There is a way of living that Jesus finds absolutely repulsive. So repulsive, he says he will spit you out.
Did you know that you are in the mouth of Jesus? He speaks your name at the throne of God. He defends you against the endless accusations of the enemy. Scripture even says he himself prays for YOU.
But beware, there is a way of living that makes Jesus spit you out. What we will discover today is we dangerously tiptoeing that line without even realizing it.
The first 3 chapters of the book of Revelation include 7 letters Jesus instructed John to write to the churches. Remember, churches are God’s people. We are God’s people … these letters are to us. This is after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and he has appeared to John with very clear messages.
We’ve studied 6 of those 7 letters, now we read the final letter. Let’s first read it a portion of it together. Revelation 3: 14-17:
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
We’ve learned so far in our study that the way Jesus introduces himself at the beginning of each letter is important. Here, Jesus says “I am the beginning of God’s new creation.” With Jesus, we become a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come. Jesus is saying, “Remember, you don’t have to be who you used to be when you are in relationship with me.” He’s saying, “You don’t have to do what you’ve always done. My girl, I am the one who makes you totally new.”
Jesus not only doesn’t want to hold your past against you, he wants to separate you from your past. He has no intention for you to dwell in what happened or what was. He’s offering NEW to you. Brand new. Not the fixed up, refurbished, polished you on the outside with the same old crap on the inside. Nope, he wants to make you new from the inside out.
I love that Jesus doesn’t take us in as a rusted out old model to just give us a new paint job and then send us out on the roads of life to break down. What good are shiny pretty cars sitting on the side of the road unable to go anywhere? Jesus says, “I will make you NEW!” You won’t come out as a spiffed up version of who you used to be, you will be made brand new!
You get to be a new creation.
And Jesus is reminding his people that ONLY happens through him. That surgery doesn’t make you a new you, that just fixes a little rust on the outside. That new job, that new house, that new car, that new husband … none of that makes you a new you. That’s all the equivalent of putting new tires on a 1972 Camaro with an engine missing it’s transmission. It’s a complete waste.
No matter the rust you have on you, no matter the flat tires you’ve been running around on, no matter the cracks in your windshield or your motor that always runs hot and overheats, Jesus wants to come into your life and make you brand new! Not fix you up enough to get you through. Nope, NEW!
Have you let him make you new? That sounds good, but you know what that requires? That requires a complete surrender. That requires a continued open hand way of living that says, “Jesus, not my way, but yours.” And that surrender isn’t a one and done kinda deal, it’s a continual surrender day after day after day. A walk of faith that makes you continually new in Jesus.