Researching Lukewarm-ness

For those that know me, I am a research geek. I love hunting for information, references to a topic, quotes and thoughts from experts. I gather, and glean, and harvest. I search for what offers logic or wisdom, or what presents clarity, or what helps to separate truth from fiction. So I went on a hunt…and Googled LUKEWARM.

Scholars, teachers, pastors, historians, and yes, bloggers; commentaries, sermons, books, and hundreds of people have much to say about what they think or what they have determined from their own investigation about Revelation 3:15-19.

It’s a topic that bristles. It is bothersome. It’s a teaching that brings worry, or even causes trepidation to many of us who say we are Christian. When I started to wonder about the implications in my own life, I started to seriously wonder…

What if… I’m just a little lukewarm?

The more I researched, the more I discovered that this passage has been generally misunderstood. It’s not so much about being on fire for God (hot); nor not caring at all (cold). Hot and cold water are extremely useful. Perhaps it’s about being useful?

What Christ is teaching here is not being a So-So Christian, living a casual Christianity. Because If you profess Christ, you aren’t casual about it!!!  There’s no such thing as a casual Christian! 

Being LUKEWARM, I discovered, is all about self-sufficiency. And, along with self-sufficiency comes an attitude that lifts up self over God and over others. This ‘religion’ is blind and in need of being clothed.

Here are a few of the research findings:

“The deeds of the true believer will be “hot” or “cold”—that is, they will benefit the world in some way and reflect the spiritual passion of a life transformed. Lukewarm deeds, however—those done without joy, without love, and without the fire of the Spirit—do harm to the watching world. The lukewarm are those who claim to know God but live as though He doesn’t exist. They may go to church and practice a form of religion, but their inner state is one of self-righteous complacency. They claim to be Christians, but their hearts are unchanged, and their hypocrisy is sickening to God.” (Got Questions)

Joe Stowell, past president of Moody Bible Institute and author, shares the core reason for being lukewarm in his devotion:  Three Dollars Worth of God “I wonder if you are among those who want just enough of God to get yourself to a comfortable place, but not enough to pay the price of a deepening relationship with Him. If we want to be in tight with Jesus, we’ve got to abandon the idea that a mere acquaintance with Him is enough and that we have all we really need in and of ourselves. Self-sufficiency is life’s greatest barricade when it comes to intimacy with God.”

“Did you catch that? It’s not half hearted believers Jesus has a problem with. It’s believers who say they do not need Jesus. Jesus is not criticizing people who are ‘half-hearted’ or sold out enough. Jesus is criticizing people who have deceived themselves into thinking they have it all together. A lukewarm Christian claims to see, but they’re actually blind. They are someone who says they’re rich, but actually are poor. It’s people who think to themselves or say, “I need nothing.” All the while, the lukewarm Christian will snub others because their superior or “more mature” than other believers. They will ask for prayer as a means to gossip about others. They look their noses down at those who are not like them.” Does Jesus Reject Half-Hearted Christians?

Frances Chan, renowned author, provocative teacher, and devoted to teaching about Scripture,  shares his teaching. 

All this makes me consider…

How does this challenge impact our relationships with each other? with the world?  with those in need? with Christ?