THE WEAKNESS THAT KILLS REPENTANCE
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent … Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
~ Revelation 3:19,22
The church at Laodicea suffered from a bad case of “the emperor’s new clothes.” Like that fabled emperor, their true condition was obvious to all but them.
A church in the same condition is no laughing matter. Appearances can’t mask reality—especially from God. But how do you correct such a situation?
Charles Spurgeon offers the following suggestions for a well-dressed church.
WALK WITH CHARLES SPURGEON
“You may know of the faults of other people; and in watching a church, you may have observed weak points in many places. But have you wept or prayed over them?“
If not, you have not watched as you should for the good of your brothers and sisters, and perhaps have allowed evils to grow which ought to have been uprooted. You have been silent when you should have kindly and earnestly spoken to the offenders, or made your own example a warning.
Do not judge your brother, but judge yourself; if you have any severity, use it on your own conduct and heart. We must pray the Lord to use this remedy, and make us know just where we are.”
We shall never get right as long as we are confident that we are so already. Self-complacency is the death of repentance.
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
In the first three chapters of Revelation, seven churches received personal messages from the Lord of the church. And within a few hundred years, all seven had disappeared. Perhaps, in Spurgeon’s words, they were “confident” and full of “self-complacency,” believing that they were well dressed already.
How about you? Are you satisfied with your walk with God? More important, is he satisfied with your walk with him?
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