by Cindy Phillips
Extremes. I find it interesting that, in general, we, as Christians, should stay away from extremes yet in Revelation 3:16 Jesus Himself warns the Church of the last days against “middle of the road” lukewarmness. Instead He prefers a person be either cold or hot. Is Jesus really saying He’d rather a person be not interested in Him at all than to know Him a little?
To illustrate His point, the Master referred to the actual city of Laodicea. Laodicea stood midway between the hot springs of Hierapolis and the cold waters of Colossae. Hot water was fed by an aqueduct from Hieropolis and cold water was piped in from Colossae. All the work they put in to deliver the healing water of the hot springs and the refreshing cold water was for nothing because by the time the water arrived at Laodicea, it was lukewarm. The healing hot water cooled and the refreshing cold water warmed on its’ journey. What they were left with was warm water, nauseating to drink. Good for nothing…
Another way to refer to lukewarmness is mixture. Lukewarm water is a mixture of hot and cold. If we picture The Law as being “cold” (in other words, expecting salvation to come by what a person does) and being full of the Holy Spirit as being hot (having a relationship with God by grace), then we could say mixing religion (or the world) with a relationship with Jesus Himself (being Word-centered) creates the lukewarmness Jesus is repulsed by. The danger is having religion enough to lull the conscience, yet not to save the soul. How many churches today manifest a true passion for the Gospel? 2 Timothy 3:5 speaks of our time But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. This church was worse off than any of the previous! It is spiritually poverty-stricken.
Why would being cold be better than being warm? In this situation, being cold is being ignorant of saving grace. Every one of us came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ when we were in this state. These people have a chance to still see the truth! The lukewarm have already deceived themselves that they are ok as they are. I believe the lukewarm are described in 2 Peter 2:20-22 and Hebrews 6:4-6. This is a sad state, indeed.
In these last days we should be pressing in to our relationship with the Lord more and more. Continue to seek God daily. Stay full of the Holy Spirit. Spend time with the Master, the lover of your soul. The closer you are to Him the safer you are from the world’s draw to dilute you.