Ad Nauseam

[Christsfreeservant]

Ad Nauseam (definition): This has to do with something that has been done repeatedly (habitually) over a long period of time. It has been done or said so often that it is now to a sickening, disgusting, ridiculous or excessive degree, i.e. to the point to where it makes someone sick (nauseous), and so he or she wants to throw up, for this has been going on far too long.​

With regard to that, the Lord Jesus is leading me this morning to combine the following passage in 1 John 1 with a subsequent passage in Revelation 3, regarding the lukewarm church in Laodicea.

And, this definition of “ad nauseam” fits perfectly with what Jesus described regarding how the lukewarmness of the Laodicean church was to the point of “ad nauseam” to him, i.e. to the point to where he was going to vomit them out of his mouth.

If We Say… But We Do
1 John 1:5-7 ESV

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”​

You are going to have people tell you that, to receive God’s gift of salvation from sin and eternal life with God, all you have to do is to repeat some words after someone else, or to “receive Jesus into your heart,” or to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and to publicly confess him as Lord.

Certainly belief in Jesus Christ, and an outward confession of him as Lord, are essential to our salvation from sin. But, belief in Jesus is not just an experience or some feeling or some outward confession or profession of faith.

But, belief in Jesus Christ, which is from God (Eph. 2:8-9), is a heart transformation of the Spirit of God away from living to sin and self to living for God in obedience to his commands and to his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Lu. 9:23-26; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Jn. 10:27-30; Acts 26:18).

So, if we claim to be in fellowship with God, in an intimate relationship with him via faith in Jesus Christ, but we walk (live, conduct our lives, in practice) in the darkness (sin, wickedness, immorality) then we are liars who don’t live by the truth. And, we need to get this! For genuine faith in Jesus Christ results in us walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

But, if we walk (in practice, in conduct, in lifestyle) in the light of truth, in holiness and righteousness, and in Christ Jesus, and in his love, and according to the Spirit of God, and not according to the flesh, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. And, we are in true fellowship with God, and thus we have genuine Christian fellowship with others who are also in sincere fellowship with God.

You Are Lukewarm
Revelation 3:15-17 ESV

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”​

So, let’s look at this in light of the “ad nauseam” definition and in light of this passage in 1 John 1, also. “Neither cold nor hot” means “ad nauseam,” i.e. this is not something that just took place. This has been going on a long time and they aren’t listening to the Lord, but they are going their own way.

And, God has been patient with them up to this point, but it has gone on way too long, and nothing is changing, and so he is ready to puke them out. For, their apathy regarding his commands is now making him sick, especially since they are putting on a performance of righteousness and of having a close intimate relationship with him, which he knows is false.

And, “lukewarm” means that they are making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, so they aren’t totally opposed to him (not all the way cold), but their profession is surface only, for they are still walking in the ways of the flesh and not in the ways of the Spirit.

And, probably this is because they have bought into this cheap grace gospel which tells them that they don’t have to, for nothing is required of them other than some obscure human-based faith which believes it doesn’t have to obey Jesus, but heaven is still guaranteed.

And, this cheap grace gospel can be realized in people’s lives in two different ways. One is very outward and in God’s face claiming that they don’t have to submit to the Lord or obey him or leave their lifestyles of sin behind them.

And, then there are those who are closet cheap grace people who put on an outward show of righteousness and of obedience to Christ but who are secretly sinning against him, so they live the cheap grace while they profess the true grace of God with their lips, and/or they vacillate back and forth.

And, their pretense of righteousness, while living in wickedness, does make the Lord want to puke. For, the picture here is that this has been going on a long time, i.e. this has been their repetitive pattern for a very long while.

Put on Christ
Revelation 3:18 ESV

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”​

Basically, without going into all the symbolism here, the Lord is counseling them to put on Christ and his righteousness and to put off their former way of living for sin and self, and for them to now walk according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to their flesh (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 8:1-17).

Be Zealous and Repent!
Revelation 3:19-22 ESV

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”​

So, the Lord is saying to those who are “lukewarm,” i.e. who are living according to the flesh while making human effort to walk according to the Spirit, and while vacillating between the two; and while putting on a show of righteousness while engaging themselves in secretive sins, that he wants them to make him truly the Lord of their lives and to be on fire for him.

So, he is warning of divine discipline and rebuke if they do not repent of (turn away from) their lukewarmness, and if they do not get on board with him in following him in his ways in obedience to his commands. And, then they will have true fellowship with the Lord, for they won’t any longer be walking in darkness, i.e. living according to their sinful flesh while claiming fellowship with God.

This is really the bottom line here. The scriptures teach that if we walk (live) according to the flesh, we are going to die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity. And, they teach that we are going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction (decay), but if we sow to please the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 6:7-8).

Lukewarm, although it may feel as though it is in a safe zone half way between obedience and disobedience, is not safe. For, the scriptures also teach that we are enslaved to the one we obey, either sin, which ends in death, or obedience, which results in righteousness and eternal life with God (Rom. 6:1-23). So, if we aren’t walking in righteousness, but habitually we are still living to please our flesh, then it will end in death, not life. For, he will spit (vomit) you out of his mouth unless you repent (Gal. 5:16-21).

Seek the Lord

An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy, and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”