"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
Rev 3:15-16
Contextually the Lord is sending a message to the church at Laodecia who apparently had some problems with their conviction. Three things jump out here: the Lord has a desire for us, our condition is less than desirable and there are consequences.
First, notice how the word says that he wishes that we were hot or cold. The word wish (or "would" in some versions) comes from a Greek word that involves a desire that is not likely to ever be met. The Lord knows that there are those of us who will remain non committal to him and to the faith. You'll recall in Noah's time, this was true as well.
Then, it is interesting to note that Jesus would rather that we were cold or hot. While one would think that the Lord would want us all to be "on fire" in the faith, Jesus seems OK with some being cold. Make no mistake, God would have all men to be saved. There are times throughout scripture when the Spirit inspired writers to use extreme examples to make a point. The point here is that it would be better even to be cold than to be lukewarm. With the cold, at least it can be said that there is no guile or hypocrisy.
Finally, it is this desire to sit on the fence, hang out in the middle of the road and failure to make a choice for against the cause of Christ that does not make him angry, but in fact, makes him sick. Beloved this is a significant charge that we all would be well advised to examine. Are we playing Christian or being Christian? Are we feigning love or loving with fervor? Do we mean what we say or are we merely going through the motions? Think hard. The Holy Lamb of God has said that he will vomit those out who are guilty of spiritual apathy. Separation from God is the very definition of hell. Again, think hard. Are you harboring a spirit of apathy?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment