Our subject is being a lukewarm Christian. Are you a lukewarm Christian? What is a lukewarm Christian? How does one become a lukewarm Christian? Can a lukewarm person be considered Christian? That is what I aim to answer.
But first I want to tell you a little about the city of Laodicea. There are four facts about this city that I believe you might need to know before we jump into our text.
First, Laodicea was a wealthy city. In fact, it was the wealthiest city of the seven cities we have discussed in Revelation. Secondly, this city was known for its banking industry, manufacture of wool, and a medical school that produced eye salve. Thirdly, it had a water supply issue and an aqueduct had to be built in order to bring water into the city from a hot spring. Lastly, it was famous for its worship of the Greek god Zeus.
I also want to remind you this morning that this letter is written to the church.
Jesus said in verse 14, “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write…” Now we know “the angel” is a reference to the pastor of the church. Therefore, this is not a letter written to the city of Laodicea, but to the church in Laodicea. Again, I want to make that distinction because I want us to understand this is not written to unbelievers, but written to those who, at the very least, claim to be a follower of Jesus.
Now Jesus begins his letter in verse 14 to the church in Laodicea by making three claims.
The first claim Jesus makes is that these are “the words of the Amen.” This simply means that he is the fulfillment of every promise God has ever made. Or, to say it another way: every promise God has ever made has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus). That is why it is through him (Jesus) that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” So, Jesus is saying to the church in Laodicea, that this letter is from Him who has fulfilled every promise God has made to mankind.
The second claim Jesus makes in verse 14 is that these are the words of him who is the “the faithful and true witness.” By saying this Jesus is implying that the words of his letter are truthful, accurate, and honest. That the words in this letter to the church in Laodicea are not false, flawed, inaccurate, incorrect, misleading, or wrong. Therefore, what Jesus has to say to the church in Laodicea is right and trustworthy.
The third claim Jesus makes in verse 14 is that these are the words of him who is “the beginning of God’s creation.” Now, one might look at that statement and assume that Jesus is saying he is God’s first creation. That is not what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is not a created being; therefore, Jesus was not God’s first creation.
What Jesus is communicating to them is this: these are the worlds of the One who began God’s creation. The Bible claims in John 1:3, “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” The Bible says in Colossians 1:16, “For by him (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”
So, when God created all that He did in Genesis 1, He created them through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. In other words, if there was no Jesus, there would be no universe, no planet, and no us. So Jesus is communicating to the church in Laodicea that the words in this letter to them are the words from the One who created all things, the words of the One that created them in His image, and the words of the One that they are created for.
Now after Jesus makes these claims, He tells them that He knows their deeds.
In verse 15 Jesus said, “I know your works.” Now if you have been following along with us in Revelation then you know this is a statement that Jesus has made continuously with His churches. In fact, to five of the seven churches Jesus has addressed he said to them “I know your works.” The only two churches Jesus did not say that to are Smyrna and Pergamum.
What is Jesus communicating here? What Jesus is communicating to the church in Laodicea, and what it should communicate to us as well is this: Jesus is fully aware of the deeds we do; and not only is he aware of what we do, He comprehends the intentions and purposes of why His churches do what they do. So, Jesus is letting the church in Laodicea know that what deeds they have been doing and why they have been doing them has not escaped His sight. The question becomes: what about their works? What about their deeds? What does Jesus know about their works?
My answer is their works reveal their spiritual temperature.
Jesus said, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.” Notice that Jesus says they are neither cold or hot, which means they are cold and hot, which means they are lukewarm. Also notice that Jesus says, ‘I know your works’ and then uses the word “you”, referring to people when he says “you are neither cold nor hot”. I take this to mean that Jesus, knowing what deeds they did and why they did them, determined the church in Laodicea was lukewarm. So, I think Jesus is saying to them, ‘I know your works. I know your deeds. I know all the things that you do and why you do them, and therefore I know you are lukewarm.’
This means the “works” we do and why we do them reveal our spiritual condition. Jesus said (Luke 6:45), “the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Jesus also said (Matt. 15:19), “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
Therefore, our deeds and our words are the manifestation or demonstration of our spiritual condition. They reveal the condition of our heart. They reveal whether we are for Christ or against Christ. So if you want to know the condition of a person’s heart, if you want to know if a person is for Christ, study their actions and listen to their words. And apparently the deeds of this church were not in keeping with works of salvation.
