“And do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (v. 17). What they say is really quite true: I am wealthy and have become rich and have need of nothing! Indeed, they are marvelous before God. They have reason to boast. We acknowledge that there are many things in their midst of which they may boast. But it is better to leave this to the feeling of others and not to feel it ourselves; let others know about it, not ourselves. It would indeed be good if others say so; but if we say so, it is not good. Spiritual things must not be boasted of. If one boasts of his riches concerning worldly things, the money will not fly away nor will the amount decrease; but spiritual things vanish away when you boast of them. When a person says he is strong, then that strength is gone. The face of Moses shone, yet he himself was not aware of it. Whoever knows that his face is shining will lose the shining of his face. If you do not know you are growing, you are blessed. There are many who are so clear about their own condition, but on the contrary they have nothing. If you have spiritual authority, that is all right, but if you know you have spiritual authority, that is not all right. The Laodiceans are too clear in the estimate of themselves; they have too much. In God’s eyes they are blind, poor, and naked. That is why we must learn the lesson. Laodicea is too clear regarding her richness. We hope that we will grow, yet we do not want to know it ourselves.

The Lord said, “You are wretched.” The word “wretched” here is the same as the word “wretched” used by Paul in Romans 7:24. The Lord is saying that they are just like Paul in Romans 7: On the spiritual side they are wretched, they are embarrassed, they are not like this and not like that, and in the Lord’s eyes they are miserable. Following this, the Lord points out three reasons why they are wretched and miserable: They are poor, they are blind, and they are naked.

Concerning poverty, the Lord said, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire that you may be rich” (Rev. 3:18). Although they are rich in doctrines, the Lord sees them as still being poor. They must have living faith; otherwise, God’s Word is useless to them. Their failure, their weakness, is due to the fact that their faith is gone. Peter says that gold proved by fire is faith on trial (1 Pet. 1:7). In days when the word given forth is poor, you must pray. When the word increases, you must have faith that mingles with the words you have heard. You must pass through all manner of trials so that the words which you have heard will be useful in a practical way. Thus, you must buy gold tried in the fire. You must learn to trust even while in tribulation; then you will really be rich.

Moreover, the Lord says, “And white garments that you may be clothed and that the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested” (Rev. 3:18). We have already mentioned that the “white garment” refers to behavior. The “white garment” here is the same as the white garment spoken of in several other places in Revelation. God’s purpose is that they should have no contamination, just as the garment is white. God wants them to walk continuously before Him. It is impossible to be naked before God. In the Old Testament no man could approach God without being clothed. When the priests went to the altar, their nakedness was not to be discovered. Second Corinthians 5:3 says, “If indeed, being clothed, we will not be found naked.” But here it is not a matter of being clothed or unclothed, but a matter of whether or not the garment is white. The Lord Jesus says, “And whoever gives to one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matt. 10:42). This is the white garment. We may treat others with a feast, yet it may not be “white.” If we do it just for the sake of maintaining the glory of our group, that cannot be counted; if it springs from a motive that is even meaner than this, there is even a lesser reason for it to be counted. It is not clean enough. The Lord desires that we have a clean purpose and a clean motive to work for Him. There are many activities and many motives in which we sense many impurities once we touch them; they are not white. “That the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested.” When we walk before God, we should not be shameful.