Lukewarm
One of the words that the fire-and-brimstone types of preachers like to throw around is “lukewarm.” It’s a word that Christians will often assume that everyone knows, but I always find myself explaining to people. Lukewarm is this, according to the Oxford American Dictionary:
(of liquid or food that should be hot) only moderately warm; tepid : they drank bitter lukewarm coffee.
(of a person, attitude, or action) unenthusiastic : Israelis who had been lukewarm about the agreement.
So, lukewarm is one of those attributes that we want to avoid. Even without seeing a Scripture, we know this is bad, right? It’s tough to like those who are unenthusiastic about everything, and no one likes lukewarm coffee.
Is it that hard of a stretch to see that Jesus doesn’t like it when people who claim to follow Him are unenthusiastic about the faith they claim to profess?
Revelation 3:15-16
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Perhaps someone could disagree with me, but I’ve always seem lukewarm people as people who were once hot. Even though I always explain the word ‘lukewarm’ as the water that’s in the water bottle that’s been in a hot car all day, I don’t think Jesus is talking about cold people (nonbelievers) who start to act a bit like Christians without making the full commitment. The context of the passage seems to state that Jesus is talking to a church that, though once boiling hot for Jesus, has since cooled off to this apathetic middle ground.
Jesus wants you to pick a side! To walk this middle ground of one foot in the faith, one foot in the world doesn’t win you any favors from heaven. Jesus seems to have more respect for someone who rejects Him outright than someone who is apathetic about his or her faith. Respect doesn’t save a man, but still.
To those who are hot and have cooled off, Jesus has sharp words. Check out verse 17.
Revelation 3:17
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Check yourself right now. Are you on FIRE for God, boiling over, consumed by His Spirit and by a desire to seek and serve Him? If so, great! If not, then be honest. Where are you at? Are you apathetic? Are you lukewarm?
Then imagine Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, calling you wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Imagine him threatening to spit you out. Does this not terrify you?
Now usually, a message about being lukewarm ends with the terror, and an urgent call to repent. But that’s not the end of the passage! I want to give the rest of this letter equal weight.
Revelation 3:18-20
18 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.
19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
20 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.
To the lukewarm, Jesus first tells the church to which the letter is addressed to seek him for wealth and healing of the spiritual sort rather than looking to materialism. So it’s “You’re pitiful, wretched, and so on! But come to me.” Jesus rebukes us because He wants us back! He wants us to be disciplined so that we know what is right from wrong. He wants us to seek Him!
That’s amazing enough. But then go to verse 20. It’s not just that Jesus wants us to seek Him and his spiritual treasures…Jesus is seeking after us as well! He’s knocking at the door, which means that the only thing that separates us from Him is a little bit of wood and perhaps a lock.
Recently, I found myself at a prayer meeting on my campus. I hadn’t been able to go much because of the volume of work I always had to do for Wednesdays, but classes were done, so I made it up to the chapel.
Boy, was I glad I did. I had been backsliding a little bit over the past week, and a lot of it had to do with the fact that I wasn’t praying. But what was crazy about that night was the speed in which I encountered the presence of God.
I don’t wish to tell you that it’s easy to seek God, that we can throw five minutes His way and assume that all is well. That simply wasn’t the case. I don’t know how long we were praying, but it had to be close to an hour. God wants humble hearts inside of people who are willing to put in the time to seek Him. Make no mistake about that.
But it is obvious from Scripture that Jesus is only a step away from the lukewarm, only a lock and a bit of wood away from full fellowship. Jesus will go from knocking on your door and calling you wretched to eating with you, and all you have to do is let Him in.
Will you just look at the encouragement that Jesus heaps on to seal the deal?
Revelation 3:21-22
21 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.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
He’ll even let you sit with Him on His throne! Can you imagine the privilege?
To the lukewarm: You know who you are…you just need to be reminded, and you need to get going. Be zealous, and repent.
Grace and peace,
Brendan
