It should make you squirm
Revelation 3:14-16 Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God’s Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God’s creation, says: 15 “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot – far better to be either cold or hot! 16 You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. (The Message)
Those in the church of Laodicea are the worst of all; they are indifferent to all that is religion; they are content and stale in themselves and have no passion about them. The analogy of lukewarm water here; lukewarm serves no purpose of any kind. Cold water soothes from the heat, and warm water soothes from the cold; lukewarm does neither, it has no effect. Matthew Henry states, “Lukewarmness or indifference in religion is the worst temper in the world. If religion is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore we should be in good earnest in it; if it is not a real thing, it is the vilest imposture, and we should be earnest against it. If religion is worth any thing, it is worth every thing; an indifference here is inexcusable: Why halt you between two opinions? If God be God, follow him; if Baal (be God), follow him. Here is no room for neutrality. An open enemy shall have a fairer quarter than a perfidious neuter; and there is more hope of a heathen than of such. Christ expects that men should declare themselves in earnest either for him or against him.” He is quoting from 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Elijah had challenged the followers of the satanic god Baal to an act of his supposed power; understandably their god failed; Elijah called down fire from heaven before everyone and consumed all the sacrifice in the power of the only true God.
A ho-hum attitude to all that is religion disgust God. The indifference to the One who created, sustained, and sacrificed all, is to spit in the face of Him. This is an elevation of pride that comes in the next passages; the feeling that oneself has attained all that they have. These hearts have not been humbled by the Lord. Are they so indecisive that they simply cannot make a decision? Are they so weak they are not able to make a stand for Baal or the Lord God? Do you have that attitude of indifference towards religion? Do you feel nothing either way; do you say “What does it matter anyhow?” This sicken’s the Lord; even those that take a stand against him have a better chance of being changed by the grace found through Him than a person who simply drifts.
There is much more to unpack in the half-hearted Christian found in this church. This is where many of us find ourselves today; I found myself living for the world but thinking I was just good enough to get into heaven. I felt my good deeds outweighed my bad; I felt that my upbringing and my sporadic church attendance would pay my way. The scariest passage in the Bible grabbed me; Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!‘ A glimpse of that understanding awoke me; a glimpse of reverent fear found there put a passion in me. These two passages should spark that same fear and produce a changed life that is far from indifferent to all that is religion; they should produce the life of a disciple; a life dedicated to the One who gives it eternally. Do they stir your soul too?
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