Seven days of inspiration from Revelation - Day 7
I stand at the door and knock
Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli
IsAmbulo 3
Prosperity is not always a good thing. It can make people complacent and cause them to think they no longer need God. This can lead to us becoming spiritually lukewarm. Note that hot and cold are something positive in this context. It is the lukewarmness of the congregation that disgusts God. This is literally what is meant by the expression “I will spit you out of my mouth”. Sometimes, it is necessary for God to speak harshly to his church.
According to the message to the church in this passage, true spiritual wealth consists of three things. First of all, it is the comfort that suffering, like gold being refined, is part of a relationship with God. Secondly, it is the joy of the forgiveness of our sin that is as precious as wearing white clothes. Finally, it involves the insight to realise our dependence on God and, thus, be healed of our spiritual blindness.
It is important that we always depend on God and repent often. That is why God never leaves his church. As with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God always comes looking for us. Through his word and Spirit, God knocks on the door of the church, to remind us that he is always there and concerned about us. The continuous process of repentance does not begin with us, but with God who knocks and searches for us.
The disappointment is that the door is closed, that God stands on the outside and is not inside the church. However, where God is present in his church, the relationship flourishes. God’s presence in his church brings joy and intimacy. For God, it is not about punishing people, but rather about restoring people’s relationship with him.
Think about:
- 1.What makes people complacent today?
- 2.How does God knock on the door of our hearts?
