For almost my entire life, coffee has been my drink of choice. As a child, I remember my grandmother keeping a hot pot of coffee on the stove all day long. Almost everyone who came to her house grabbed a cup and poured it full of coffee that had been heating for hours. No one wanted cold or lukewarm coffee. Now, coffee drinks are all the rage. Coffee houses are popping up all around town. One of my favorite coffee drinks is a caramel macchiato. To my surprise, when I ordered one recently, I had to choose between hot and cold. Did they ask if I wanted it lukewarm? Nope, because no one wants a lukewarm drink.
As it turns out, even Jesus has something to say about being hot or cold. In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus was speaking to the church at Laodicea, and He reminds them, “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.” Hot reminds me of waking up to a fresh-brewed cup of coffee that is piping hot. The aroma gets my taste buds ready to drink, then I take a sip, and it is lukewarm; all I want to do is find the sink so I can spit it out. It is almost nauseating; it is not appealing in the least. A cold cup of coffee is not appealing either, but it is obvious that it is cold. There is no aroma, and the cup will be cold to the touch, so it never makes it to my mouth.
The Laodiceans lived in a wealthy city. At one time, they had been “hot” for the Lord, but now they were comfortable. They were not a needy group of people; materially, they had been successful, but this success had allowed them to have a “self-satisfied” faith. They were not openly opposing God, cold, but they weren’t on fire with passion for His purpose, either; they were not hot. They were caught in the middle, functional, going through the motions, but with no purpose.
A lukewarm faith is dangerous because it feels safe. It’s the “middle-of-the-road” Christianity that fits comfortably within the world, and fits well in most churches. This would be what we would call straddling the fence, with one foot in the world and the other in the church.
The sad truth is lukewarm Christians don’t necessarily feel “dead.” Often, they are quite active in church activities. However, their hearts are far from the radical surrender Jesus expects. A lukewarm heart cares more about its own comfort than about obeying the Lord.
Why would Jesus wish they were cold rather than lukewarm? A person who is openly cold is more honest. There is no pretense or disguise. You know what you are dealing with and what to expect. As sad as this state is, it is at least honest. There is no hypocrisy.
The hardest person to change is one who thinks they are okay. This lukewarm person looks around and sees themselves equal in action and attitudes of the majority of those in the church they spend time with. They are deceived, and a person who is deceived does not know they are deceived, else they would not be deceived! They are a danger to themselves and to others.
Jesus says the lukewarm person is sickening to Him. He wants to spit him out. He wants no part of a lukewarm person. They are playing church. They identify those who are “hot” for the Lord as fanatical and weird. They convince young Christians that it is ok to miss church for sports activities or family functions. They downplay verses like Romans 12:1-2, where Paul teaches to live a life set apart by God. We are expected and challenged to live a “hot” life, one that is passionate about the things of God. We are to be people who see every person as a soul Jesus died for. Our desire should be to snatch them from the destruction of hell, and after their conversion, to come along beside them with the word of God and our actions, show them a life that is fully surrendered to God.
A hot Christian has purpose. They are not drifting along with the crowd, but they stand out in the crowd. Their life is an exhibition of Jesus command in Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Everything about them screams the love of God, first to God, and because they love God, they love what He loves, people.
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
It is examination time. Are you hot, cold, or somewhere in the middle, lukewarm? Ask God to show you areas where you are compromising. It may be a hobby, a habit, or a mindset. If he brings something to mind, do not brush it off as “no big deal.” That is Satan’s way of keeping you right where you are. Your kids, work associates, and friends see it. If you do not change, those who are closest to you will also think it is no big deal and one day walk away from the church and God.
