
Jesus desires to have spiritual intimacy with us. He desires to know us and for us to know Him.
Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
We must have intimacy with the Lord if we desire to have the glory of the Lord in our lives and in our church, and if we desire to be in the presence of the Lord after this life. The glory of the Lord, the manifest presence of God, is not obtained by the wisdom of the world. It only comes through intimacy with the Lord.
Jesus is standing at the door longing for them to get up out of their sleepiness, and complacency and let Him come in an have an intimate relationship with them.
Song of Solomon 5:2 NKJV
“I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, ‘Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is covered with dew. My locks with the drops of the night.”
Revelation3:18-20 NKJV
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
The church of Laodicea was a rich city, but they has a serious problem. They did not have a source of clean drinking water. Their water came from springs that were fed from hot springs that were filled with impurities. The water they piped in tasted bad, was lukewarm, and would make them sick.
In addition to their water problem the church of Laodicea was complacent and they relied on themselves. In their eyes they felt like they had everything that they needed and they were satisfied. However, in the eyes of God they were spiritually poor, naked, and blind. Service to God was out of duty not from an intimate relationship with Him. Their service out of duty, instead of from a heart of love made God sick, just as the lukewarm water filled with impurities made the people sick.
Despite being lukewarm, they were still loved by God. The church was rebuked in order for them to see themselves as they really were in hopes that they would change. God instructed them to be zealous and to repent, and to open the door for Him to come into their lives. He desired spiritual intimacy with them, but it was them that had to open the door. God was not going to force them to have an intimate relationship with Him. It was them that had to open the door for God.
The same is still true today. God desires an intimate relationship we us individually and as a church, but He is not going to force that relationship on us. It is us that must open the door so that He can come in and dine with us and us with Him.
Song of Solomon 5:6 NKJV
“I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave no answer.”
The city of Laodicea eventually died out because they never could overcome the problem concerning their water – they never could get rid of the impurities.
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to us. By the time the woman in the Song of Solomon got around to opening the door her lover was gone. May God help us not to be like her. May we not be so indifferent and complacent so long that by they time we open the door it is too late.
Revelation 3:21-22 NKJV
“ ‘To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on MY throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Once again the Lord is calling the church to be zealous and to repent, and to open the door for Him to come into our lives and church. As a church and as individuals may we get rid of the impurities in our lives, and may we have the same zeal for God and His house that Jesus did.
Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. Will we hear? Will we open the door?
Dear Father,
I thank-you that You first loved me. By the power of the Holy Spirit, increase my hunger for You and Your presence. I desire a greater intimacy with You. Cause me not to be complacent or satisfied with my relationship with You. May I be zealous for You and increase my hunger for a deeper relationship with You. Help me to be quick to repent when convicted by the Holy Spirit – let there be nothing standing between You and I. Remove all impurities from my life, along with those things that will hinder my relationship with You. May I do Your will – Let everything that I do be out of love for You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen