“‘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.”
Revelation 3:15-16 NIV
In Revelation 3 when Jesus is Judging the churches, he speaks to the church of Laodicea. Jesus’ most attention-grabbing statement is, “I will spit you out of my mouth.” Ouch! I’m sure that’s what no Christian wants to hear from Jesus on Judgment day. What is causing Jesus to make this factual statement for a group of believers? Why is he comparing a particular group of believers to lukewarm water?
I believe Lukewarm Christianity is a common trait for many Christians in the church today. Have you ever become thirsty after an intense workout and when you came to a water fountain and expected an ice-cold splash of water to come out? Instead, you got some warm water that was not refreshing or satisfying your thirst. That’s the point Jesus is giving to the church of Laodicea; their approach towards salvation is very unsatisfying to his glory. How can you tell if someone is lukewarm? Is a lukewarm Christian something common, or can I become a lukewarm Christian? In today’s post, lets review over 10 common traits of a lukewarm Christian.
1. “You will know them by their fruits.”
Jesus said it plainly when he cursed the fig tree that was not producing fruit in Mark 11:12-14 “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” Then in Matt 7:18-19 Jesus says, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” What does it mean to know someone by their fruit?
The analogy in the bible is that a person’s fruit is defined by their character. What is your reaction when you go to an apple tree and take a bite and realize it has a highly ripe taste or it’s rotten? Of course, no human being is perfect, but lukewarm Christianity is something that is formed out of character. So in so many words, someone with a lukewarm personality will have no fruits of the spirit. See Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
2. The Off and On Believer.
You’re hot; then you’re cold, you’re; yes, then you’re no, you’re in, then you’re out! As sung by the infamous Katy Perry, the straight-to-the-point definition of a lukewarm Christian. The toxicity of any relationship is when someone intends to be serious while another is not sure of their intention. God has made it very clear about what he plans for every person who believes in his son’s salvation. However, it is also up to us if we want to be serious about our relationship with the almighty.
It is not hard to find the love of Christ since his intentions are so straightforward, but what about our intentions? Many Christians are stuck on falling in love with God’s love and living in their old life. How often do you see people go to church consistently and then backslide into what God brought them out of? We were called into a new life and to hate our old life. Like the Israelites, we will miss the benefits of our life in slavery and settle back to live off pleasure. Christianity, of course, is not meant for everyone to be 100% consistent but to be intentional. So open your heart and set a straight path to a relationship with the almighty.
3. “A Friend of the World.”
“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”
-James 4:4 NLT
Why did James refer to believers who are friends of the world as enemies of God? It’s simple and straight to the point that our world is being run by the evil one of this world, and he is deceiving millions of people. Today we have drastically seen our world become what it was predicted to become in the last days. People are calling evil good and calling good evil. Some believers today are stuck on the mindset of not wanting the Gospel to be offensive towards non-believers. Even though the Gospel was not meant to condemn others, its message undoubtedly is meant to go against evil which can offend anyone.
I am not saying you shouldn’t be friends with any unbelievers, but it comes down to the balance of influence. When you are friends with someone, there is always that critical question to ask yourself: who is being the influencer? Today, people are caught up with the influence of pop culture and what the world believes, and even when Jesus was here on earth, he was the type not to be under the influence of anyone, even the Jewish movement. Instead, he wanted to be the influence, so ask yourself, am I under the influence of the world, which is against the holiness of God, or am I looking to be an influence to others?
4. Leading with a bad example
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”
-1 Corinthians 8:9 NIV
Leadership can be challenging for anyone who is seeking to be an impact on the Gospel. However, a big misconception about leadership today is showing perfection in front of others. While being a leader does not mean being perfect, it does mean being an example to others. The problem with our church leadership today is not that leaders are not meeting perfection, but leadership is becoming carnal to their standards.
If you influence the church, you must know that being a leader has great responsibility. In Matthew 7, Jesus referred to believers as the earth’s salt and the world’s light. Understanding the concept of our image of Christ is supposed to draw others closer to him. If you are still living a worldly lifestyle like going to nightclubs, becoming excessive with material things, and overall making sin a game to play with God. Then you must ask yourself if you are a lukewarm Christian.
5. A House in the Church and a Condo in the World.
What’s the difference between renting a home vs. owning it? One is meant to be long-term, while the other is just temporary. When you stay in a home you own, you will have many memories that are meant to last for a lifetime, good or bad. However, how do you feel when you’re about to go on vacation and discover a lovely condo you can rent for a certain amount of time? Condos, primarily a lot smaller than an ordinary house, are known to be great vacation spots to use, and as enjoyable as they are, they usually are temporary.
