Rebuking the Twilight

READ: Revelations 3:15-22

Once upon a time there was a lady named Sally, a Christian who accepted Jesus in her heart at the age of 6 years old.  She was a hard-working, bubbly and extroverted people pleaser; one thirsty for status and susceptible to anything goes (but if and only if she could benefit).  You see, Sally was a professed Christian but really had no boundaries, she was willing to do whatever she thought it would take to get her where she wanted to be. 

She attended church most Sundays, read her daily devotionals, said a little prayer for the day and off she went storming out into the world eager to make herself known.  Her relationship with God was as she would refer to it as a “mutual understanding between her and God”.  She perceived that God understood her and that He presumably was okay with the life she lived, because she was so successful.   

How many Sally’s are in the world today, professed Christians who give God what they think He should have and not what He has desired and commanded.

In Revelations 3, verses 15-22 Jesus ends the evaluation of the 7 churches of Asia by speaking to the Laodicean church.  The Laodicean church speaks of a worldly church that is unsettled, confused and wavering back and forth in world affairs or as some say “straddling the fence”.

In verses 15-16 (NKJV) Jesus states, ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”.  Whoa, that seems rather harsh coming from a loving God.  To be lukewarm is to be indecisive, fearful, straddling the fence, wishy washy, double-minded or better yet living in the twilight.  It is to be distasteful and unsatisfactory to God.  Yes, twilight, a period or state of obscurity, ambiguity, or gradual decline. 

Jesus was angry with the Laodicean church because they thought they were rich, had increased in goods and declared they have need of nothing (v. 18).  God was no longer the center and nucleus of their focus. They stopped wholeheartedly worshipping the Creator and began to worship other things.  Yes, this is the current state of many churches, but the Lord wants His church back.  He wants our hearts back.  He wants His time with us back.

What happened to such a people, what has happened to us, and how did the fire and hot pursuit of righteousness, holiness and sanctification grow so lackluster to the point it became lukewarm and distasteful to the Lord?  How did the Laodicean church get into such a condition especially being in the church, doing spiritual things as they supposed and being considered “good” people.  Yet God’s assessment is that they weren’t as committed to Him as they used to be or thought they were.  The twilight is that 3^rd party in between us and the Lord, the great gulf in the middle, the thing or things that has kept so many from remaining obedient, devoted and faithful to Him.

Is anyone else deeply concerned about their relationship with the Lord. Does anyone care about His evaluation of their soul.  Would anyone like to be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord.  Would you like to be strongly rebuked of God with the possibility of being forever separated from Him.  I reckon that none of us want such a thing to happen to us.

There are far too many professing Christians who are only so in name.  Some are like the ones Gideon sent home, unfit for the battle.  Many are men pleasers and others are all out traders yet trying to covertly play both sides.  God knows.  We cannot thrive being lukewarm in our relationship with the Lord. This is a very fine and precious hour for the church, the hour in which God’s church must rise to the occasion, fight, be counted for, live, and minister with firm conviction in Christ and The Word of God.

We must shake ourselves and rebuke the twilight that has gradually crept in our hearts and churches.  We cannot lead a double life and we must determine to be either for Christ or against Him.  We are either going to faithfully walk with Him or live by the standards of the world, we cannot have both.  We must remember that we are to be an example to the world of what it means to be a true Saint of God, a Christian, a believer in Christ.  For if our witness is flawed, then the example the world sees is not the reflection of the image of Christ in us. 

This is a time for each of us to look introspectively and to evaluate where we stand.  I’m not talking about which political party you affiliate with, nor what you feel about abortion, homosexuality, immigration, social injustices, big tech, mainstream media, past or current presidents and elected officials, nor what you feel about the current pandemic.  You must dig deeper and seek God to make sure that your heart is not standing in the twilight, hoping to make it to heaven.  We will not get to heaven living in the twilight.  We will only make it to heaven when we have made up our minds to live for the Lord and remain on His side. 

Frankly, this is our reasonable service to God (Romans 12).

Rise up and rebuke the twilight.  Fight for your life in Christ, don’t throw in the towel.  Receive God’s rebuke and chastening.  Be zealous and repent.  Open your heart as you hear the Lord knocking, reaching and talking to you.  Be on the Lord’s side. Rebuke the twilight.