Sunday June 4, 2023
Taking Your Temperature
In chapters two and three in the book of Revelation, Jesus is addressing seven churches. These were actual churches in the cities mentioned. They are representative of all churches of that time, as well as churches in all generations. The Laodicean church (Rev.3:14-17) is known as the lukewarm church. The lukewarm, neutral, and compromising church is repulsive to the Lord Jesus and damaging to His purpose. I think we, like they, could all use a little climate change.
Have you ever considered that we can affect the temperature of our lives? Have you wondered how the barometer of our faith moves from day to day? The scriptures tell us that we can set the climate three distinct ways: hot, cold, and lukewarm. Two of these are extreme…one is mere indifference.
The word hot is the Greek word zestos which means “zealous, boiling.” That’s about what we would expect hot to be…fervent. The word for cold is psuchros which means “nothing, none, inert.” That’s a little surprising. But the word for lukewarm is chlioros which literally means “fluctuating between; remaining neutral.” To the Lord, being completely void of faith (cold) is more favorable to an apathetic, half-hearted faith. Ouch! Why? (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of fervent)
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (Jas.1:6-8)
God’s desire for us is a fiery passionate love, a zealous faith, and a life of fervency. That life is a stable life. So what’s your temperature? You see, it is not simply a matter of relationship to the Lord, but also to His Word, His purposes, and His Spirit. It is our job to set the climate. For instance, when Jesus promises us that we can do all things though Him (Phil.4:13), do we believe all things (hot), no things (cold), or some things (lukewarm)?
What about “He will supply all your needs…”? (Phil.4:19) Or how about “All things work together for good”? (Rom.8:28) And, can we really cast all our cares upon Him (1 Pet.5:7 NKJV)? We must set our faith to hot and not fluctuate.
We cannot believe the Word one day and not others. We cannot trust Him in some things and not all things. We cannot believe Him today and not tomorrow. We can’t praise Him on Sunday and curse Him on Monday. We cannot love Him today and forget about Him the other six.
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. (Titus 1:16)
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (Jas.3:10-12)
Cold springs can be refreshing. Hot mineral springs can be healing. Lukewarm water is stagnant. Stir up the Living Water and the fire of the Holy Spirit! While the world is concerned with global warming and climate change, Satan should be concerned with Christians becoming hot! Amen!
