Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
When I asked Daddy of what it means to be half hearted, He said that it is when we are not giving Him our whole heart. Giving our whole heart is the first and greatest commandment. He requires us to give it all to Him and not just half or a part of it. This made me wonder “Am I half hearted?”
Being half hearted is like being “lukewarm”. We can read in the Revelation that God will not accept us if we are lukewarm. He said, “Because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.” A lukewarm "Christian" is someone who is half-hearted for Jesus. But what does it mean to be half hearted? We are half hearted if we have not given or surrendered everything to our LORD.
“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. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:15-17
God said that He would want us to be either cold or hot but not lukewarm. If we are “hot,” then we are exactly where the Lord wants us to be, surrendering to the All-Consuming Fire. We are depending on Him to burn away our impurities. If we are “cold,” we are apart from Him. I asked Him why He would wish for us to be cold than lukewarm and He said that being lukewarm is dangerous. Being “cold” is good because we can see clearly all our need, insufficiency, and helplessness, and we are to depend on Jesus for His grace, forgiveness, and righteousness. While if we are lukewarm we often think that we are in good terms with God even the truth is we are not.
Rom 8:6 "To be CARNALLY (Worldly or Fleshly) MINDED IS DEATH.
Being lukewarm is like putting ourselves somewhere in the middle. Some people say that being in middle is safe. But the truth is it is dangerous. Daddy wants us to choose. He doesn’t want us to hold on to Him while at the same time we are holding on to someone or something else. When you are a lukewarm Christian, you are not “hot” enough to be living entirely for God, but not “cold” enough to say you are not a Christian.
“Lukewarm” means “self-righteous.” A “lukewarm Christian” is somebody who claims to follow Jesus but also does worldly things. We are lukewarm if we still dress fleshly and watch horror or porn movies and listen to worldly music. Lukewarm Christians are satisfied in themselves. Lukewarm Christians are pleased with all that they do for the Lord. Lukewarm Christians believe that they are living the right way, with all the right values, and all the right methods, and all the right works.
Lukewarm or half hearted Christians have their one foot in the world, and one foot in God's Word. Most lukewarm Christians look, act, and talk just like the World, and they are bearing no good "FRUIT" for Jesus. God requires us to give to Him everything we owned, He wants us to serve Him with our whole life and with our resources. Lukewarm people give to God as long as it does not change their standard of living. They tend to only obey GOD when it is easy, convenient, or comfortable for them. They minimize their sins. Most lukewarm Christians do not understand the HOLINESS of God. They obey GOD when it is not hard for them but if it becomes hard they chose the other way. All of God's Word should be taken seriously. Not in a legalistic forced way, but in a way that pleases the Lord because of our Great Love for Jesus.
Many lukewarm people do not want to "OFFEND" anyone and they fear of "turning people off". They want to please people than GOD. They are worried of what other people will say to them if they share God’s Word. Jesus says that if you are going to be a follower of Him you too will suffer persecution. Your families and other people will be offended with you, and there will be division in families (Mother against Daughter, Father against Son) when the true gospel is preached.
Lukewarm Christians consistently make their family, friends, homes, jobs, business, and pleasures of this life more important than Jesus. When you are around certain people, do you forget about doing the Word and being pleasing to God? Does your business/job more important to you than instantly obeying the Word of God when He said not to sell/buy on Sundays? Do you desire to please your husband/wife/family/friends more than your desire to please God?
Jesus says, "If you love your FATHER OR MOTHER more than you LOVE ME, you are NOT WORTHY OF BEING MINE; or if you love your SON OR DAUGHTER more than Me, you are NOT WORTHY OF BEING MINE. If you REFUSE TO TAKE UP CROSS and FOLLOW ME, you are NOT WORTHY OF BEING MINE. If you CLING TO YOUR LIFE, you will LOSE IT; but if you GIVE UP YOUR LIFE FOR ME, YOU WILL FIND IT." Matt 10:37-39
Jesus counts the “lukewarm” people among “those whom He loves”, otherwise He wouldn’t correct them.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:19-21
What’s the cure for lukewarm Christians?
Jesus said, “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.”
The LORD wants us to buy from Him and not to buy from the world where we are living. He wants us to have faith that shall stand in every trial like gold tried and refined by the fire. He wants us to be pure and spotless, apart from the world, by living in holiness. And He wants us to focus on Him only, read His Word (the Bible) so that our eyes may see the truth.
ALL GLORY TO FATHER GOD, JESUS AND HOLY SPIRIT WHO HAVE OPENED MY EYES FOR ME TO KNOW THAT I AM STILL HALFHEARTED.
Diane Solver
No comments:
Post a Comment