This past weekend I addressed the letter to the Laodicean church from the book of Revelation in which Jesus confronts their apathy and being lukewarm. The text says:
“14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.[1]”
If you consider the gravity of this statement it can be a little scary to think that some of Christ’s followers at this church had taken up apathy and riding the fence regarding their faithfulness. Christ, without much help from Hallmark, straightforwardly states their kind of Christianity makes Him sick to His stomach. Not to gross us out, but this type of non-committal that Western Christianity has fallen into reminds me a lot of what makes the Lord want to vomit.
I’ve
heard preachers in the past preach on this text and soften the blow of what
Jesus is saying, but I think this is wrong to do. A ‘one foot in, one foot out’
type of Christian faith makes Christ sick to His stomach because His love for
us made Him fully committed to doing for us what we couldn’t do on the cross.
Kay Arthur says it best, “If
you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your
God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don’t begin, for this is what
Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of
governments, and a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting
Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.”
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Re 3:14–16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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