This study was first taught on February 7, 2012

Topic: Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (3.7.3)

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Background
Last week, we concluded on the chastening of the church in Laodicea by the Lord, as we focused on the yardstick for measuring success in our Christian walk with God. We saw that, rather than measure success using the Lord’s yardstick, the church in Laodicea measured their success in terms of wealth, possessions, and self-sufficiency. The Lord, however, gave a true picture of the state of the church in Laodicea—a very sorry and sad one indeed!

We noted that the boast of the church in Laodicea about their wealth, possessions, and self-sufficiency, as the measure of their success, was as a result of their lukewarmness. We thus observed that a lukewarm individual (or church) will easily succumb to boasting about the things that God has given him (or them), as though they are his personal (or their own) achievement(s). The result of a warped view of success in Christianity always leads to the misuse and abuse of the gifts of God. We see spiritual gifts, which really are tools for ministry, being used rather, for personal aggrandisement, and as a display of the measure of success or achievement in ministry. The ignorance of the church in Laodicea to the eternal purpose of God’s grace to them, had turned them into arrogant, boastful, and conceited people, so much so that, they saw themselves as a church that was making giant strides, when indeed, they were actually retrogressing! In general, the misuse and abuse of spiritual gifts, may erroneously seem to meet with God’s approval, but in reality, it is a sign of lukewarmness and degeneration—what the Lord called, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”

The harsh words that the Lord used to describe the church in Laodicea, was for their own good, because, it was His way of giving them an opportunity to repent and change their ways, so that they wouldn’t miss out on eternal life! We therefore noted that for the Christian, the Lord’s chastening, rather than being avoided and rejected, should be welcomed and seen as a sign by the person being chastised, that he is still considered a son of God, and as such, he is being given an opportunity to mend his ways and turn to the path of life! Our response to chastening is an indicator of whether or not we will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Those who refuse or reject the Lord’s chastening will invariably continue down the path of destruction and never return back to the path of eternal life.

Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 7:21-22; Revelation 3:17-18, 20
Tonight, we will look at the Lord’s counsel after the chastisement He meted out to the church in Laodicea. May the Holy Spirit help us to receive with meekness, the Lord’s counsel, and the blessings that accompany those who receive such counsel for good, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
After noting the true but sorry state of the church in Laodicea, the Lord did not leave them without proffering a way out of the ‘pit of filth and misery’ they had dug themselves into. He gave them counsel, which, if they followed, would bring them out of the ‘pit’ and unto the path to eternal life.
Isaiah 55:1-2; John 7:37-39; Matthew 11:28; John 4:10; Luke 16:11; Proverbs 23:4-5; John 6:26-27; Psalm 127:2; Ecclesiastes 7:11-12; Psalm 49:6-9; Mark 10:23; Proverbs 4:1-9; 8:10-11; 2:1-6; 10:22; Malachi 3:1-4; Proverbs 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; 1 Peter 1:7; Genesis 3:8-11; Revelation 19:8; Ephesians 4:20-24; John 14:30; Proverbs 28:1; John 9:11; Mark 8:22-25; Matthew 13:15; John 9:39-41; Matthew 15:12-14; John 10:1-5, 26-27.

Conclusion
We conclude our study on the church in Laodicea as it concerns entry into the kingdom of heaven, by paraphrasing the Lord’s counsel as follows: “Set aside all your claims to access into the kingdom of God on the grounds that you have prophesied or preached in My name; have cast out demons in My name; and have performed miracles in My name. Look at your condition and acknowledge that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; and then, come to Me, and obtain true wealth, and you will be wealthy indeed; obtain the white garment of righteousness, and you will be clothed indeed; and allow Me to anoint your eyes with My eye salve, and you will be able to see as you ought.” He continues, “I will even make it easier for you: you need not travel far to obtain these things, for I am already standing at the door and knocking, calling out to you; if you will hear My voice and open the door, then, I will come in and purge/purify you, clothe you, and anoint your eyes so you can see clearly.”

This is the same counsel that all believers in Christ must listen to and learn from today. The time has come for all true believers to recognize that their wealth, possessions, and sufficiency must be in Christ alone. If we have erred from that path, we should willingly open the door of our hearts to our Lord, and He will give us true wealth which neither moth nor rust can attack, clothe us with the robe of righteousness which protects from sin and covers shame, and, anoint our eyes so that we can clearly see as we ought and not live presumptuously. This way, boasting is eliminated, and we can acknowledge that all that we have done, we have done by the grace of God, and in His power. And so access into the kingdom of heaven shall become ours through Him Who has called us to glory and praise!

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