APPRAISEMENT
4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."
Revelation 2:4,5 (NKJV)
Some started well on their Christian journey and their assignment, but they started derailing when they lost focus.
Jesus in His letter to the seven churches in Asia minor, told the church of Ephesus that they have forsaken their first love and they should repent (Revelation 2:4,5).
A tepid church
Another church among the seven churches which Jesus talks about was the Laodicean church, He called them a tepid or lukewarm church (Revelation 3:15).
About the Laodicean church, in a letter to them, Jesus said: “BECAUSE YOU SAY, I AM RICH, HAVE BECOME WEALTHY, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING’—AND DO NOT KNOW YOU ARE WRETCHED, MISERABLE, POOR, BLIND AND NAKED" (Revelation 3:17 NKJV).
• Laodicea was a wealthy city and the church was also wealthy; but in Jesus’ sight, they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
• They were neither cold nor hot: “I KNOW YOUR WORKS, THAT YOU ARE NEITHER HOT NOR COLD. I WISH THAT YOU WERE COLD OR HOT" (Revelation 3:15 NKJV). A number of believers today are neither cold nor hot; they are tepid, lukewarm, not enthusiastic again about God and the things of the kingdom (Revelation 3:15,16).
Being tepid or lukewarm could be as a result of:
• Comfort. Wealth, luxury, and ease can make one feel confident, satisfied and complacent.
• When you think you have attained, you become tepid. Apostle Paul said:
12 NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED, OR AM ALREADY PERFECTED; BUT I PRESS ON, THAT I MAY LAY HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH CHRIST HAS ALSO LAY HOLD OF ME.
13 BRETHREN, I DO NOT COUNT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED (laid hold of it); BUT ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND AND REACHING FORWARD TO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE AHEAD. 14 I PRESS TOWARDS THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE OF THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS" (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV).
• When you have wrong assumption of the self, when you think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, you become tepid (Romans 12:3).
• Misplaced priority. When you centre your life primarily on the comfort and luxury instead of finding true riches in your relationship with God through Christ (Luke 12:21). READ: Luke 12:16-21
God does not see things the way we see things (1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 55:8,9). You might be rated high by man, or you have rated yourself high, while in God’s sight or rating, you are low and nothing.
The church in Laodicea had wrong assumption of themselves—they were rich, they have become wealthy, they have need of nothing—thus they were confident, satisfied and complacent (Revelation 3:17).
Howbeit, Jesus rated them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17).
If Jesus were to rate or assess you today, how would you fare? How would your score card look?
Men may rate you high, consider you as number one in your services to God, whereas, in the sight of God, or in His rating, you are low, you are the least or the last.
Remember, what God says about you is important than what humans say. Thus, you should not be carried away with human eulogies and praises:
3 BUT WITH ME IT IS A SMALL THING THAT I SHOULD BE JUDGED BY YOU OR BY A HUMAN COURT. IN FACT, I DO NOT EVEN JUDGE MYSELF. 4 FOR I KNOW OF NOTHING AGAINST MYSELF, YET I AM NOT JUSTIFIED BY THIS; BUT HE WHO JUDGES ME IS LORD. 5 THEREFORE JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME, UNTIL THE LORD COMES, WHO WILL BOTH BRING TO LIGHT THE HIDDEN THINGS OF DARKNESS AND REVEAL THE COUNSELS [motives] OF THE HEARTS. THEN EACH ONE'S PRAISE WILL COME FROM GOD" (1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NKJV).
If you have forsaken your first love, or you have wrong assumption of the self, you should endeavour to amend your ways: “REMEMBER THEREFORE FROM WHERE YOU HAVE FALLEN; REPENT AND DO THE FIRST WORKS, OR ELSE I WILL COME to YOU QUICKLY AND REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE UNLESS YOU REPENT” (Revelation 2:5 NKJV).
Repent that you may not lose your place (Revelation 2:5).
Jesus’ counsel: “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” (Revelation 3:18 NKJV)
You will do well to heed the counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
You will not fail in Jesus’ name. Peace!