Lukewarm Christianity

"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." (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB). These harsh words are from the mouth of Jesus to a church that had become lukewarm in their faithfulness to God. God despises apathy in our lives. He doesn't want us to try and sit on the fence, for man cannot serve both man and money.

"Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (The Temple) lies desolate?' Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Consider your ways!'" (Haggai 1:3-5 NASB) Haggai was a prophet after the return of the exiles from Babylon. The people had become apathetic toward the Lord while they lived in grand houses. God despised and still despises apathy. Consider your ways! Are you serving God or serving yourself?

It makes sense doesn't it? I mean, in our lives we hate to be ignored. Especially when we are trying to help other people! How much more does God who loves us so much that he died for us hate to be ignored by man? When it comes to Christ, men and women have to make a choice. C.S. Lewis put it best when speaking of Jesus and his Godhood. "Either he is a lunatic, on the level with a man who calls himself a poached egg, the devil of hell, or God himself. But let us have no more of this nonsense about him being a good person. He did not intend to leave that option open to us." When it comes to Christ you are either for him or you are against him. We cannot live our life toeing the line, seeing how close we can come to sinning without actually sinning!

In Matthew 25 we see, in my mind, one of the most terrifying parts of Scripture.


"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared fro you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked, and clothe you? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to you? The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not invite me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer,' Lord when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You? Then he will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 NASB)

When it comes to serving God you cannot live on the fence. If you are one of those Christians that lives for Christ Sunday morning and the rest of the week live in a manner that is ungodly...now would be an excellent time to turn that around. What are you living for? Are you living for the one that died for you? Or are you living for yourself even though you claim the name of Christ? When I die, I want to hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant" not "Depart from me ye accursed." I love God and I want to follow Him. I hope you do to.

Until next time, "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)