Revelation 3:17
17 Because[hoti] thou sayest,[lego][hoti] I am[eimi] rich,[plousios] and[kai] increased with
goods,[plouteo] and[kai] have[echo] need[chreia] of nothing;[oudeis] and[kai] knowest[eido] not[ou] that[hoti] thou[su] art[ei] wretched,[talaiporos] and[kai] miserable,[eleeinos] and[kai] poor,[ptochos] and[kai] blind,[tuphlos] and[kai] naked:[gumnos] KJV-Interlinear
17 'Because
you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,"
and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and
naked, NASB
In life there are two spheres of existence. There is the carnal or temporal sphere – that which
can be seen and felt and held, and then there is the spiritual sphere – that which
cannot be seen or felt or held and so forth.
And most folks pay most of their attention to the
carnal side of life, with little attention paid to the spiritual side of life.
The carnal side is temporary. It lasts only as long as your life lasts here
in this world.Any possessions that you
have in the carnal life are external to you.
Your money, your home, your car, or whatever it is that you own or have,
and these things are not a part of your person, but are things that exist
external from your physical self.
The spiritual side of your life,
is eternal.And your spiritual
possessions are internal to your soul.They
exist inside of you, and will be with you forever.
Your carnal possessions have to be utilized through
external mechanisms.You have to sit in
a chair or drive using a steering wheel, etc.
Your spiritual possessions are controlled with your
thoughts.What you think is what you
are, and what you know, is a big part of who you really are. This will play a huge role when you get into
eternity.
The lukewarm person has virtually no spiritual
assets.They are saved, but they did not
invest any time in studying, in learning, in growing up as God would have them. They are experts in their own eyes, presuming
that they have everything that they need, and therefore are in need of nothing.
The Bible is a book of spirituality. And the things that lukewarm possesses, are perceived
to be enough, or if they are in need of anything, or want anything, they still
look to carnal things as the means of satisfying their wants and needs.
And even more than physical things, their attitude
expresses their contentment with what they think they know with regard to God
and life, and so forth.They presume
that they know it all, or know enough to satisfy themselves.
Their spiritual life is dysfunctional, ineffective,
phony, and empty of content.
How do you know if you fit in this category of
people, whom God will vomit out of His mouth in huge disgust?
Are you engaged in a daily study under the teaching
of a Bible instructor?Or, do you
presume to be able to teach yourself?
Do you participate in a daily study with
objectivity?Or, do you presume to know
it all, and find fault or criticism with that which is being taught by others?
Do you live your life in fellowship? Or, do you presume that you have no need for
confession?
These three things (instructor, objectivity,
fellowship) are key and fundamental as to whether or not your spiritual life is
functional and effective, or dysfunctional and ineffective.
And then beyond those three, do you have a regular
prayer life?Do you view life with
objectivity?Are you consistent in your
daily approach to doctrine?Or, do you
have lapses or excuses, or do you have to have doctrine brought to you because
you will not otherwise seek it out on your own?
If you do not have the self motivation to pursue
doctrine, then you are a member of the lukewarm crowd, and that is not good for
you.
For the lukewarm crowd is described as wretched,
miserable, poor, blind and naked.Is
this you?
When you get to heaven, if you do not make changes
in your spiritual life, then you will be very disappointed when you discover
that your blessings are not there for you.
Of course if you are lukewarm then you probably would not agree with
this.And in fact, you probably will not
even be reading this study.
In every case, these descriptions describe the
condition, not the person.Spiritually
dysfunctional people are most likely personable, reasonably happy, well to do,
have good eyesight, and dress well.But
then these descriptions have nothing to do with their carnal or physical
world.They have to do with their
spiritual life (or lack of it) and therefore their eternal world.
And, lukewarm people, though they have these
wretched conditions, are not aware of them.
Their carnal life seems perfectly normal and good to them. They value their possessions, or the means to
get them.They value and overestimate
the value of their wisdom, and presume that their opinions are reasonable and
correct.
But, when a person stands back from themselves (if
that were possible), and looks at the forest of their life in its entirety
(spiritual and carnal), then they would see that their carnal life was empty
and miniscule, and their spiritual life was vast, but also empty. They magnify the miniscule things of this
life into mountains, which they are not, and they disregard the legitimate
spiritual side of their life, and again have a vast universe which could have
been filled, but is likewise empty.
And nothing plus nothing, adds up to … ?
And when a person lives their entire life and it
adds up to nothing, that is the real waste of ones
life. And, it is no ones
fault but their own.
You are reading the opportunity of your entire
life, right now.You have access to it
with great ease, but will you pursue it, everyday, on your own, without someone
pushing it to you, or dragging you to it?
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