“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:15-16
To be spat out. Well, that’s serious business. When would one use such uncomfortable words? Wouldn’t it be when we’re disgusted by something? When we’re at a point when we can’t hold something any longer and have to get rid of it?
So why would these words come from Jesus? This warning of calling it quits, this threat to reject. What kind of people would make Jesus say this? From the verse above, we can see that it’s those who are lukewarm. Let’s see what this means.
What Do You Mean by “Lukewarm”?
Lukewarm is something that was once hot but has lost its original heat, and now has only a little warmth left. When you’re expecting something hot, but get something lukewarm – it’s extremely dissatisfying.
For example, imagine that you’ve been planning to go to your favorite steak restaurant all week. On the day of, you make sure not to eat too much so you can fully enjoy that hot, delicious steak. Once you arrive and the steak is placed in front of you, you take that first bite and…it’s lukewarm…The food has barely any warmth left in it and is not at all the hot, juicy steak you were hoping for. How would you feel?
Personally, I would be livid. I’d either be asking for another fresh and hot steak, or walking away.
Even in our personal relationships, being lukewarm affects us negatively. Say in your relationship, you are the only one who is trying. Your partner is indifferent, shows no enthusiasm for anything and is just kind of…there. How long can you drag out a relationship that is half-dead? Isn’t a relationship supposed to be a two-way thing where both parties are willing to put in equal effort, care, and passion?
The same can be said in our relationship with God and Jesus. We must make sure that we are not lukewarm in our faith.
Now, Let’s Define What “Lukewarm Faith” Is
We can already imagine what a lukewarm faith would look like after understanding the attributes of lukewarm things in our daily lives. A lukewarm faith is a complacent faith that has no action or zeal. To put it further, one has become stagnant in their walk of faith and is not making any efforts to grow in their relationship with God or to learn more, but still claims to love Him.
Can we still call ourselves true believers when God isn’t our priority? When we’re not doing anything He has asked us to do and are making no effort to try? It’s like we are staying with Him just for namesake.
How would God feel? Think about that partner who shows no genuine care or effort even though they claim to love you. Would you continue torturing yourself and latching on to their empty words only to be hurt time and again? Most likely not.
Be Hot Or Cold in Faith – Not Lukewarm
Just like how we get frustrated or disgusted with lukewarm food, drinks, or relationships, Jesus is also disgusted with a lukewarm faith. He prefers that we either be hot or cold – just not lukewarm.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
Again, let’s consider the half-hearted partner who is there, but not quite present. How long can you stay with them despite their lack of effort? Would it be fair if you continue to give so much, only to be repaid with dispassion and half-hearted concern?
Wouldn’t it be healthier to draw a line not only to save yourself from more distress, but also to dismiss a relationship that is no longer working? That’s what Jesus wants. He wants us to be either Yes or No. Hot or cold. Nothing in between.
The Result of Being Complacent
Perhaps, we’ve only considered Jesus to be kind and loving, so it can be quite surprising and somewhat hard to digest to hear that if we are idle in our faith, he will spit us out of his mouth. But that’s exactly what he said he’d do. Just like how we would tire of a relationship with someone who is half-present, Jesus feels the same way about us when we are inactive in our lives of faith.
It’s true that Jesus wants everyone to have a faith that is all-time passionate and burning, but he still gives us the freedom to choose to either be hot or cold. To Jesus, instead of us showing no regard for him while still claiming to love him and calling ourselves a believer, he would prefer that we stop pretending or carrying out a surface-level and shallow faith.
Isn’t that understandable though? Why would we continue to make both parties suffer if we have no intention of putting effort in the relationship?
Heating Up Our Faith to be Nice and Toasty Again
Now that we know that a lukewarm faith isn’t acceptable, how can we make sure our faith remains hot and passionate?
Let’s consider in our own lives, those things that move our hearts. The things that make our hearts burn. Are they things that you know little about or barely understand? Most likely not. The things that we have burning hearts for are usually things that we care deeply about and have a deep understanding of.
It’s the same for our faith. If we don’t actually understand God’s Word or what He has been working toward, then it’s harder to be passionate and have a burning heart for it.
What Does Hot Faith Look Like?
Let’s look at an example of what a hot faith looked like in the Bible. Right after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to a couple of his disciples while they were walking along a road. During that conversation, he opened the Scriptures to them – meaning, he explained the true meaning of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. And this was their response:
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32
Imagine finally understanding something you had grown up knowing about, but didn’t fully understand. Even for us with the Bible today – do we fully understand all of the prophecies given or parables spoken by Jesus? Imagine if someone was able to explain the true meaning to you. How would your heart feel?
And upon learning that truth, what would you want to do with that knowledge? What do people do when they are extremely passionate or hot about something they care about? They tell everyone they know about it. We should have the same response when it comes to our faith.
Knowing and Understanding Inspires a Passionate Faith
In order to have a hot faith, we must first realize the Truth within the Bible. From that understanding, it will heat our hearts and faith to the point where we can’t just sit back and do nothing. We will feel the need to share this amazing truth with others – being pushed along by the fire within us. It was the same for the prophet Jeremiah when he received a prophecy from the Lord.
But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9
When we have the truth, it moves us. And when we are being moved to share this truth with others, we are keeping the commands given by Jesus. And when we do that, Jesus and God will be with us, aiding us and maintaining that fire within (John 14:23).
So let us seek the Truth. Let us seek that deeper understanding of the Bible so that we can keep our faith nice and hot, and not become a lukewarm believer that will be spat out by Jesus.
Written by Your Soul and Heaven
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