Today’s Lukewarm Christians

In the book of Revelation, we read about the warnings given by Jesus Christ to the seven Churches of Asia Minor to repent from sin and turn back to God. But one of these warnings stands out because it describes our current spiritual condition:  This warning was directed to the church of Laodicea and it says:  “¹⁴And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:14-17).

You see, the Christians of Laodicea were rich and thought they were self sufficient and had no need for God. They trusted in things and pride had entered into their heart and according to Scripture, people with pride do not seek God (Psalm 10:4).  

They became lukewarm because the things they possessed took first place in their life but of course, they allow a little bit of God also in their life just to soothe their conscience. They were trying to serve two masters: God and money. But in Scripture we learn that’s just doesn’t work. We read: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).

The truth is riches and the things of this world have no lasting value. Scripture says that even if we gain everything and end up losing our soul, we have gained nothing. We read: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).  Everything in this world is temporary, but the things of God last forever. Those are the things we need to seek with all our heart.

But unfortunately, we too have fallen into the same trap. Today, many who go to Church are Christians in name only. There is no commitment or the fear of God in their lives, and no relationship with Jesus Christ; just empty religion. Like them, we also have been blessed with an affluence of things, and we too are suffering from the same spiritual disease: Lukewarmness.

Our lives show we don’t need God either. This deceiving attitude will lead us away from the Truth of the Gospel and eventually we will go from being spiritually Lukewarm to spiritually dead.

It is time that we seek the Lord’s help to rise above this spiritual paralysis. We need to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness; and to ask Jesus to come into our lives because the enemy will exploit this spiritual weakness and will cause and even greater confusion. He will fill us with half truths and empty religious beliefs that will lead us way from the Life that is found only in Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. 

It’s time for prayer and fasting and to begin filling our heart with the words found in the life changing Gospel of Christ!  Only the Gospel can bring conviction in us, because conviction comes from the Spirit of God to warn us when we are not on the correct spiritual path so that we may change direction.

 And as for the Churches of Asia Minor, because they did not heed the warnings of God, destruction came upon them from the Ottoman Muslim Empire, and they ceased to exist.  Well, unless we repent, we too will face destruction when we hear these words on that dreaded day: “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me” (Matt. 7:23). Those are the words of the Lord Jesus who on judgment day will judge the living and the dead.

Dear friend, the only way we can overcome the temptations inherent in the things of this world is when the Spirit of God dwells within us, and that happens only when we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and not just religion. 

By Gregory Doublas

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© Copyright 2012 by Gregory M. Doublas, P.O Box 15552, Fort Wayne, IN 46885.

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