We all know the “old sayings” our parents would use. For example, my mother would always say she wanted hot stuff to be hot and cold stuff to be cold. She used this expression most often when she would order a cup of coffee at a restaurant. She did not want her coffee to be warm, she wanted it to be hot. In fact, she wanted it too hot for most people to drink! I have seen her send back coffee with just a bit of steam coming up because it “was not hot.” If something was supposed to be hot, she wanted it HOT.
What the Bible Says about Lukewarm
My mom is not the only one who said that they wanted things either hot or cold. In the book of Revelation, in a message to the Church at Laodicea, we learn God also wants us to be either hot or cold. The Laodiceans were told that being lukewarm was not an option for God’s people. God says those who were lukewarm would “be vomited out of His mouth” (Revelation 3:16). This is far stronger than sending back warm coffee to be re-heated. God is repulsed when we are lukewarm. It is intolerable to Him.
The Problem With Lukewarm
There is a reason He feels this way. We think being lukewarm is not necessarily great, but it beats being cool, and it certainly seems a lot better than being cold. This may be true if you are talking about a shower, but not if we are speaking of a Christian life. As Christians, we represent the name of Jesus Christ. So many people will never go to church or hear a sermon, nor will they read the Bible for themselves. They will, however, observe the life and witness of those who profess Jesus Christ as their savior. As such, a “lukewarm Christian” is as bad as it gets. A lukewarm Christian is one who professes to be a Christian, and probably has some Christian habits and speaks Christian language, but whose life is basically no different from the culture in which they live. This “lukewarm Christian” may not be a bad person as far as society is concerned, but they are no real testimony to who Jesus is and who He calls His followers to be. A mean, hateful, arrogant, racist, profane, immoral, cheat, who claims to be Christian probably fools or confuses only a very few people. But if you take one or two of those characteristics, the chance of harm to the name of Christ is greatly increased.
What’s the temperature of your life?
When our lives look like the world, sound like the world, smell like the world, feel like the world, and taste like the world, Jesus would rather us not claim to be following Him. When we do, we are confusing the world around us as to who Jesus is and what a Christian life is all about. The truth is, a “lukewarm Christian” is not truly a Christian at all. Jesus asked the question, “Why do you call me Lord, but do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We are not saved by our works, but our lives will reflect whether or not we are saved. We need to regularly check the temperature of our lives. Lukewarm is a bad place to be.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.