Corporate Repentance - Robert J. Wieland

themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open
shame" (Hebrews 6:6). Is Laodicea's sin related to
this? How deep is the sin for which "the angel of
the church of the Laodiceans" is called upon to
repent?
Laodicea shares something in common with
Israel of old—an ignorance of our true state. The
Lord says, "You ... do not know," the same as He
prayed of them, "They do not know" The remnant
church is pathetically unaware of her actual role as
she appears on the stage of the universe. "You are .
. . naked," Christ whispers to us, in alarm
(Revelation 3:17). Could this be more serious than
we have thought, more than mere shameful but
innocent naivete? Could it stem from a deep heart
alienation from the Lord Himself, something that
makes us akin to the ancient Jews?
The idea of nakedness surfaces again in the
parable of the wedding garment. The deluded guest
who thought that dressing up was optional was not
only naive; he lacked respect for the host. An
alienation deeper than his conscious understanding
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