NEWS FOR THE LUKEWARM by Gary Wilkerson

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Jesus is speaking to the Laodicean church — the church that has become famous worldwide. Laodicean is even a word in the dictionary, meaning lukewarm or indifferent. Lukewarm is right in the middle with cold on one side and hot on the other. Jesus does not say He would like for us to be hot, lukewarm or cold. No, He says He would rather we be cold or hot rather than lukewarm.

When Jesus speaks of our being hot He is talking about being full of zeal, full of passion, with a heart that is on fire for God. He is talking about our having something in us that stirs us to action. That is why He says, “I know your works.” He doesn’t say, “I know your thoughts — I know your emotions.” He says, “I know your works,” because when you look at someone’s works you have a revelation of that person’s heart.

Many of us don’t realize how far lukewarmness is from the heart of God. This state is despicable to Jesus because it speaks of someone who is claiming to be one of His, people who take on the name of Jesus and quote Scripture but then behave like the world.

A lukewarm person is somebody who claims to be a Christian but does the same things as someone who is totally cold: still getting drunk, still sleeping around, still taking God’s name in vain, still cheating, still lying — and still calling himself a Christian. This person becomes a ruinous testimony for Christ.

Jesus prefers an honest testimony that says, “I’m not saved and I’m living like it,” rather than, “I claim to be saved but I’m not living like it.” Jesus goes on to say to the lukewarm, “I know your works!”