The Lord, through John, speaks to the church of Laodicea and calls their attention to their behavior before Him. He refers to the mentality they had, focused on riches, and makes them see that their salvation was gradually falling behind .
In this chapter, it is evident that God loves this church, as he mentions that He disciplines those He loves. This is observed in verse 19 of chapter 3. The Lord urges the church to repent.
“Be jealous” is one of the expressions that God directs to this church, since He is also jealous for His followers. This call is intended to avoid the loss of Him.
The Lord’s warning against this church begins with “I rebuke and chasten.” In verse 19, it reads:
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Revelation 3:19
Similar to this church, many churches today have focused on material issues and have neglected God’s love and salvation. They are more concerned with keeping their finances full than with being fervent. Instead of being passionate, they are warm and cold. These, the Lord rejects, since their interests are in worldly vanities.
The Lord expresses Himself clearly through his servant John: “I rebuke and chasten, repent yourself.” This message is still relevant today. The Lord is at the door, and if someone hears His voice, he should not ignore it. He must warm himself and not be lukewarm or cold. For if someone is cold or lukewarm, he will be rejected and will not be able to participate in the marriage of the Lamb.
