Laodicea = "justice of the people"
You could take this in two ways.
Either the justice that belongs to the people or the justice given out by the people.
If it means the latter, it is no wonder that our Lord had nothing good to say about this church.
Rev 3:14 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Sadly anything man seems to put his hand to ends up being a failure, when it is measured by man's own standards.
If this church determined justice by the people what could that have meant?
- Equal rights for anyone demanding them?
- Morality being personal and not be able to be used as a standard?
- Reason being the standard?
- Earthly prosperity being a virtue?
- Lack of prosperity being a liability?
- Not wanting to offend or be offended?
This indicates a standard, an uncomprimising morality on which we can trust Him. Faithful and True, not subjective, not your view is as valid as mine.
Are we at danger today in the west of this kind of attitude? Is being lukewarm a tendancy to value other views as valid as what the Bible tells us?
We are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked if we allow our faith to not be our ultimate standard for our actions.
