Tepid Christianity
19 Oct 2010 2 Comments
From one of our former campers, here’s an interesting perspective on Revelation chapter three and what it means to be a lukewarm Christian:
To the church at Laodicea, John wrote these words: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16)
Although it may seem that John is saying to the Laodiceans to either be against God or for God, it is not necessarily so. God’s will is not for us to be against Him, He has said many times that He loves us, and that when He rebukes the Laodiceans He does it out of love for them. This being said, He would not give them an ultimatum forcing them to either be for Him or against Him. The city of Laodicea was in between Hierapolis, known for its healing hot springs, and Colosse, known for its cold waters that came from Mt. Cadmus. When John says hot, he means like the hot waters of Hierapolis where people from distant regions came to soak in warm baths and seek healing from them. This type of water at Hierapolis was a source for healing, restoration, and comfort to people who suffered in the surrounding areas and to which people from Laodicea may have gone. On the other hand when John says cold, he was referring to the cold waters of Colosse to which people would come for a refreshing drink of the wonderful, invigorating water. This type of water was a source of refreshment and was encouraging to people who were hurting. So when speaking to them about being lukewarm, the Laodiceans would have known exactly what he meant, because their own water supply was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm and full of minerals that would make you sick. He challenged the Laodicean Christians to be either hot or cold in their daily lives and to bring people the healing, caring, encouraging touch of Jesus instead of worrying about their wealth and riches.
I guess the main question is: what type of water are you? Are you the type of water that heals and cares for the people around you or will you be like the Church at Laodicea, the ones who are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked”(Rev. 3:17) but who thought they were the top of the world with their many riches and possessions. As it says in Matt. 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Therefore , I urge you to store your treasures in heaven instead of on earth and to be both cold and hot water to the world.
Just like things in life, we normally prefer either the hot or the cold (for example tea, coffee, water, soup, vegetable…etc) why should it be any different in our relationship with God? He says, “I am about to spit you out of My mouth.” Is that the type of water you want to be, the type God spits out of His mouth?
In His name
Carolyn
