The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

of the many evidences of a loss or lack of spirituality and of character likeness to Christ, on
the part of those who continue to profess His Name, is that of a spirit of pride and
boastfulness. This is manifested on the part of religious leaders and organizations today in
their eagerness to give statistics, to advertise their doings. Meetings and conferences are
convened for this purpose rather than for ministering to the people the Word of God. In
not a few cases, the caucuses of political gatherings are mild indeed as compared with
some of the methods of the professed followers of Christ in the conduct of business
matters of the Church. In Laodicea most of the attention is given to the externals of
Christian life, and to securing the approval and applause of the world. The principal cause
of all this is that the conscience is not sensitive and tender before the Lord; the life of faith
and trust has never been entered upon; and the heart, the affections, has never been
occupied with a personal Christ. The writer last quoted above, who may be considered to
be a Philadelphian believer, but who lived over into the Laodicean age, made application
of this message to present conditions of the professed Church, and very truthfully said,
"It is self-satisfied, boastful, and empty. Having come down to the world's tastes, and
gained the world's praise and patronage, the Laodiceans think they are rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing. Such splendid churches, and influential and
intelligent congregations, and learned and agreeable preachers! Such admirable worship
and music! Such excellently manned and endowed institutions! So many missionaries in
the field! So much given for magnificent charities! Such an array in all the attributes of
greatness and power! What more can be wanted? And will it answer to say that all this is
not largely and characteristically the state of things at this hour?"
Let the following clear statement be carefully considered:
"The Scriptures draw to our attention the fact that the nominal Church of this present time,
symbolical Laodicea (Rev. 3:17,18), claims also to be very rich. 'Thou sayest, I am rich and
increased in goods, and have need of nothing.' Alas! this seems to be the prevalent
condition of nominal churchianity on every hand. Only the few in her who are Israelites
indeed, and who have not yet heard and obeyed the voice speaking in this harvest-time,
and saying, 'Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye
receive not of her plagues'--only these very few know of the true riches; the remainder are
deceiving themselves with a counterfeit wealth. They look with pride upon their numbers,
and count them by millions: they rejoice in this wealth of numbers, not realizing that
nearly all are 'tares,' not begotten by the good Word of the Kingdom: indeed very few of
them know anything about the Kingdom at all, not being begotten of the Truth, but
begotten of error."
The Savior's words, "Thou art wretched," do not denote that those thus rebuked are
actually conscious of that condition. The words refer to the condition itself, rather than the
consciousness of it. The word "miserable," as here used, means a pitiable state, rather than
one actually felt to be so. The word "poor" refers, of course, to their spiritual state: they are
altogether lacking in those graces which are always the fruit of Christ's spirit. They are
"blind"--blind to their true condition, blind to the signs of the times, blind to what