Heat Up Any Lukewarm Attitudes

Revelation 3:15-17 - “I know you well—you are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are merely lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth!  “You say, ‘I am rich, with everything I want; I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that spiritually you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

John continues his messages to the three other churches with warnings and encouragement. He encourages one church for using the small amount of faith they have to obey God …but warns severely the churches that have let indifference overtake their spirit. His warnings included a promise of punishment if not corrected.

It’s hard to believe that God feels cold is better than lukewarm…but think about that for a moment. Cold means that you have no feelings…that lack being a blank slate for God to write exactly what he wants when you decide that he is the way to life. Cold can heat up quickly and become hot when God is the fuel for the fire.

Lukewarm is another issue.  Lukewarm means you have spent countless hours using your own wisdom to justify the things that you do. You have left the basics of the faith and created a faith that lets you do what you want.  The things around you that make you so comfortable are the very things that will destroy you.  The material things replace your need for a relationship with God so slowly that many do not even notice it.

Perhaps it’s not as hard to stay hot as we think. If we stay connected to the word in Bible study….have a routine of prayer…. and fellowship as often as we can with other believers …our relationship to God will naturally increase the temperature of our spirit. John says obedience is another key to staying connected…just a small amount of faith going a long way. 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you want us to be spiritually alive. Forgive me for the times that I have let the world crowd out my need for you and make me even the least bit indifferent to my need for you. Help me to increase the love you placed inside me when I gave my life to you…and pass it on to others that need you.  Amen.