What's your temperature?

Are you a "lukewarm" christian?   Do you know?   Is there such a thing?  Why is this important?   Check out the following verse from Revelation:

Revelation 3:14-18  "To the Angel of the church of Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: '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 mount.  Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, " and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

I don't know about you, but the thought of coming before Jesus and being considered "lukewarm" sounds like a pretty risky thing to do to me.   In fact, based on the verse about, I think we are gambling with our eternity if we do so.   Looking at the above scripture, Jesus will have the same reaction to those of us who are lukewarm as we do to lukewarm coffee or soup.   

How do you know if you are lukewarm?   While not a comprehensive list, I wonder if any of the following statements make you a little uncomfortable?

• Attend church regularly, but do so because it is what is expected.   You know, it's what "good Christians" do.
• Give money to charity and to the church - as long as it doesn't impact on their standard of living.   If you have a little extra & it is easy and safe to give, then you do.  Otherwise, you don't.
• Care more about what people think of their actions vs. what God thinks of their hearts and lives.   Want to fit in - regardless of if it is at church or outside of church.
• Want to be saved from the penalty of their sin, but don't really want to be saved from the sin itself.
• Are moved by stories about people who are doing "radical" things for Christ, but are not acting for Christ themselves.   Consider the things that Jesus expects of all His followers as "radical."
• Rarely, if ever, share their faith with anyone - even those they are most comfortable talking to.  Don't want to be rejected or make anyone uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.
• Gauge their morality by comparing themselves to the secular world.   Feel satisfied that they aren't as  bad as the "guy down the street."
• Don't allow Jesus to control their lives.   You love Jesus and He is a part of your life, but only a part.   Jesus gets a part of your time, thoughts and money, but that is about it.
• You love God, but not with all your heart, soul and strength.
• Demonstrate love for others, but don't seek to love others as much as you love yourself.

If we are honest with ourselves, there are likely many of the bullets above that make you uncomfortable.    I think that many of us have at least one area from the above that makes us a little uncomfortable when it comes to questioning if we are lukewarm.

And there is where the nonsensical grace of all of this lies.   The bible demonstrates there is room for our failure and sin in our pursuit of God.  Lamentations 3:22-23 tell us that God's mercies are new each and every morning:

Lamentations 3:22-23 The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassion never fail.  They are new every morning.  Great is your faithfulness.

And that His grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9  And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

However, that doesn't at all mean that we can just do as we please because God will always love us and forgive us.   We can't say that we love Christ while still chasing after the things of the world.   It just doesn't work that way.  

Luke 9:25 says "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"

If we truly love Jesus, then we are a changed person.  We will want to keep His commandments.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

James 2:14-17  What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled" and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  Even so faith, if it has no works is dead, being by itself

You see, anyone can say that they love Jesus and believe in God.   You see, even the demons believe in God.

James 2:19 You believe that God is one.  You do well, the demons also believe, and shudder.

You see.   If we love God and are Christians, we are going to strive to keep His commandments.  It's not that we will always be successful.   Despite our belief in Christ, we are still fallen creatures.  We just need to realize that we are going to fail from time to time, pick ourselves up, confess our sin to Jesus - not because we want delivered from the punishment of sin but because we love Jesus and want to live for and honor Him.  

I leave you with this.  The concept of being lukewarm allows for people to walk the fence between Christ and the world.  It is something that is in between.   Looking at the scriptures and what Jesus said, I don't see any room for being "lukewarm."   You are either in love for Jesus and "Hot" or you are not in love with Jesus and "Cold."  There really is no in between.