Lukewarmness!

I am currently reading "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chen and in chapter four he is dealing with what we call "lukewarm Christians." In America, lukewarmness is not only accepted but is the norm in Christian churches. It is almost the preferred state among Christians. But while we marginalize lukewarmness, God does not. God would rather you be hot or cold and lukewarmness makes him sick. Actually "lukewarm Christians" is an oxymoron--there really is no such thing. Churchgoers who are lukewarm are not Christians and they will not be in heaven. God wants all (hot) or nothing (cold). What "Crazy Love" does is to challenge the reader to examine themselves and to see if they are good soil and not just assume they are. This is done by describing what these lukewarm, halfhearted, distracted partially committed people can look like. As you read these, search yourself and take a honest look at your life. Not who you want to be one of these days, but who you are now and how you are living today.

1. Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go. (Isa. 29:13)

2. Lukewarm People give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? (1 Chron 21:24, Luke 21:1-4)

3. Lukewarm People tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. (Luke 6:26, Rev 3:1, Matt 23:5-7)

4. Lukewarm People don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful like. (John 10:10, Rom 6:1-2)

5. Lukewarm People are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers. (James 1:22, 4:17, Matt 21:28-31)

6. Lukewarm People rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. (Matt 10:32-33)

7. Lukewarm People gauge their morality or "goodness" by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. (Luke 18:11-12)

8. Lukewarm People say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him as section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives. (Luke 9:57-62)

9. Lukewarm People love God but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals. (Matt 22:37-38)

10. Lukewarm People love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective and generally comes with strings attached. (Matt 5:43-47, Luke 14:12-14)

11. Lukewarm People will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give. (Luke 18:21-25)

12. Lukewarm People think about life on earth much more often then eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today's to do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation. Rarely, this, C. S. Lewis wrote, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." (Phil 3:18-20, Col 3:2)

13. Lukewarm People are thankful for their luxuries and comforts and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible. They are quick to point out, "Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is." Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel "called" to minister to the rich; very few feel "called" to minister to the poor. (Matt 25:34-40, Isa 58:6-7)

14. Lukewarm People do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be "good enough" without it requiring too much of them. They ask, "How far can I go before it's considered a sin?" instead of "How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?" They ask, "How much do I have to give?" Instead of "How much can I give?" They ask, "How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible?" instead of "I wish I didn't have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!" (1 Chron 29:14, Matt 13:44-46)

15. Lukewarm People are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God. (1 Tim 6:17-18, Matt 10:28)

16. Lukewarm People feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a "Christian nation." (Matt 7:21, Amos 6:1, Luke 12:16-21)

17. Lukewarm People probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong. (Matt 23:25-28)

May we obey 2 Corinthians 13:5 and examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. On to chapter five.