Revelation 3:15-16, “15) ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16) So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
Step outside and you will quickly be reminded that it’s summer in the South! It’s been a hot summer, but then again, summer is supposed to be hot. Just like winter is supposed to be cold. And whenever I think about the contrast between summer and winter, hot and cold, I often think of the words of Jesus to the church in Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15-16 states, “15) ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16) So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
Not a very pretty picture, but one that certainly gets your attention. Jesus was pointing out that the church at Laodicea was not cold (that is, they were not openly rejecting Christ), and they were not hot (that is, they were not zealous and on-fire for Christ). Instead, they were lukewarm. They were like dirty, tepid water that when a person tasted, would immediately spit out. Jesus was rebuking the church at Laodicea for their complacency and self-sufficiency. He was urging them to be repentant and desirous of an intimate relationship with Him.
Fast-forward some two thousand years. May we as the church today heed the words of Christ and be ever vigilant in the awareness of our temperature. May our service and devotion for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ always be hot.
So, the next time you step outside into the hot Mississippi summer and say, “Whew! It’s hot!” Ask yourself the question, am I as hot for Jesus as it is outside?” And if not, then ask yourself the question, “What needs to change in my life so that I can be?”
