Are you naked?

‘Preacher’s Point’ By Timothy Johnson

The seven churches of Revelation are a fascinating study. Four of the seven churches God has some compliments and some ridicule. Two of the churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, God had no complaints; only praise.

Laodicea, however, was the opposite of Smyrna and Philadelphia, God had nothing good to say about the church of the Laodiceans.

Ephesus was the hardest working of the seven, but they had lost their first love. Serving Christ, at first, was done because they loved Him, but alas, now the work was done because it was there duty; their heart was not in it anymore.

Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) was lukewarm, apathetic, making God sick to His stomach. The church lacked faith; they had little or no reliance on God. They did not know that spiritually they were, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

The nakedness of the twenty-first-century church needs addressing. Could it be that many in the church today, many professing to be Christians are not saved? If the Laodicean church was spiritually naked, they had no spiritual garments on at all.

Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

There is a spiritual garment of salvation. Clothing that only God can see, but every true Christian wears one. The New Testament also emphasizes these unseen spiritual garments.

Christ tells a parable about a man who comes to a wedding without a wedding garment. The king has the man cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:113). There may be people impersonating Christians in the church, but God can see the lack of a wedding garment.

When a person has salvation, God places on them a linen garment of salvation and a robe of righteousness.

We are to “put on Christ” (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27). Christ is our righteousness, 1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” How is your church spiritually? Which Revelation church is it? However, more important; how are you spiritually? Are you naked?

Timothy Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Kingman Indiana. Email: preacherspoint@ gmail.com. He is available for revivals, prophecy conferences, and other speaking.