Howdy!
This is a blog that you might not finish reading. This is a blog that you may be challenged by. This is a blog that may make you feel I am out of line. But what I say I fervently believe and I pray that you take time to read this blog and soak in my thoughts. I am going to define what I believe a lukewarm person looks like. To preface this, we all have lukewarm tendencies. No one is excluded. So this is not me judging people, but trying to help people become aware.
LUKEWARM PEOPLE go to church because they feel it’s what a “good Christian” does. (Isa. 29:13)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE give money to charity and to the church, as long as their standard of living stays intact. (1 Chron. 21:24, Luke 21:1-4)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE choose the popular choice over the right choice. This includes a desire to fit in, whether at church or outside of church. (Luke 6:26, Rev. 3:1, Matt. 23:5-7)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE don’t really want to be saved from their sin, but from the penalty of their sin. (John 10:10, Rom. 6:1-2)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE love hearing stories about people who do radical things for Christ, but they do not act. (James 1:22, James 4:17, Matt. 21:28-31)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely talk about their faith for the fear of being rejected or fear of making people uncomfortable. (Matt. 10:32-33)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE compare themselves with people to measure their “goodness”. (Luke 18:11-12)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE say Jesus is a part of their life. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, money, and thoughts. They don’t allow Jesus to control their lives. (Luke 9:57-62)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but not to their full capability. They believe only radicals, pastors, and missionaries can love God in that way. (Matt. 22:37-38)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE tend to love themselves more than others. When they do love others they love only those that love them in return; like friends and family. (Matt. 5:43-47, Luke 14:12-14)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God, but there are limits to how far they will go. (Luke 18:21-25)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE focus on their lives on earth a lot more than spending eternity in Heaven. (Phil. 3:18-20, Col. 3:2)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE are thankful for their luxuries and comfort, but rarely try to give as much as possible to the poor. (Matt. 25:34, 40, Isa. 58:6-7)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE do the bare minimum to not feel guilty. They do what they feel is “good enough”. (1 Chron. 29:14, Matt. 13:44-46)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE are not willing to take risks. They play it safe. Therefore they cannot give themselves fully to God. (1 Tim. 6:17-18, Matt. 10:28)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE believe they are safe just because they claim the title of “Christian”. (Matt. 7:21)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE plan out their entire lives so that they do not have to live by faith. (Luke 12:16-21, Hebrews 11)
LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably don’t look much different than your typical unbeliever. (Matt. 23:25-28)
These are just a few things that we can all use to really examine our lives. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says exactly that, “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in faith; test yourselves.”
Not one person is impervious to these behaviors. But there is a difference between living a life that is characterized by these behaviors and living a life that is continuously being radically transformed.
We are called to follow Christ, so let’s stop making excuses and do it!
Much Love and God Bless!
Raj Mahal
Chan, Francis. Crazy Love. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008. N. pag. Print.
