Hot, Lukeward, Cold!

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 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. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22)

Okay, here we go again! Jesus Christ speaking to His church--His children! It isn't good!
How do we reach that place of self-sufficency. Especially, once we have tasted the sweetness, the goodness of God? My first inclination is to say, "How can a child of God actually believe they no longer need Christ?" That Christ is no longer necessary for their very breath, their every movement, their very being! Then, I have to stop and consider all the times I have run ahead of God, lagged behind God or just ignored God's still small voice all together and have chosen to go my own way! God have mercy upon me!

It's pretty easy to know when you're hot or cold towards the things of God. You're either like a out-of-control bush fire or you are cold, frigid, dead to the things of God and to God Himself. Pretty cut and dry. You know, you just know! Believe me, others know, too! So does God!

I think God can work with a child that is cold, even dead cold. They start shivering after a while. They begin to suffer the horrible effects of severe frostbite! They need a sure, safe covering, and quick! God can deliver such a one from their rebellion or their sin, be it anger, even anger at God, a root of bitterness, sins of the flesh and or the world, from sin habits, even from disinterest. God can spark a flame! He can fill such a one's cup to overflowing. How? Through loving rebuke and discipline.

Ah, but lukewarm. Now, that's a totally different story. You see, "lukewarm" is a gradual process. One second you're on fire, then one day you "forget" to pick up your Bible for your daily devotional time with God. Then, ever so subtlety you simply no longer remember that you "forgot". Or, one moment you're sharing your faith with everyone you come in contact with, but one day, you are suddenly embarassed by people's stares or you are shamed by their comments so you become silent. After a while, you've been silent so long--there is no longer any shame!
Lukewarm eventually graduates to self-sufficiency. A little church activity here, a little night life there--what's the harm? I'm saved, what more of God do I need? I can have God and the world, too! God spues such a one out because their testimony is shattered and they actually have brought harm to the kingdom of God by shaming the name of Jesus Christ. Who would be drawn to such a one?

Again, Jesus is not speaking of a loss of salvation, but rather a loss of effectiveness and precious fellowship with our Maker! Waste!

The truth is that unless we are constantly vigilant, the change in our "spiritual" temperation guage is hardly noticable at all.

It's kinda like what I have heard about frogs. They say (I've never tested this to see if it is true) that you can put a frog in cool to "lukewarm" water and slowly turn up the heat till it reaches its boiling point and that poor frog will never notice that he is being served up for that night's delicacy!

On the other hand, there's the lobster. I had a dear friend who was given a special birthday dinner in her honor. To her delight the night's fare was to be surf and turf. That is, until she saw the lobster being tossed into a boiling pot of water. She assured me lobsters do scream! I have never really enjoyed lobster that much, but after her story I could not bear to place a fork into one!

Anyway, I was wondering which would I prefer to be spiritually? Definitely, the lobster. I want to know when I'm hot! Do I always? No! Neither will you! That's why we must be careful that we don't turn into frogs!


Jesus Christ Revealed Through the Study of God's Word!