The Laodicean church.

Q: I am reading The Footsteps of the Messiah and have a question about the explanation of the Laodicean church. I understand that this is the apostate church. However, the explanation does not discuss Revelation 3:19. If this is a completely unsaved church, why does Messiah say in this verse: As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Wouldn’t this be something that he would say to saved believers?

A: The word “repent” basically means “to change one’s mind.” Sometimes it refers to salvation and sometimes it does not, depending on the context. The people Messiah addresses in Revelation 3:14-22 do not have the white garments that were mentioned in Revelation 3:5 and that symbolize salvation. The fact that the Laodicean church does not have these garments shows that they are not true believers. Therefore, a call goes out to these people to change their minds about their spiritual condition. While they claim to be believers, they need to repent and become true believers in the content of the gospel and be saved.