The Joy of the Journey: Fire & Ice

The Joy of the Journey: Fire & Ice

A famous passage in the Book of Revelations in the Biblediscusses the concept of being hot or cold and not lukewarm. This message from Jesus carries a powerful meaning and teaches us about the importance of passion and commitment in our faith and lives.  This is an important lesson in the complexworld we live in today.

In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea, saying, “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.” This strong language conveys the idea that Jesus would rather have us fully committed to a cause or belief, whether for Him or against Him than to be indifferent or half-hearted.

The imagery of being hot or cold is often interpreted as representing passion and zeal and, on the other hand, oppositionand apathy.  Being hot signifies being fervent in our faith, enthusiastic in our pursuit of righteousness, and dedicated in our service to God. The opposite is being cold. This can representseveral things. One way of being cold is a clear rejection of God and His principles, a conscious decision to turn away from Him and live a life contrary to His teachings.  Another way to be cold is to be a child of God but just be getting by, never being passionate about our walk with God.  Living a religious life but failing to have a relationship with God.

So why does Jesus prefer us to be hot or cold rather than lukewarm? The answer lies like lukewarmness –apathy, complacency, and indifference. When lukewarm in our faith, we are neither fully committed to following God nor completely opposed to Him. This half-hearted approach displeases Jesus because it lacks sincerity, authenticity, and genuine devotion.  A passionless love, for Jesus, is a dead and lifeless love.

Jesus wants us to be all in or all out when it comes to our faith and relationship with Him. He desires our wholehearted dedication, passionate love, and unwavering loyalty. Lukewarmness is becoming mediocre in our spiritual walk.   We need to understand Christ wants true, wholehearted devotion from His followers.  The whole mission of Jesus was to reestablish a relationship between man and God.

In our lives, the message of being hot or cold but not lukewarmcan be a powerful reminder to examine the depth of our commitment to our beliefs, values, and relationships. Are we fully invested in our faith, giving our all to serve God and others? Or are we holding back, straddling the fence, and playing it safe?  Where would the world be if the apostles had held back and pursued the great commission of Matthew 28 with a lukewarm passion?

As we reflect on this challenging message from Jesus, may we be inspired to reevaluate our priorities, rekindle our passion, and recommit ourselves to living wholeheartedly for Him. Let us strive to be on fire for God, burning brightly with love, faith, and zeal, rather than settling for a lukewarm existence that leaves us spiritually stagnant. The Holy Spirit can deal with us when we are cold. Conviction of the Holy Spirit and correction is possible when we know we’re cold.   We can recognize warmth when it is around us.  Likewise, God can deal with us when we’re hot.  He can use us to make a difference with a passion that burns away the coldness of the world around us. But lukewarmness is something that Jesus says He’ll spit you out of his mouth. A better translation for the word “spit” is vomit. Lukewarmness makes God sick!

I’ve always liked my coffee hot! I have never been a big fan of cold coffee, even though I do drink it from time to time. Jesus, however, would rather us be hot or cold but not lukewarm, so let us choose to be fervent in our devotion and unwavering in our faith.  We live in a world that needs to see passionate believers!