Laodiceans. The big idea and overarching theme of the Epistle to the Colossians is the preeminence of Christ in all things and that a Christian’s life should reflect this undergirding truth in every area of our existence.

Whether it’s being rooted in Him, alive in Him, hidden in Him, or complete in Him, Paul makes it clear time and again that without Jesus, we have nothing, are nothing, and it is both inconsistent and impossible to claim to be in Christ, without Christ.

News had traveled that the Laodicean church had begun to prioritize things other than Jesus, focusing on the tertiary things rather than the foundational principles of faith in Christ, and so Paul requested that the epistle he penned to the Colossians also be read to the Laodiceans. Even when confronted with the truth, some people still prefer the lie because it is more appealing to the flesh.

Had the Laodicean church heeded Paul’s warning and rebuke, had they taken his counsel to heart, perhaps the message to the angel of the church of Laodicea would not have been so dire.

Materially speaking they had everything they could want or desire. They gloried in their possessions and made sure everyone knew how blessed and favored they were, yet Jesus saw the vanity of it all and warned that unless they repented, He would vomit them out of His mouth.

Even though the resemblance between the modern-day church and that of Laodicea is uncanny and undeniable, all it took for us to ignore the disquiet in our hearts regarding the things being proffered as gospel truth was having some glitter flung at our faces while being told it was gold dust. Even though it’s antithetical to scripture, it must be true because God wouldn’t perform miracles lest we were righteous! God wouldn’t, but the enemy surely would, to keep us in the lukewarm state we find ourselves in, wouldn’t he? The enemy is not without power, and our singular defense against His machinations is to be rooted in His Word, walking with Jesus by the light it provides.

It doesn’t matter what signs or wonders one performs. It does not negate the need for repentance, righteousness, and holiness unto the Lord. Admittedly, what we’ve seen thus far amounts to no more than parlor tricks and sleight of hand. Still, the day will come when there will be bonafide signs and undeniable wonders being performed by individuals whose underlying message will be that you don’t need Jesus to have miracles in your life; you just need to know the magic words or feel like you’re a spiritual person. Christianity without Christ! There is no need for you to abstain from indulging in whatever your pet sin might be, no need for you to be renewed of mind or be born again; those are just legalists trying to push their legalism on you.

If you want the numbers, you have to lower the standard. Even the United States armed forces have had to contend with this reality, and since recruitment was down, they had to tweak the requirements. Come one, come all. We need the cannon fodder. Can’t walk more than a hundred yards without getting winded? Can’t do a pushup to save your life? That’s okay; we understand and accept it. Now sign on the dotted line and go see if we can find a uniform in your size. We may have to let the pants out a bit, but those are just minor details.

The difference is that God isn’t trying to fill a quota. He’s not hard-pressed to make the numbers because otherwise, He won’t get a bonus. When Jesus said nothing that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie would enter therein, He meant it just as readily as He did when He said He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.

The Bible is not a buffet where we can pick and choose what interests us and discard everything else. Even though many would like it to be, that's not how it works. When the beliefs we’ve fashioned are not rooted in God’s Word, and when the foundation we’ve built is not upon the Rock, all we’ve done is make an idol that suits us rather than submit to His will and purpose for our lives.

The Laodiceans found out the hard way that just because they claimed to be rich and in need of nothing didn’t make it so. You can’t identify as a Christian; you must be a Christian. You can’t identify as being born again; you must be born again. It’s not semantics; it’s a fundamental truth of the gospel, and if we deny, ignore, or otherwise downplay the imperative that we must be born again, we’re only fooling ourselves. God doesn’t get tricked by affirmations or self-aggrandizing conclusions about ourselves. Jesus saw them for what they were, not what they’d convinced themselves they were. He saw them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, even though they saw themselves as needing nothing.

How you see yourself is irrelevant. How God sees you is all that matters because He is the judge and final arbiter. This applies to the individual, as well as an entire church body. The modern-day church has this image of itself emblazoned in their mind’s eye, of being the pinnacle of spiritual maturity and strength, when in reality, the things we point to as evidence of our strength reveal our weaknesses.

No, God is not impressed that your pastor is a millionaire or that he drives a supercar. He is not impressed by the tailored suits, skinny jeans, multiple thousand dollar sweaters that look as though they just got fished out of a dumpster because it’s what the cool kids are wearing, or the retinue of bodyguards by those trying to project an image of a mob boss. The things that impress men don’t impress God, nor do they signify faithfulness, servanthood, or obedience. The Laodiceans found this out the hard way, and the modern-day church is about to as well.

Currently, we have the hot and the cold, bookending a majority of lukewarm Christians. These last days will compel the lukewarm to pick a side, either hot or cold, because being lukewarm will no longer be an option. Persecution will polarize the church. It is inevitable. Either men will walk away or cling to Jesus all the more. Either they will commit fully to enduring to the end or push the eject button and start scraping the fish stickers off their back bumpers.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.  

Posted on 6 July 2024 | 11:09 am