What does it mean to be "luke-warm"?

[Mr. Good Faith]

Please only respond if your a Baptist/Anabaptist Christian. I am posting this topic in the other areas also so as to gather differences between denominations.

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I'd like to know where we are to draw the line as to what it mean to be luke-warm in our faith. Some people (including me) have used the terms "on fire for the Lord" or "backslider" or cold in my/your faith.

What does it really mean to be luke warm?

It seems like the definition changes depending on who you talk to and when and where they are in their walk. If I talk to someone who is really excited about their faith they might claim I am not on-fire enough. I know this because I have done it to others.

Mr. G.

 

[Faith In God]

luke warm would be halfway in, halfway out. lukewarm is only in the bible once (i think) and that is in Revelation. try reading that for a more clear cut definition.

 

[Mr. Good Faith]

I have read revelation quite few times, I am interested to hear how everyon eelse views the term "luke warm". Is it a relative term or is it an absolute? Is it even questinable to question this?

 

[Enigma'07]

I think I've heard it somewere else too. Some thing about spitting them out of your mouth, but anyways, I take it to mean God doesn't want you to call yourself a Christian, but not act like one. You either are one or you arn't, not much middle ground. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[theseed]

Luke-warm is going to church on sunday morning and telling everbody how good the preacher is, while forgeting Jesus the ohter 6 days a week.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

it says in the bible somewhere, unfortunatly i cant remember where, it says that he would rather you be cold or hot, but if you were luke warm he would spew you out of his mouth. being luke warm is like straddling a fence...but you really really shouldnt be. i wish i could elaborate more in this but i dont know how to put it into the right words.

 

[kayanne]

obviously no one is going to be 100% on fire, 100% of the time, being 100% the kind of Christian that God wants him to be.

i think of lukewarm like it relates to something we eat or drink. take beverages, for example--we expect beverages to be either icy cold or piping hot. i don't know anyone who enjoys a lukewarm beverage. that would be pretty distasteful.

when it comes to people, you can either be a christian and live like one (hot), or make no claims to christianity at all (cold) in which case anything you do will not be a poor testimony for Christ. the world does expect to see a difference; even if they don't believe in christianity, the world has a genuine distaste for what is sees as hypocrisy. as christians, though we'll never be perfect, we'd better conduct ourselves in such a manner that the world (in general) sees us as kind, loving, peacable, compassionate imitators of Christ---not as hypocrites who are smug, self righteous, careless with our words and choices, and overall pretty lukewarm about how our actions reflect on our claim to christianity.
another aspect is to look at the love relationship between one's self and God. think for a moment of a marriage relationship--no husband and wife will ever love each other totally, purely, as God loves us. but as a wife i would be miserable if i thought my husband's love for me was only lukewarm. how hurtful, how heartbreaking. how must God feel if He sees that our love for Him is merely lukewarm?

 

[jenptcfan]

I see it as not being really committed one way or another. For instance, wanting to be associated with Christianity, but not willing to follow God's leading or make any sacrifices for Christ.

 

[theseed]

Revelation 3:16 (NIV)
So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Christ is not speaking about emotionality here, but behavior and attitude.

 

[Mr. Good Faith]

Thank you all for the great posts, but, please keep posting. I am still here. Since I am Catholic, my comments are on the Catholic thread.

I see in this thread, that the discussion is going into the directions of emotionalism vs obedience & life choices.

 

[Chris from TN]

Forgive me for the following was more-or-less paraphrased from a website I found:

"Cold" was a reference to a refreshing spring.
"Hot" was a reference to a boiling mineral spring where people bathed.
"Lukewarm" was a reference to the boiling mineral water that had cooled down, and was nasty, not fit for bathing or refreshment.

If you subscribe to the above, 'lukewarm' simply means that you're not growing in your own faith, or being of any benefit to other Christians.

oh...here's the link to where I found this.....it's a good explanation, IF it's correct.

http://www.godlygames.com/ostudies/ostudy14.htm

 

[FreeinChrist]

The term, 'lukewarm', is used in reference to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3.

It helps to know that the city of Laodicea was wealthy because of the wool it manufactured and sold, and for an eye salve developed by the medical school there.
But they did not have a water source of their own. They had hot water piped down from Hierapolis (location of a hot springs) and cold water from Colossae. By the time it got to Laodicea, it was lukewam. Hot water was good for healing purposes, and cold for drinking to relieve thirst. But lukewarm is not so useful.

Now look at what is said to them:
Rev 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

Rev 3:15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Rev 3:17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Rev 3:18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Rev 3:19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Rev 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Rev 3:21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.


The church believes they are rich, but they are poor. Perhaps they are putting faith in how well they are doing financially rather than tending to their spiritual needs.
And look at how Jesus is shown outside, knocking, offering to come in to anyone who opens the door.

Laodicea is a money rich, spiritually poor church that does not have Christ. They may claim to be Christian, but they aren't listening to Christ and He is outside. They were wealthy because of their eye salve and wool...but they were spiritually blind and naked.

