WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ‘LUKEWARM’?
Relationally, we often speak in
temperature-terms to communicate our passion for someone or something. A
passionate wife may whisper to her husband on date night, “I’m hot for you“;
similarly, we often speak of a bitter, relationally-distant person as
“cold.” Simply put, to have a “lukewarm” heart is to have a heart that is
in between passionate love for God and cold contempt of or indifference toward
God. There are people who are obviously non-Christians. And there are people
who are obviously Christians. And then there are lukewarm people – people where
you can’t really tell. A lukewarm person may or may not be a converted
Christian; there’s not enough evidence for confidence in either direction.
This is obviously a grave condition because in
this passage Jesus says of the continually lukewarm person, “I will spit you
out of my mouth”.
WHAT’S THE CURE?
For brevity’s sake, here’s a brief sketch of
the biblical Cure for a lukewarm heart…
- Acknowledge
your condition. The reason the church at
Laodicea remained lukewarm was because they remained deceived and
hard-hearted about their condition. “You say, ‘I am rich, I have
prospered, and I need nothing’, not realizing you are pitiable, blind,
poor, and naked.” (vs. 17) LISTEN TO ME: If you are awakening to your
spiritual condition, realizing you are “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind,
and naked” it is because God is pursuing you in his love! As Tim Keller
has said, “A fear of God’s absence is a sign of God’s presence.” The
desire and ability to acknowledge your present condition is the first step
toward curing a lukewarm heart.
- Meditate on Jesus and his finished work. Most people think that if they love God enough then he will love them. To be straightforward: that is a lie straight from hell. The theme of the whole Bible is this: when we see how much God has first loved us, then we will love Him. Do you know what will produce white-hot love for God? A heart completely and utterly entranced by God’s white-hot love for us demonstrated at The Cross – Jesus Christ crucified there, on that tree, for my transgressions. A lukewarm heart is characterized by lukewarm thoughts of the love of God and must be marinated white-hot thoughts of the love of God – cross shaped ones. Practically, I suggest…
- Reading
portions of Scripture about God’s finished work for us (Romans, the
gospels, Ephesians 1-2, Galatians!)
- Listening
to and singing hymns – bloody, cross-filled ones that are lyrically rich
with the love of God
- Memorizing
Romans 8
- Taking
long walks with Scripture-laden notecards in your hands, meditating on
the gospel
- Pray
to God for the grace you need. God is the
best Dad that has ever lived. Good Dads give good gifts to their children
who ask for them, and God says that He Himself is the best gift of them
all (Matthew
13:44-45, Psalm
16). Pray that God will do what he has promised and heal your lukewarm
heart. He will respond (Luke
11:9-13). “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them
freely, for my anger has turned from them… They shall return and
dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the
grain; they shall blossom like the vine” (Hos. 14:4,7).
- Confess
and repent of all known sins. A
lukewarm heart is often the result of forgetting this aspect of gospel
living – the gift of confession and repentance. Confession is how the soul
vomits up poison. Countless Christians labor under heavy burdens and
lukewarm communion with God all because they neglect the priceless gift of
confession. “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us
from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Confess your sins to God, yourself, and
at least one other Christian.
You can melt a cold and even frozen heart with
the warmth of God’s love. Trust in the Lord.
Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Join us next Sunday at
North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene as we welcome our District Superintendent –
Dr. Greg Mason.
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