Freedom & Spiritual Renewal in Christ

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
Revelation 3:15 (NIV)

July 4th is celebrated as Independence Day in the United States of America. Although celebrating our freedom is commendable, our commemoration of Independence Day must have a reflective purpose as well. This country has made great strides in various areas, but in spite of these advancements, we see that the nation is deeply in need of spiritual
renewal.

American culture is often characterized as one in which people are free to choose what seems to be best by human standards rather than the standards prescribed by divine scripture. We, as a society, have become a people who believe that if we lead our lives according to our own human desires that everything will be alright. Because of this type of
thinking, the standards of our culture have now digressed to the point that what used to be considered unmentionable is now the norm. The tragic result is that we fail to see ourselves through the lens of God’s holy expectations. Therefore, we must accept the fact that we are in need of spiritual renewal. This leads us to the question: what are the keys to
spiritual renewal? And the answer to this can be found by learning from the church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22).

First, we should be clear about God and what He desires. One of the most striking issues in the modern-day church deals with the lack of clarity concerning our beliefs about God. When there is a lack of clarity in this area, it leads to difficulties in understanding God’s desires for human beings. In this passage, we read about the Laodicean church as being lukewarm. If the church is lukewarm, it means that the people are comfortable; this is dangerous because it leads to false feelings of security and may even lead to apathy. God desires us either to be cold or hot because He can impact us when we are in such states. He can thaw our cold hearts to become hearts that are set on fire by the Holy Spirit. However,
hearts that are lukewarm are difficult to impact.

Secondly, we must be clear about ourselves. Very few people see themselves through a clear lens. Most of the time when a problem or difficulty arises, we look for someone else to blame. Part of the reason for this is the “self-image” issues of the day. To admit ‘I’ made a mistake is to give the appearance of weakness and ignorance and inferiority. Basically, what is happening in such instances is that we are deceiving our own selves. In this passage, we read about such self-deception in the descriptions of wealth. We may feel that we have all that we need without realizing that without God we are really just pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. If we do not come to the understanding of just how self-deceived we are,
spiritual renewal will never happen.

Finally, we must be clear about what our Savior offers us. Often times, we are influenced by the misconception that this world will always offer us the best, when in reality, it is only Jesus Christ that is capable of this. In verse 18 of the selected passage, Jesus offers three things to remind us of the blessedly abundant life He promised to provide for us. He first offers us refined gold. This refers to Jesus’ ability to refine and purify us. Living a purified life is the greatest wealth that we can acquire. We also see that Jesus offers us white robes signifying the cleansing and forgiveness we can only receive through Him. No matter what sinful issues we have to deal with, Jesus is there to offer us His mercy which enables us to lead wholesome lives. We also see that our Lord offers us the gift of healing through salve (ointment) which He Himself will apply to all our hurts to effect divine healing in our lives. The offers of purity, forgiveness, and healing remind us that God truly desires us to be spiritually renewed.

Remember, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, wanting to come in and renew and transform our lives (v. 20). However, if we never let go of our desires of worldly satisfaction, and if we never overcome our self-deceiving attitudes, Jesus will remain locked outside of our hearts and outside of our lives, leaving us incapable of experiencing the freedom and renewal He offers.

Let us respond to the voice of our Lord, open the doors of our hearts, and receive the gifts of freedom and renewal that Jesus Christ offers. May God bless us all!

With love and prayers,
Rev. Christopher Phil Daniel
Vicar, Jerusalem Mar Thoma Church
Connecticut