So to describe today's lukewarm Christians - it is those who claim Christ, but are spiritually weak, don't grow, don't reach others, are not a witness in how they live their lives. They may be in a wealthy church, but they, themselves, are not filled with the Spirit and need Christ in their lives.

 

[kayanne]

Thank you all for the great posts, but, please keep posting. I am still here. Since I am Catholic, my comments are on the Catholic thread.

I see in this thread, that the discussion is going into the directions of emotionalism vs obedience & life choices.

hmmm, i don't really see it going that way. i suppose my post sounded more about emotionalism than the rest, when i talked about our love for God (comparing it to love between spouses), but maybe i wasn't clear. love (for God, a spouse, or anyone) certainly has an emotional aspect to it, but biblically speaking "love" is an action verb, describing how we act toward someone. "if you love Me, you will keep My commandments" for example.

i definitely think of this "lukewarm issue" as being about obedience and life choices, (particularly in how they affect our christian testimony) and that's what i'm reading into the other posts as well.

 

[Mr. Good Faith]

So to paraphrase the general consensus as of Friday evening.

To not be luke-warm, a person would need to be a least somewhat proactive in their walk. Luke-warm would be a person who calls themselves a Christian but is not growing, they possibly even go to church, but are there to check the attendance box, and maybe get a good feeling, nothing more.

Am I getting the right gist of this threads basic conclusion. Please add more or clarify.

For instance, would one need to be 100% on-fire and zealous, to be not classified luke-warm? This is slightly higher standard than I think I am getting from the rest of thread.

Mr. G

 

[JM]

I'd have to say it's when you're too comfortable with the Lord, in a sense, you take advantage of your position in Christ and in that case I'd have to question your position in Christ. The saved act like the saved.

 

[razzelflabben]

The term, 'lukewarm', is used in reference to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3.

It helps to know that the city of Laodicea was wealthy because of the wool it manufactured and sold, and for an eye salve developed by the medical school there.
But they did not have a water source of their own. They had hot water piped down from Hierapolis (location of a hot springs) and cold water from Colossae. By the time it got to Laodicea, it was lukewam. Hot water was good for healing purposes, and cold for drinking to relieve thirst. But lukewarm is not so useful.

Now look at what is said to them:
Rev 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

Rev 3:15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

Rev 3:16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Rev 3:17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Rev 3:18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Rev 3:19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Rev 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Rev 3:21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.


The church believes they are rich, but they are poor. Perhaps they are putting faith in how well they are doing financially rather than tending to their spiritual needs.
And look at how Jesus is shown outside, knocking, offering to come in to anyone who opens the door.

Laodicea is a money rich, spiritually poor church that does not have Christ. They may claim to be Christian, but they aren't listening to Christ and He is outside. They were wealthy because of their eye salve and wool...but they were spiritually blind and naked.

So to describe today's lukewarm Christians - it is those who claim Christ, but are spiritually weak, don't grow, don't reach others, are not a witness in how they live their lives. They may be in a wealthy church, but they, themselves, are not filled with the Spirit and need Christ in their lives.

This is about the best explaination in my opinion. I would like to add a couple of things.

1. It is God who knows if a man is being lukewarm or not, not the people around the man. In other words, being lukewarm can but is not necessarily reserved for outward evidence. It can be hidden from man but never from God. I can be active in the church, be a missionary, and in all ways act like a "on fire" christian, but inwardly be lukewarm or dead.

2. I think there are a lot of different ways we can be lukewarm but one that I encounter a lot is the chirstian who stops at salvation. They accept Christ as Lord and Savior, and that is the end of thier journey to know God. God calls us to a relationship with Him. That takes work, time, experiences, etc. If all we ever see is our get out of hell free card and never see the God behind it, I think we would be safe to say that is lukewarm. note vs. 21

 

[Benjammin]

Responding to the op... just to say in case some other issue has been raised since.

Hot is on fire for the Lord, doing what he wants, you are not just going to Church to go, you are doing his will, in prayer, you are working for the Kingdom.

Cold is doing nothing, but not saying that you are either.

Lukewarm is pretending to be working for God, but simply showing up on Sunday to sit in a pew, not to work for him.

 

[Blackhawk]

Forgive me for the following was more-or-less paraphrased from a website I found:

"Cold" was a reference to a refreshing spring.
"Hot" was a reference to a boiling mineral spring where people bathed.
"Lukewarm" was a reference to the boiling mineral water that had cooled down, and was nasty, not fit for bathing or refreshment.

If you subscribe to the above, 'lukewarm' simply means that you're not growing in your own faith, or being of any benefit to other Christians.

oh...here's the link to where I found this.....it's a good explanation, IF it's correct.

http://www.godlygames.com/ostudies/ostudy14.htm

You and FreeinChrist are right. It is not that hot is good and cold is not. They both were good as y'all have explained. It is that the luke warm is good for nothing and that if one drank it they would want to spit it out.