Jesus said these words, "I will vomit." He really did. WHY? It goes deeper.
It wasn't because He had eaten too much . It wasn't because He had the flu. No, Jesus said this as a warning to the pastor (which also affected everyone) who attended the church of Laodicea back in the day. We also need to heed this same warning. You really need to grasp this. Listen to the word of Jesus, because there is an important reason. "So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16). Those aren't soft words! It is not symbolic language to just brush over! Jesus was speaking in such a way that we really need to stop and listen! If you are lukewarm in your faith (spiritually complacent), you better pay attention.
I'm concerned most people don't think that verse applies to them because they're not against God. They believe. They show up sometimes. They say they try to do the right thing. THAT'S EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. Lukewarm church members who listen to certain pastors have been warned. It's indifference. Why? Because TO BE "LUKEWARM" means close enough to feel comfortable, but not committed enough to be changed! Pastors who fear losing numbers if they tell all the truth, and church goers who are comfortable remaining in the middle .. enough to believe they are saved but never fully committing to the faith. I would further describe "lukewarm" as .. saying you follow Jesus but He doesn't actually have life as Jesus describes. It's knowing truth but you're not actually living it. IT'S wanting the benefits of salvation without the surrender. Jesus warned the Laodicean pastor because his words, his preaching, his example, was rubbing off on the church of "believers," while claiming to be rich, full, in need of nothing more. But Jesus called this pastor ad his church spiritually poor, blind, and naked. Because this pastor (referred to as the angel of the church at Laodicea) was ineffective in his faith and that example spread to the congregation. Jesus found this repulsive so much so he used the words "I will vomit you out of my mouth" (without change). In other words, the pastors behavior was unacceptable.
Jesus doesn't soften His words. He never said, 'I'll work with that'-- ' I'll work with your complacency' --NO. He said, I will spit you out, I will vomit you out if my mouth. WHY?? Why is it so serious? It's because lukewarm faith creates this illusion that you're okay when in reality, you are not! The pastor was giving the impression to his congregation that everything was okay and they were believing it. The cold He speaks of is a COLD where people know are far from God and choose it anyway because its comfortable. Hot is the opposite. Being hot is people who are fully committed to God. Lukewarm sits in the middle! Thinking it is safe where you are: both cold and hot .. tepid. A little of each, then complacency moves in.
This is not about being perfect. This is about BEING REAL. Following Jesus was never meant to be interpreted as being casual.
If someone looked at your life today, would they see someone fully committed to following Christ? Or would they simply see someone who fits Him into their schedule when it's convenient? There is no middle ground with the Lord. You are either all in or you're out. You cannot be serious one day and the indifferent regarding sin the next because it interferes with what you want. A person who is lukewarm lacks devotion to God, continues in sin (usually the little ones they don't think are too bad) ... they aren't committed to a full walk with Christ. A little hot a little cold describes a lukewarm Christian.... low motivation, low awareness of potential danger. They are complacent. Locked in a misleading feeling of security with no need to change, feeling rich, full, as is. Stagnation. They are fine as is. I'm saved. No further growth needed. Not interested. Unconcerned. Have you drifted here?
Jesus did not say what He did to push people away. He said it to make people aware .. to wake them up. You don't drift into strong faith, you drift into a lukewarm one if nothing changes. I reiterate, IF NOTHING CHANGES. It is very easy to stay in that middle space hearing truth but never going deeper, growing up and maturing in God's Word to know and do what says. It's not just hearing and or knowing scripture, it's how you live it.
Until He Comes-
-Pat-
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