Now, if this letter should tell us anything, it’s that Jesus has a preference on the spiritual temperature of His church, and he does not prefer lukewarm.
Jesus said (Rev. 3:15-16), “Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” This is Jesus saying, ‘I wish that you were one or the other. I wish, I desire, I long, I crave for you to be either cold or hot, not cold and hot! I don’t like lukewarm water.’ Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm.
Now you’re probably wondering, why is Jesus making such a big deal about being cold or hot? Why is Jesus making such a big deal about temperature? And how does all this relate to the church? The answer is this: Jesus was using temperature as an analogy to describe the church in Laodicea. If you recall, the people of Laodicea had built an aqueduct to bring water to the city from a hot spring that was 5 miles away. But by the time the water had reached their city it was neither hot nor cold, it was hot and cold, meaning it was lukewarm. To the people of Laodicea the water was not refreshing, it was not helpful, it was disgusting, it was unsatisfying, and they would rather spit it out than drink it.
So, Jesus was likening the church in Laodicea to the lukewarm water coming into the city from the aqueduct. Jesus’ point was that just as they found that water to be useless, unrefreshing, disgusting, and unsatisfying, so Jesus found them to be. And I am certain the church of Laodicea got the analogy Jesus was making – he was not satisfied with them!
You may wonder then, what is a lukewarm Christian? Based on the context of this passage, I would say a lukewarm Christian is someone who has not denied their faith in Jesus, but they are not living for Jesus either. They are someone who doesn’t take a stand on anything, especially concerning the Word of God; so they remain neutral when it comes to truth in order not to offend someone, and therefore useless to the cause of Christ. They are apathetic, lethargic, and lazy when it comes to the things of Christ. A lukewarm Christian is someone who believes in Jesus, but their belief does not affect the way they live; they don’t apply God’s Word to their life; they are hearers but not doers of the Word of God. A lukewarm Christian claims to be a follower of Jesus, but lives as though they are content to live without him. A lukewarm Christian may regularly attend church, but compromises the gospel by how they live their life. A lukewarm Christian is a complacent Christian. A lukewarm Christian is someone who is constantly trying to figure how they can have the best of both worlds; how they can be saved from the consequences of their sin and yet at the same time enjoy the lustful pleasures of this fallen, sin-stained world. A lukewarm Christian is someone who half-heartedly follows Jesus. And that’s not the kind of disciples Jesus desires.
Which raises this question: can a lukewarm person be a Christian? Can someone who half-heartedly follows Jesus, be a true disciple? My answer is no; and I say not for two reasons. First, I say no based on Jesus’ reaction to this church’s lukewarmness. Jesus said, “because you are lukewarm…I will spit you out of my mouth.” For me, that does not sound like someone who is saved. Charles Spurgeon once said, “As tepid water makes one’s stomach heave, so a lukewarm religious profession is nauseating to the Almighty.” The other reason I say lukewarmness is not enough to be a true disciple of Jesus is because Jesus is very clear in the gospels that if we are going to be His disciples we must completely surrender to His Lordship. It’s all of Him or nothing.
For example, Jesus said (Luke 9:62), ”No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” This is an expression and parable of someone who has made the decision to believe and follow Jesus, but is also looking back on the world. This is an expression of someone who is wanting to be saved from the consequences of their sin but at the same time enjoy the fleeting, temporary, lustful pleasures of this sin-stained world. This is someone who believes in Jesus but at the same is distracted by the cares and riches and pleasures of life. According to Jesus, such a person is not fit to enter into the kingdom of God.
So no, being lukewarm in your faith is not Christian; and no, lukewarmness is not enough to save you. You must be all in or suffer the consequences of your sin. And my fear is that we have many sitting in our churches today that are lukewarm; and if that’s you, I want to urge you to repent and be saved. How did the church in Laodicea become lukewarm?
They became lukewarm by becoming confident in self rather than confident in God.
In verse 17 Jesus said, “For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” I believe that Jesus is saying the wealth and prosperity of the church in Laodicea led them to become complacent, self-confident, self-satisfied, and content to live their life without Jesus. They had become so wealthy and so prosperous, though they believed in Christ, they lost their need for Christ; Jesus was replaced with wealth and prosperity. Thus, their wealth and prosperity is what led them to become lukewarm.