This is how you can define lukewarm Christianity from this simple analogy. People are meant to have a home in Christ by being the bride of Christ. Everything we get for our salvation is intended to be eternal, but just like the concept of staying in a condo we desire temporary things in this world that will one day pass away. You ever wonder why Jesus tells the rich man to give up all of his riches, and he will have treasure in heaven? It was not because Jesus was against his wealth but because he wanted to show the rich man that his eternal treasures were far more significant. Like the rich man, people want to admire Jesus from a distance with easy objectives but not with eternal intentions.
6. The Trending God
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Luke 4:18 NIV
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,”
We can agree that when Jesus was here on earth, he brought a lot of attention from all the miracles he gave. Hundreds of sick people, beggars, and spiritually broken people gathered everywhere to hear him speak. Jesus came to fulfill his purpose; surprisingly, it wasn’t to become a trend. People went from becoming believers in his teachings to wanting him crucified. This is precisely how you can define a modern vocabulary word called “trend.”
Something that blows up with attention to the public and draws engagement, but when something messes up, or people find it no longer valuable, they will shut it down. This is how many viewed Jesus back then and how he is still viewed today. Is God just that moment in your life where he seemed cool to talk about and honor, but if other people find it irrelevant, you do as well? Lukewarm Christianity views Jesus as a trend and not an eternal God who is the same God from yesterday, today, and forever.
7. Carnal to Grace
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.”
Hebrews 10:26 NIV
Yes, we all fall into sin and struggle, but there is a difference between being trapped in sin and fighting for freedom, then willfully sinning and knowing God’s Grace will cover it. Grace is an undeserved privilege every human being has, but it does have its limits, not by how many times you commit the same sin, but by your heart towards it. Have you ever had that friend you constantly have to cover for financially and don’t expect him to pay you back?
It may not be ok not to get paid back, but how would you feel if this person was constantly broke and always expected you to cover them and knew you were probably going to say yes each time? When we live in this mindset of God will forgive me, or I’ll repent later, we are truly not living in salvation. Jesus called us to become conquers of sin and not embracers of it. As believers, we must identify that grace is undeserved but is meant for empowerment every time we fall.
8. Reject Accountability
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
Revelation 3:17-18 NIV
One of the critical traits Jesus speaks of in lukewarm Christians is how they do not take accountability too lightly. It’s clear they embrace sin and worldliness but are they willing to be accountable for their sin? The scariest reality about lukewarm Christians is that they are deceived and may not realize it. Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that they think they are living for him and don’t need to do anything but, in reality, are living wretched, blind, and naked.
Blindness represents deception, while nakedness, if we remember from Genesis 3 represents shame. Every believer needs accountability in their walk with God to become what God has truly designed them to be. When believers reject accountability, they are opening the door to the spirit of shame coming in and blinding them from the truth.
9. No Intimacy with God
In Revelation 3:19 Jesus calls the church of Laodicea to return to him to be fully refined from their sinful nature. As easy as it is to say that sin separates people from God, we should say that sin destroys the intimacy God seeks with his people. When someone becomes more enticed by something, it always, in any circumstance, will intervene with the intimate connection with what was initially connected.
Many believers today have become so enticed by the pleasures of the flesh that they are starting to lose their passion for spending time with God. Suppose you are a Christian and find yourself not spending time with God, making excuses about your schedule, and falling back into your sinful struggles. Ask yourself the original question what the way to eternal life is? Lukewarm Christianity entertains the idea of salvation but makes no effort to build a connection to the way of salvation.
10. No Anointing
“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
-Revelation 2:5 NIV
When Jesus judges the 7 churches representing different believers in the church, he always ends with a warning, and one of the most notable is removing one’s lampstand. As we mentioned earlier, we were called to be the light of the world and our light according to what most scholars believe a lampstand(shining light) represents your example to others. When someone lives the wrong lifestyle from what they were called to do, the anointing of the holy spirit will eventually dry up.
Some believers, however, have to learn it the hard way by experiencing Ephesians 5:11-13, their deeds being exposed in the light. Today we see well-respected Pastors, on-fire churches, and just about any influence that causes many people to be shocked when their secret scandals are brought to the light. The reason for this is because the light can never be used to entertain darkness, so it brings it out, and if it’s the result of someone with a lampstand being exposed, then it has to be done.
In Conclusion
If you have read this post about all these signs and feel convicted, my advice is don’t beat yourself up. Even I get the convictions to these traits of lukewarm Christianity, and it’s a trait the enemy targets for any believer in Christ. Putting all of these signs together, my ultimate conclusion is a lukewarm Christian is someone who has become distracted with their flesh and entertains it instead of crucifying it. How many of us can raise our hands and say that’s me? Lukewarm Christianity is a constant battle with every Christian living in this world, but we serve a merciful God who loves us so much and will not let us stay stuck. Open your heart to your first love and continue to fight the good fight of faith.
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