Are You A Lukewarm Christian?

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Do you know why there are so many lukewarm Christians?

Because when you’re lukewarm, you’re at the perfect temperature…according to the world’s standards. The world would agree that we should all be good people of moral integrity. So the world will allow you to go to church on Sunday, read Jesus Calling and follow Joel Olsteen on Twitter. The world almost encourages us to get a little warm towards God, just not too warm.

Clearly the world has no problem with us being cold. Giving into our own desires and telling us to “follow our heart.” The world insists that we can be good, moral people and have a lukewarm, straddling-of-the-fence relationship with God. The world would have us to believe that if we are straddling the fence, when judgement day comes God will pull us over to His side. Because we’re good, moral, lukewarm Christians.

Being lukewarm is, by the world’s standards, the perfect temperature. Have you ever noticed that when something is cold, it takes a bit of effort to heat it up? In the same respect, when something is hot, it takes a good bit of effort to cool it down. So, the world (more specifically, the enemy) will encourage us to be lukewarm because it takes less effort on our part.

At lukewarm, we’re not worried about being “too hot” and being a religious nut case and we’re not in danger of being “too cold” and being ostracized from society. We blend right in. We’re good, moral, lukewarm Christians.

But we know that goodness and morality is not enough. Goodness and morality are rather subjective when you think about it. We tend to rationalize our sins and will use our emotions and deceitful heart to talk ourselves into being lukewarm.

But I wonder, how would your life change if you stop straddling the fence? How would your relationship with God change if you made a real commitment to Him? If you refused to be lukewarm?

Have you taken your temperature lately?

Photo credit: minomap (Creative Commons)

Danielle Erwin hosts the Charlotte based ministry, UNPLUGGED. She’s the founder of Pursued, a ministry aimed to encourage women to live lives that are truly reflective of Jesus Christ. Visit her web site at DanielleErwin.com.