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 Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:18 am
What is a lukewarm Christian? A lukewarm Christian is not "hot" enough to be 100% on target living for God, but not cold enough to say he is not a Christian at all. He is in the middle. Lukewarm Christians tend to only do the Word when it is easy, convenient, or comfortable for them. For example, they call on or serve the Lord only when they are around other Christians, when they need something from God, or when they are in trouble.
Lukewarm Christians don't want to be saved from their sins; they just don't want to be punished for them. The don't hate sin. They're sorry only because if they don't ask for forgiveness then they're going to hell. They "aren't sorry they did it, they're sorry they got caught" (my mom's favorite response when I said I was sorry for doing something wrong and didn't feel bad about it). They don't believe that the new life Jesus has offered is any better than the one they live now.
What did Jesus say about lukewarm Christians? Revelation 3:15-16 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"
Jesus hates the lukewarm Christians. He would rather see someone who doesn't even pretend to love Him than to see a Christian who only follows him when it's convenient or easy.
Other verses about lukewarm Christians:
1 John 2:15-16 "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world."
James 3:10-12 "And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring."
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
Am I a lukewarm Christian? To put it simply, if you tell people that you are a Christian, and do not act like it all the time, then you have become lukewarm.
It is not enough to believe in God. Satan believes in God. It's not enough to be forgiven for sin. Act like you've been forgiven. Show the Lord that you love Him, and just as importantly, make it abundantly clear to everyone that comes into contact with you that you love Him.
Romans 6:1-2 "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?"
What should I do? Make a decision to stop believing in the Word. DO the Word. Sacrifice yourself for God. If you feel lead to give, then give as much as you called to give. If that means you lower your standards of living for God, then you do it.
James 2:19-20 "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?"
Spend time with God. Read your Bible. Pick a time out of your day that you can be alone with God. The only way that we become stronger Christians and learn what it is we are supposed to do is by getting in the Word. It's God's message to us. It's a love letter. It's an instruction manual. It's the Word we are commanded to live by, so why shouldn't we? "But reading the Bible is hard!" Find a translation that works for you. There is one out there. I promise. "But I never know what to say to God!" God isn't some wispy-bearded old guy in the sky. God is your best friend. Talk to Him like He is. Pray about whatever is on your mind. He already knows what's going on, and He will help... but only if you ask Him to.
Revelation 3:20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
God wants us to be on fire for Him. If we are not, then we are not being the Christians that God has called us to be. Jesus said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me." (Matthew 13:20). This is an all-or-nothing commitment. If you will not give Jesus everything that you have, then don't even pretend to love Him. It does nothing but confuse those around you and doubt the Jesus that you claim to serve. Don't be "that guy".
This isn't the "fire and brimstone" message you may think it is. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus wants us, as His followers, to shine His light everywhere that we go, through everything that we do. And, speaking from experience, living for Christ is the way to go. You may lose the friends that are uncomfortable with your dedication to Christ, but you will attract the kinds of people into your life that belong there; the ones that make you stronger in God, and who really make life worth living.
Learn. Apply. Succeed.
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:42 pm
Wow, great message. Don't be intimidated by the wall of text, everyone. There is so much truth you can take out of this message. Vox, you really have a gift of organizing this 3nodding I honestly walked away with a stronger commitment to being all in after reading this.
I actually had a guy (who was trying to actually discourage me) at basic training who accused me of being a lukewarm Christian because I wasn't ministering to him. He was so confrontational about Christianity that I was focusing on a few of my new friends who where kinda unsure about where they stood and what they believed. When he said that about me, I felt like trash. I felt worse than trash.
That was something that has been eating away at me for the longest time and that I had been pushing to the back of my mind that he forced me to realize. Even though his words were meant to anger me and to start an argument, they angered me with myself.
I know I used to be more on fire. I used to get called a Jesus freak and stuff like that all the time, but not so much anymore. I had one guy in my platoon who called my church boy, though. That let me know that at least I was glowing. Basic training is a nightmare for a true Christian. It is one of the filthiest places you will ever go.
I resolve to reignite my fire and start burning for God. I want all who see me to know who I live for and see Him through me. When you sit back and really look at how monumental of a sacrifice it was that Jesus paid, you have to realize that He deserves our loyalty and our all. We owe it to Him. We -- myself included -- need to stop living for our own fleshly evils and start living for who all praise is due!!
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:39 pm
I tried to not make it a wall of text! cry
I'll agree with you on the basic training bit. That wasn't fun. I just found it funny that you'd see that guy who would harass you for reading one of those little free Bibles they gave out... and then he'd still march to church with you on Sunday to get away from the drill sergeant. Go figure.
Everything else... kudos and ditto. We owe him everything that we have, everything we are, and everything we can become.
A word of encouragement specifically to you, Haven... it does get better. AIT is not the Army (entirely). You won't always be wearing that cute canteen on your waist (but the reflective belt will never go away). Make sure to go to the chapel on Sunday. During training for me was the easiest time I had going for some reason, although for me AIT was quite literally the most dangerous part of my career which I'm sure helped "encourage" me to go. Usually there's a pretty contemporary service, and I've never disliked an experience I had at an on-post chapel, and it's a great social base. So just keep that in mind.
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Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 4:10 am
Hey, sorry, I don't know if this is entirely relevant to this forum, so sorry, but has anyone ever, like, looked around and tried to think if anyone they know might not go to heaven (that sounds really bad, but stay with me), and the only one they can think of as not deserving of it is themselves? I see it like even murderers don't deserve an eternity of torture, but... yeah.
So, anyone else ever felt like that? At all?
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Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 5:01 pm
None of us deserve it. That's the entire point!! It was an act of grace that we are allowed into heaven!!!
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:47 pm
While I remember reading this and hearing this message spoken to me a number of times before, it's always a good thing to remember. All to often do I find myself beginning to slip back into compromises. Thinking: "It's okay if I do this, just as long as I do this too." or that I'll just compromise and be able to get by on that little bit.
And while nothing we do can make God love us more or less than He already does, He definitely doesn't want us living life in a lukewarm existence. He wants all or nothing. It's definitely something I need to be reminded of now and again when I start to forget God's calling for me.
Also, sticking something in here really quick: I read this really amazing book this summer called Crazy Love. It's a powerful and convicting message to Christians. It really got me looking at the way I've been living my life and opened my eyes to some things about it that needed to change. I recommend it.
I hope your weeks all go well, and just would like to encourage you to keep on going. And I'd also like to apologize for coming here so rarely. Well, goodnight Battlecry [:
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:17 pm
What? Someone posted? Craziness... I was starting to think everyone ditched.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:45 pm
Ahaha, yes that would be me [:
I posted. Insane, right?
Tonight is a good night.
Not because I have lots of homework and a test tomorrow, no.
but because there is a youth rally at my church 8D
so I'm excited!
I better go do that homework now
o___o hmmmm...
talk to you hopefully sometime soon-ish, Vox!
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Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:37 pm
Haven923 I actually had a guy (who was trying to actually discourage me) at basic training who accused me of being a lukewarm Christian because I wasn't ministering to him. He was so confrontational about Christianity that I was focusing on a few of my new friends who where kinda unsure about where they stood and what they believed. When he said that about me, I felt like trash. I felt worse than trash.
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