Revelation 3:14-16 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 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.
Hot Christianity is hungry after the things of God. It enjoys reading the Bible and prayer time and loves the things of God. It desires the same things Christ desires. It carries the cross. It yields to the Lord’s control.
Cold Christianity is like Lot sitting in Sodom — carnal, fleshly, and away from God, with no apparent difference between it and the world.
Lukewarm Christianity has “a form of godliness” (II Timothy 3:5). It reads the Bible, prays, attends church, but with no hot passion or zeal. In the affluent town of Laodicea, the saints had a “well-balanced” church. They were distant enough from Sodom to have good, clean fun and far enough from hot zeal to pursue their worldly interests.
Sometimes what we call “well-balanced” God calls “vomit.” Why would God tell this church he would rather have them cold? Why would Jesus choose an F student (cold) over a C student (lukewarm)? Why wouldn’t He have a nominal Christian over an inadequate one? Here is why:
1.) He Is in Spiritual Danger.
Revelation 3:17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The Christian that is cold knows he has a problem. In Jesus’ day, the publicans and sinners repented far sooner than the Pharisees. The cold is quicker to understand his need. The lukewarm thinks he is doing fine. He has not been doing bad stuff like Lot was. He’s not overboard like the hot, and he is not wicked like the cold. “I have need of nothing!” Lukewarm was the position that David was in when he sinned with Bathsheba, that Moses was in when he smote the rock, and that Peter was in when he denied Christ. When we keep a safe distance from the world and from the Saviour, we are in danger!
2.) He Is in Spiritual Poverty.
Revelation 3:18-19I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
“The king isn’t wearing any clothes!” Good clean, comfortable living blinds us to our true spiritual condition. We are poor, blind and naked. True riches can only be purchased when we acknowledge that we are bankrupt and helpless apart from Christ’s riches.
3.) He Is Separated from the Saviour.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
We can sing about, learn about, and preach about Christ with never having really experienced His presence in our midst. Jesus is the Head of His church, and He can only fellowship with her when He is invited to His rightful position.
Christ is at the door. When I recognize my condition, admit my poverty without him, and allow Him to come in, He will.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.