The Doctor's Orders | The Message of the True Witness (Part 2)

For those of you who weren’t here last week, we’ve been exploring the book of Revelation, focusing on Revelation 3:14–22. This passage is Jesus’ final message to the church of Laodicea, the last of the seven churches in the series. It’s not a comforting message. In fact, it’s a harsh one.

Jesus knows our works, and unfortunately, they are not impressive. In His love, He exposes our condition and highlights our desperate need for His grace. He describes us as lukewarm—repulsive in His sight—wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. But here’s the good news: He doesn’t leave us in that state. Let’s focus on the hope He offers.

Acknowledging Our Need

I hope that after reflecting on last week’s message, you've had time to consider just how diluted we’ve become. We often think we're rich, that we have everything we need. We claim to be in Christ, yet, too often, we remain in sin. We claim to know the truth, but fail to apply it. We claim to have the gospel, yet often only share it among ourselves.

The first step is to be honest with ourselves. We are not where we need to be. We need revival, reformation, and repentance.

But here’s where Jesus begins His message of hope: After revealing what’s wrong with us, He says in verse 18, “I counsel you to buy from Me…” This is key. Jesus is telling us that although we think we’re self-sufficient, He has something we need.

The Solution is Jesus

Often, when we recognize the flaws in our lives, we think, “I need to fix my works.” We try discipline, structure, or behavior modification to make ourselves acceptable to God. But none of these efforts can save us. Jesus doesn’t tell us to go to the world for a remedy. He says, “Come to Me.”

This echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The first step toward healing is not trying to fix ourselves but going to Jesus. He is the source of our rest.

In Hebrews 4, we read that those who enter God’s rest cease from their works, just as God rested from His work of creation. The rest Jesus offers is symbolic of surrender—letting go of the idea that we can earn salvation or fix ourselves. We cannot.

Righteousness Comes Through Faith, Not Works

Romans 3:20 says, “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” The law shows us our sin, but it cannot save us. Galatians 2:16 reinforces this: “A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”

We are justified by faith, not by our works. Even our faith is a gift from God. When we think we can earn God’s favor through our actions, we miss the point. We bring nothing to the table. Every good thing in us comes from God—our faith, our ability to repent, everything.

The Hope of Rest

Jesus offers us rest because salvation isn’t based on our performance. If it were, none of us would be saved. But Jesus’ invitation is one of grace. He says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29–30).

What does it mean to take His yoke? A yoke is a device that binds two oxen together so they can work in harmony. Jesus invites us to be bound to Him. As we yield our will to His and work alongside Him, He bears the burden. The yoke becomes easy because He is doing the work in us.

In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me, you can do nothing.”

Abiding, Not Striving

Our job as Christians isn’t to bear fruit to prove our worth. The truth is, our role is to abide in the vine. When we remain connected to Jesus, the fruit will follow naturally. The branch cannot bear fruit if it is severed from the vine. Similarly, we cannot live holy lives without abiding in Jesus.

Isaiah 26:12 says, “Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.” God works in us to live according to His will.

Titus 3:3-7 reinforces this idea: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” Our salvation is based on God’s mercy, not on our works.

Gold, Garments, and Eye Salve

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus says, “Buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich…” This gold symbolizes faith and love—precious qualities that come only from God. These attributes characterized Jesus’ life, and He offers them to us.

Next, Jesus tells us to buy white garments so that our nakedness may not be revealed. This represents the righteousness of Christ, which covers our sin. We often try to cover our faults with our own efforts, but only Christ’s righteousness can truly cover us. This righteousness is not just imputed to us—it transforms us.

Finally, Jesus offers eye salve so that we may see. Our spiritual eyesight is crucial because what we behold shapes who we become. The Word of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is the eye salve we need. It gives us the discernment to live according to God’s will.

Repentance and Zeal

To receive these gifts, we must surrender our self-sufficiency. Jesus calls us to “be zealous and repent.” Repentance is more than an apology; it’s a turning away from sin and turning toward God. It’s a conscious decision to give up what hinders our walk with Him and to embrace what is right.

We must be zealous. This is not a time for half-hearted Christianity. It’s time to wake up and realize the work we have to do. God can accept nothing less than perfection, but He offers us that perfection in Christ.

Victory Through Jesus

Jesus concludes His message to Laodicea with a promise: “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.” To overcome, we must rely on Jesus’ victory, not our own strength. His life, His victory over sin, is our victory.

Jesus overcame temptation as a man, through prayer and dependence on God. He shows us that overcoming is possible through faith and surrender to God’s will.

There are two paths: the broad path that leads to destruction and the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Jesus promises that when we ask for power to overcome, He will give it. When we ask for forgiveness, He will forgive us. When we ask for anything to become like Him, He will provide it.

The Call to Overcome

It’s not about our strength; it’s about His. Jesus promises to give us the grace, power, and wisdom we need to overcome. Don’t let anyone deceive you into thinking that you can have the blessings of God without the cross. The path to victory is narrow, but it is the only path that leads to life.

Are you willing to overcome as Jesus overcame? Are you ready to surrender fully to Him, to repent zealously, and to abide in His grace? If so, raise your hand in faith and surrender to Jesus today. He is knocking at the door of your heart. Open it to Him, and let Him give you the power to overcome.