The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

own origin), declares Himself to be, 'The faithful and true witness, the beginning of the
creation of God.'"
The Savior continues to address the Church and the messenger of the Laodiceans, in the
words: "I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or
hot." (Verse 15.) This expression is, of course, figurative. To be "cold," in the sense here
suggested, would imply a condition where there was no pretension of religion. To be "hot"
denotes the very opposite--a state of fervency, warm and zealous in the love and service of
the Master. The state or condition reproved here is that of a profession of Christ with no
warmhearted love and service which He desired and had a right to expect of those who
professed to be His ministers, His followers. Lukewarmness is the word in the next verse.
"I would that thou wert either cold or hot" is used to express this condition. The meaning
is that Christ would prefer no profession at all to one that was of a hypocritical character,
where there was no glow of warm affection. The reason is most obvious. Evidently a cold
state is preferable to Christ than that of lukewarmness. The cold, non-professing
unbeliever represents a more honest condition. He could not be specially responsible in his
ignorance and would not therefore be blameworthy to the extent of the one who had some
enlightenment and professed to be a follower of Christ, but was not living up to his
profession. It would be far better to be even antagonistic to Christ, than to make a
profession to be His ministers, His followers, to make vows of consecration, and then
manifest indifference in fulfilling them. On the part of the non-professor, there is no
concealment, no pretense. The one is a condition of either being deceived or of insincerity,
if not hypocrisy. The other is generally, at least, honest. Honesty is one quality absolutely
necessary to become a true disciple and have the Word of God take root, as Christ taught
in parable: "But that on the good ground are they, which, in an honest and good heart,
having heard [understood] the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."--Luke
8:15.
It has been truly said of insincere ones or hypocrites:
"Of a man who is false to his engagements; who makes professions and promises never to
be realized, we can make nothing. There is essential meanness in such a character, and
there is nothing in it which we can respect. But, in the character of the man who is openly
and avowedly opposed to anything; who takes his stand, and is earnest and zealous in his
course, though it be wrong, there are traits which may be, under a better direction,
elements of true greatness and magnanimity. In the character of Saul of Tarsus, there were
always the elements of true greatness; in that of Judas Iscariot, there were never. The one
was capable of becoming one of the noblest men that has ever lived on the earth; the other,
even under the personal teaching of the Redeemer for years, was nothing but a traitor--a
man of essential meanness. . . . The most hopeless of all persons, in regard to salvation, are
those who are [profess to be] members of the Church without any true religion; who have
made a profession without any evidence of personal piety; who are content with a name to
live. This is so, because (a) the essential character of any one who will allow himself to do
this, is eminently unfavorable to true religion. There is a lack of that thorough honesty and
sincerity which is so necessary for true conversion to God. He who is content to profess to