In addition, not only did their wealth and prosperity lead them to become lukewarm, but their complacency, self-confidence, and contentenetment to live their life without Christ blinded them to their true spiritual state.
Jesus said they did not realize they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Their wealth and prosperity blinded them from seeing they were sinners in need of a Savior named Jesus. So, though they were rich and prosperous in the things of the world, and living a life of ease and luxury, they were actually spiritually poor and people to be pitied.
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing wrong with having possessions, but no matter how much we possess or how much money we make, we have nothing without Jesus. I am reminded of the words of Paul here in Phil. 3:7, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” We can have all the wealth in the world, beach homes, boats, a nice home, a nice vehicle, food in our bellies, and a great retirement plan, but none of those things amount to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ!
I personally believe some of the problem with the church today in America is that we are so blessed with riches and prosperity that we have become complacent, self-confident, and content to live our lives without Jesus. That we as a nation, and the church, have become so wealthy and prosperous, we fail to realize just how much we need Jesus. That needs to change.
So, I ask you: do you love Jesus more than your riches and prosperity? Are you content to live your life without Christ? Are you complacent in your relationship to Jesus? Are you trying to determine how you can be saved from the consequences of your sin and still enjoy the lustful pleasures of this world? Are you a hearer of the Word of God and not a doer?
If you answer yes to those questions, you are lukewarm, and I want to urge you to receive the counsel that Jesus gives to the church in Laodicea.
In verse 18 Jesus said, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” Laodicea was a city of great wealth, but Jesus counseled them to buy their gold from him, symbolizing the spiritual value of knowing Jesus. Laodicea was proud of its cloth and manufacturing of garments, but Jesus told them to purchase their white garments from Him, symbolizing the righteousness that comes to us by faith in Jesus Christ. Laodicea was proud that the eye salve produced by their medical school healed so many eye problems, but Jesus told them to get their medicine from Him to heal their spiritual eyes so that they may see the truth. In other words, Jesus was helping them to see that true and everlasting worth was not in their possessions or riches, but in Jesus, and to turn from those things to Him.
We need to heed this instruction. I’ll say this again at the expense of being repetitive: true and everlasting worth is not in possessions nor is it in riches, it is in Jesus Christ. Jesus is far more valuable than what this world can provide. Compared to Jesus, everything this world can offer us is rubbish. Jesus is so precious and so valuable, he is worth joyfully selling everything we have to follow him. But so many people, even in the church, are so busy finding temporary satisfaction in temporary things, they do not see that true and everlasting joy and contentment is found in Christ Jesus.
With that being said, the fact that Jesus gives them this kind of tough counsel tells us that lukewarm people are not beyond saving.
In verse 19 Jesus said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Jesus’ counsel to the church in Laodicea was a statement of love, and it was a statement of love because it was a statement of reproof, correction, strong disapproval, and discipline. Now, you may ask, how can a statement of reproof and discipline also be a statement of love?
Sometimes as parents we must reprove our children. We must give strong statements of correction and disapproval, and we do that because we love our kids. The same is true with God – God reproves and disciplines those He loves. The Bible says in Deut. 8:5, “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD our God disciplines you.” In Proverbs 3:12 the Bible says, “For the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” In Hebrews 12:6 the Bible says, “For the LORD disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Furthermore, Jesus’ counsel to the church in Laodicea was a statement of love, reprove, and discipline, because Jesus wanted them to turn from their lukewarmness and be saved. Jesus said, “so be zealous and repent.” Jesus said what he did because he did not want to see them perish. He did not want to see them condemned to everlasting damnation.
So many people are under the wrong impression that God disciplines us to punish us. That’s not true. God disciplines us to bring us back to himself, which is an act of love. Hebrews 12:10 tells us, “he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness”, and without holiness the Bible tells us “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). The Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 11:32, “But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” Thus, the discipline of God is so we might be saved.
Jesus offers this salvation to anyone who opens the door of their heart and lets Christ in.
In verse 20-22 Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Right now Jesus stands at the door of our hearts, he is calling out to us letting us know he is there, and he is knocking for us to invite him in; and notice, Jesus doesn’t force his way in, but he calls out to us and knocks waiting for us to open the door. Jesus wants to have fellowship with us. He wants us to open up to him. But you are the one that decides to open the door!