I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would 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

In Revelation 3 the Lord Jesus Christ addresses the Laodiceans whom He describes as “lukewarm.” Christ uses very strong words of condemnation as he says that he will, “spit you out of My mouth.” As the assembly was neither hot nor cold, they made the Lord sick.

The letter to the assembly at Laodicea is the harshest of the seven letters to the assemblies in Asia Minor. Jesus made it very clear that this is a dead assembly. The assembly was not on fire for God and did not produce any fruit. This assembly was full of pretend Christians. People who looked Christian outward, but inwardly were unconverted. The Lord rebukes them and commands them to repent of their sinfulness. The Laodiceans wanted material prosperity and earthly pleasures which led them to grave sins such as a false sense of salvation.

There is nothing new under the sun. A lukewarm attitude has plagued the Church for many years. A lukewarm faith is a modern danger when believers live lives of ease. A carefree attitude toward spiritual matters means a believer is on the road to spiritual decline and disaster. Faithful Christians can backslide, but God will always bring a true believer back into the fold. We live in an age of spiritual decline. Many local assemblies and Christians are lukewarm today. They do not make a public stand or defence of biblical standards. Many professing believers are not interested in personal evangelism and are laid back when it comes to key fundamental doctrines of Scripture. The lukewarm assembly was useless and had no real purpose.

Christians have a role. We are to be in the world for the greater good of society and for the spiritual well-being of other believers. We are in the world, but not of the world. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” When we live according to the standards, morals, views, and attitudes of the world we fall into worldliness. Faithfulness to Christ and Scripture demands us to make a stand for truth even if it is unpopular. We should seek the approval of God and not man.

If there is any sense of lukewarmness towards the things of God confess them now and ask God to give you a burning desire to serve him. In Matthew 15:8-9 Christ said, “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” It is crucial that we heed the warning signs of lukewarmness, uselessness, and worldliness in our lives.

Again, I challenge you to consider the following questions and examine your heart.

1. Do you truly live for God?
2. Does your life honour God?
3. Are you a lukewarm Christian?
4. Are you a worldly Christian?
5. What is your attitude regarding prayer, the assembly, Bible study, and evangelism?
6. Is serving God your main priority or does God come second to everything else?