Devotional 29 January 2025

Revelation 3:15-17 ESV “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea with piercing clarity. They believed themselves to be self-sufficient, yet He saw their true condition—spiritually destitute and blind to their need for Him. Their lukewarm state was not just one of complacency but of self-deception. They thought they had everything, but in reality, they had nothing of eternal value (Luke 12:16-21). Christ’s words cut through their illusions, exposing their hearts for what they truly were.

This passage reminds us that Jesus sees past outward appearances and into the depths of our souls. His eyes are described as “like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14), symbolizing His penetrating judgment. Nothing is hidden from Him (Hebrews 4:13). We may think we are spiritually secure, but He knows whether our faith is genuine or merely a façade. The Laodiceans’ lukewarmness was offensive to Christ because it reflected a divided heart, one unwilling to fully commit to Him (Matthew 6:24).

The danger of spiritual complacency is that it numbs us to our true need for Christ. We may rest in material security, religious activity, or past experiences, failing to recognize our desperate dependence on Him (John 15:5). Jesus, in His mercy, calls us to repentance and wholehearted devotion (Revelation 3:19-20). The question remains: will we submit to Him to expose our hearts and transform us, or will we continue in self-deception?

-steve