Are You a Luke Warm Christian?

I love the Word of God. I take great comfort in knowing that I am saved from an eternal hell and damnation. I have not always lived for Christ. I was once a much worse and terrible person, but thank God for His eternal love, that He changed my life forever. I was once a lukewarm Christian who barely picked up his Bible to read and embrace Christianity. God changed my heart and Jesus transformed me. I am still a work in progress. I still have a sinful nature, but now I find it easier to resist temptation. If you are not embracing your faith, reading your Bible, praying with your spouse, having a conversation with the Father, then I would say that you are lukewarm and have a casual relationship with Jesus. My regret is that I wished that I had not wasted over 30 years in being a lukewarm Christian!

The Bible speaks of being “lukewarm” as a condition that can separate you from God. In Revelation 3:15-16, “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.” These words were written to the Church of Laodieca.

According to RC Sproul, “Laodicea’s water supply had to be provided from a distant source through pipes. The resulting water was lukewarm and barely drinkable. By contrast, the neighboring town of Hierapolis had medicinal hot springs, and neighboring Colossae was supplied by a cold mountain stream. Christ urges the church to be refreshing (cold) or medicinally healing (hot), rather than like the unhealthy Laodicean lukewarm water supply.”[1]

Being lukewarm is unhealthy. Christ would rather that you either be hot or cold, but lukewarm means that you have no real commitment to Christ. You might just be a church attender who thinks they are saved because your Mom and Dad attended church and you are attending the same church. You will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven on your parent’s coat-tails. You do not have an identity in Christ on your girlfriend’s relationship with Christ and her faith.

I once met a young man that was dating a friend’s daughter. The daughter was a committed Christian and was on fire for Christ. He on the other hand had no identity in Christ. I asked him if he had any spiritual belief’s? His response was that he had a relationship with his girlfriend and was trying to find the Lord through her. Although his quest may be noble, she could not save him from his sin. He would never find salvation by only his relationship with the girl. It would only come through an acknowledgement that he was lost without a Savior, he was a sinner, and he could not save himself. He had to acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God and that only through Jesus, would his sins would be forgiven. He would have to ask Jesus to forgive him, believe in his mind and heart that Jesus died for him. He had to ask Jesus into his heart and repent, meaning to change his way of life. He would have to start living his life as a changed man, on fire for God.

But many may never grow in the Lord because they may never truly have had a real heart change and transformation to live their life as closely to that of Jesus.

Jesus said in verse 16, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” This means that Jesus the Christ wants His Followers to be hot, on fire for Him. He wants us to be engaged in our faith, reading the Word of God, praying, and having a full relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian is a lifestyle change, hoping and wanting the best for your fellow man and woman. It is truly loving your neighbor as yourself and treating each other with kindness. Being kind to one another is pretty close to loving one another.

Being lukewarm shows no real commitment to God or to our loving Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. Being lukewarm means that you have decided that your relationship with God is not worthy of you spending time with God. You are more or less on the fence, not wanting to offend anyone with talk about Jesus and what He came into the world to do.

Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him (Jesus), will not perish (die and go to hell), but would have everlasting life (Heaven). For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” John 3:16-17.

Won’t you consider coming to Christ in a full and complete way, so that the Lord will not spew you out of His mouth for you being lukewarm? Don’t be a Follower like those from the Laodicean Church, who had an indifference to Christ and His holy ways of living. Instead, be all in for Christ, not someone who sways every time the wind blows. Be a committed Christian and live your life for Christ like you really mean it! It’s time to get off the fence and engage the Gospel of Christ. Time is short. When will you fully come to Christ?

References:

[1] RC Sproul, Ed., The Reformation Study Bible, (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2310.