Have you ever considered what “lukewarm” actually is? It is a temperature that has a semblance of being hot or cold but is neither. The temperature is uncommitted in either direction, leaving most people disappointed. I have been let down more than once purchasing a “hot” cup of coffee, only to receive a tepid taste of lukewarm joe. While there may be a few advantages to warmish temperatures, committed climates are more useful. Likewise, committed Christians are also more useful to the Lord. Conversely, lukewarm, or uncommitted Christians are bankrupt and disgust the Lord.
What Lukewarm is NOT
Lukewarm “Christianity” can be characterized by describing what it is not. Lukewarmness is not:
- Being committed to the Lord’s will in your life
- Spending time with the Lord daily in His Word and in prayer
- Fellowshipping with other believers
- Sharing your faith with the lost
- Walking in holiness before the Lord
- Continually striving to grow your faith
- Continually striving to obey scripture
- Shunning the very appearance of evil
- Departing from iniquity
Lukewarm - the Scriptures
As mentioned, lukewarmness is simply an uncommitted temperature. According to Revelations 3:16-18, lukewarmness was ascribed to the church of the Laodiceans. They had a confession of being rich and increased with goods, having need of nothing. Yet, they were actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; and they did not even realize it. Their declaration conflicted with their condition. How is this possible? How can a body of believers be so bold as to declare something that is nothing more than a fantasy? Because just as a temperature can be uncommitted and yet have a semblance of the desired degree, people can do the same thing. Their confession can bring an impression that they are in right relationship with their creator. But their condition is only lip service with no definite direction. Like temperatures, a church can be apathetic in their walk with the Lord, having an empty confession and shallow devotion.
Lukewarm I.D.
The lukewarm believer can be identified in several ways. As defined in the above scripture, their confession and condition are incongruent and inconsistent. They may be any of the following:
- They are quick to watch ungodly movies and television while claiming God’s holiness.
- They are easily distracted with worldliness, being friends with the world.
- Their speech is corrupt, filled with all sorts of bitterness and cursing.
- They backbite, gossip, and slander others.
- They find creative ways to justify drinking alcohol when the scriptures clearly teach that getting tipsy is sinful. [Why would you even desire to test the proverbial “line” when the cost is your eternal soul?]
- They feed their flesh through ungodly music and sadistic gaming.
- They align themselves with the liberal Democratic agenda.
- They are undisciplined, unloving, and ungodly.
- They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.
Counsel for the Lukewarm
Jesus counsels the lukewarm to “buy of me gold tried in the fire.” This was not a literal financial transaction that Jesus was suggesting. Rather, we are to exchange mustard-seed faith for purified faith which yields true riches. 1 Peter 1:7 teaches us that the trial of our faith is much more precious than of gold that perishes. When we seek the Lord and give him our lives, he produces in us true riches of verifiably approved faith, which yields the riches of the fruit of the Spirit.
Faith is worthless until it is tested. One does not truly understand how much they believe in Jesus until they are faced with trying circumstances. When my 6-year-old son suffered from a major seizure, I acted in faith and laid hands on him, praying for the seizure to cease. Instead, the seizure worsened, lasting for over 2 hours. He ended up in a hospital in a drug-induced coma for 10 days. What a blow to my faith. I backslid for awhile but my faith, in the end, became stronger. The Lord is faithful (and my son is fine, now). Later in life, when I was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer (with a 40% survival rate), I prayed for a miracle. I did not receive an instantaneous healing, but gradually, I overcame. My faith was tried, but I held on. Friends, untried faith is worthless faith. The purity and strength of your faith will not shine through until it goes through the fire, and the dross is burned off. I believe this is the gold Jesus was referring to in verse 18.
Revelations Continued:
Revelations continues in verses 18-22:
- “Buy of me white raiment that you may be clothed.” In faith, trust in Him and clothe yourself in His righteousness.
- “Anoint your eyes with eye salve to see.” The oil of the Holy Spirit is the salve; seek to be filled with the fullness of the Spirit and he will reveal himself to you.
- “The Lord rebukes and chastens those he loves.” The chastening of the Lord separates the dross from the gold, leaving purity.
- “Repent and change your mind.” Zealously receive the Lord’s correction.
Verse 21 sums up the thought: when we overcome through Him, we are granted to sit with Him on the throne. How? He overcame and he is set down with his Father. Ephesians 2:6 tells us that we have been “raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches [gold] of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Lukewarmness or Pseudo Spirituality
This brings us back to lukewarmness or pseudo spirituality. The answer is simple yet profound. 1 John 5:4 declares that our faith is the victory that overcomes the world. True, bona fide, sincere, pure, tested, tried, and true faith. When we exchange our seed faith for tried faith, we have something that is more precious than gold. We have something that provides spiritual riches.
- Eph 1:7 – we experience the riches of his grace in our redemption / forgiveness of sin
- Eph 1:18 – our eyes of our understanding become anointed and enlightened to know the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance.
- Eph 3:16 – according to the riches of his glory, we can be strengthened with his Spirit in the inner man.
These are the true riches. Through faith we become spiritually rich, increased with the Spirit, relying only on the Holy Spirit. We become whole, upright, clothed in righteousness, and can see in the Spirit. Through faith we are resolute, and our talk is congruent with our walk. Our confession is not confusing to the observer. Like a hot coffee from the coffee shop, our lives validate our asservation.
