Jesus says, “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.” (Rev. 3:1b-2) He also says in Rev. 3:15-17, “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! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”
How does a believer become lukewarm?
Think of a beach scene, the sandy beach represents the world. The water represents God. To have faith, you must leave the beach and enter the water. Jesus draws you in and leads you deeper and deeper out into its depths. The deeper you go, the more challenging it gets in trusting Him. A believer gets comfortable staying in the shallow water and never letting God lead them out where it’s over their head. When your feet can still touch the bottom, you are able to have control over your life. While you have learned to trust Jesus and enter into the water, often there comes a time where you subconsciously protect yourself, “I do not want to surrender any more of myself. This is as far as I am going with you God.” Thus, you become complacent and compromise which is another way for God to say that you are lukewarm. Your faith is gathering dust.
It’s a neutral style of living where you vacillate between hanging out on the beach and swimming in shallow water which causes for a tepid faith, and God is not pleased. His Son did not save and redeem you to continue following the world’s ways and follow God! You must forsake sin and follow Jesus in all areas of your life. Luke 14:33 ESV says, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 9:23 ESV also says, “And He said to all, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'” (also Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34)
God is the God who is fully invested in His creation. What He began long ago continues to march forward at His beck and call. He is Sovereign and He reigns over all of creation; read Psalm 29 to be reminded of His splendor and glory. What He looks for and expects from believers is to become fully devoted followers of His Son. 1 John 3:9-10, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So, they can’t keep sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who children of God are and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”
How is your faith gathering dust? Be careful, your 3 enemies (this world, Satan, and your flesh) love when you don’t keep your heart and mind orderly with the things of God. They work tirelessly to dissuade your from living righteously and surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ. They don’t mind when you do religious activities. They just don’t want you to figure out how to abide in God’s presence. His presence is where transformation occurs, and He takes you by the hand and leads you to deeper water where you learn to let go and trust God. He is preparing you for His new earth one day and in the meantime, He will use you to save others who think hanging on the beach is the way to live.
Carol J German 