Neither cold nor hot.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16

Jesus wants me to do something! The worst temptations are the temptations to be lukewarm. Those are the ways in which Jesus’ name is buried in lackluster performance. I used to think that the way this message should be understood was in an absolute sense of cold or hot. In other words, we grow cold, that is bad. We are hot – we are on fire for the Lord! But that does not seem to be the point of Jesus’ words.

Cold beverages are refreshing. An ice cold cup of water on a hot day is the best refresher. Or for a treat, how about a glass of iced tea, or a icey Coca-Cola? That is refreshing and a joy to the palate at the same time. And hot drinks have their place. In fact, as I work away at this meditation, I am sipping on a hot cup of coffee and it helps the thoughts flow. Both hot and cold are what we want in a beverage. Both are acceptable.

But a lukewarm cup of java? Eeeewwww! Or a room temperature glass of water? Barely able to swallow it. Jesus won’t even try when that is the spiritual condition of His people. We give Him the gag reflex! That is why He spits us out when we are lukewarm. I don’t think the message has anything to do with our eternal standing. It has to do with His opinion of us. And we are just a big spit take if we aren’t going somewhere with our faith. Our works should refresh or invigorate the body of Christ. It is that simple.

Lord,

I have the capacity for cold or hot today. But save me from mediocre lukewarm stagnation! I don’t want to be sitting at room temperature with my faith. Amen.

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The only evaluation that matters

I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
Revelation 2:19

The inescapable reality of the first few chapters of Revelation are the Jesus calls His people to account for their activity. And the individual churches are examined by Him. He comments on what is good. He chastises them for their respectable sins. He promises them what is good for a repentance and renewal.

Jesus knows my church. I wonder what He might say about us? Are our works characterized by love, faith, service, and patient endurance? I could easily pick on the evangelical church as reflected in its various leadership movements. But that is not what Jesus did in this context. He walked congregation by congregation through the individual churches of Asia Minor and made His assessments. I have to think He does the same today.

I find an interesting analysis in the ESV Study Bible that might serve as a pattern for evaluating my own congregation:

So what does this all mean? I think the big issue is to brace for what He will say. And know that with repentance comes forgiveness, new grace, and the chance to honor Christ.

Technorati Tags: Revelation,7 Churches,Evaluation