Lost Identity: Getting it Back

In Revelation 3:15–20, John writes a message from Jesus to the Church at Laodicea with a warning that the church is lukewarm. The church doesn’t stand for anything, it has lost its identity in Christ and lost its way in the culture and in its community. Clearly, this is a message to believers and to the “body” or assembly of the Laodicean church. It is not that the assembly of believers lost their salvation or were never saved, in the first place. It is Him warning the church to repent, followed by the most taken-out-of-context verse about restoring fellowship and inviting Him back into a position of Lordship.

Many churches today have lost their way, wandering off the path that is directed and illuminated by God and taken a fork in the road. As the churches travel down that forked road, the light gets dimmer until they can no longer be effective or see what God has before them because they are not on God’s path and they have run out of light.

Often, this loss is not deliberate. A church and its body of believers can want good intentions but get caught up in discussions about changing things to reach their community or start believing the false notion that watering down the message will attract more people. From there it is easy to fall into messages that “tickle the ears (2 Timothy 4:3).

Then, there are those who have blatantly left the protection of Scripture and God’s leading to become “culturally” or “politically” relevant, in which “Ichabod” (God’s glory has departed, 1 Samuel 4:21; 14:3) is now part of their reputation. They no longer reflect God’s image because they have lost their identity.

The good news is Revelation 3:19 states that whom God loves, He chastens (believers). He tells them to be zealous and repent! God wants them to regain their identity, restore the glory or reflection of His image, and come back to Him, regardless of what they have done or stopped doing.

Whether a church or an individual believer, if you have lost your identity, which means you have likely lost your joy, your zeal, and your reputation as a believer or church within the community, you can still come back — “be zealous, and repent!”

I find verse 20 interesting. Jesus knocks on the door to be invited in, and says, “and hears my voice”, as if announcing He is there or pleading to return to Him. Only a believer will hear Jesus’ voice. He is knocking and pleading with you. He loves you. He wants to restore fellowship with you. Once you repent and get rid of all the noise around you, you will hear Him at the door. Open it, restore the fellowship.

I can attest to God’s faithfulness. He doesn’t ever leave us; it is us who leaves Him. He stands at the door, knocking and pleading, urging those who have lost their identity, to return home. Waiting, watching, calling — get your identity back!