Be Not Lukewarm

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Thursday, October 16, 2025

Today's Text: Revelation 3:14-22

Key Verse: Revelation 3:16 (KJV): "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

The risen Lord's stern warning and critique against the church in Laodicea is both a timeless warning and admonition to every believer and every generation against the dangers of spiritual complacency and apathy. Though the Laodiceans were not outright apostates or idolaters; but their problem was far more subtle and insidious. They were lukewarm. They were spiritually apathetic, self-satisfied, and profoundly indifferent to the vital matters of faith and mission. Oh how so much they are like today's believers whose spiritual temperature has been set to a comfortable, non-committal mildness that was utterly offensive to God.

Look around our pulpits and pews, you'd see perils of lukewarm devotion instead of the imperative of fervent, unwavering commitment to our faith. But the Lord urges us to pursue path of wholehearted devotion and unshakeable faith in Him. The words of Christ to the Laodiceans, "because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth," is the same to us. Why this figure of speech? In the ancient world, Laodicea was near hot springs known for their medicinal value and cold springs prized for refreshment. The lukewarm water delivered to the city via an aqueduct was sickening.

Spiritually, "hot" implies passion, zeal, and radical commitment; "cold" suggests either total separation or a desperate need that knows its lack. Lukewarm is the complacent middle ground—a state of believing just enough to be respectable but not enough to be truly transformed or to radically serve. It is the danger of spiritual mediocrity, of having a form of godliness without the power thereof. The root of the Laodiceans' lukewarmness was a spirit of self-sufficiency. They boasted, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (verse 17).

Aren't these the same with us? Don't we confused material prosperity and religious activity with true spiritual health? Did Jesus not counter this arrogance by revealing our true state: "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, adfwnd naked" (verse 17)? Our zeal often cools when we stop seeing our desperate need for God and start trusting in our own resources, reputation, or good deeds. Christ's solution is not condemnation but an invitation to renewed passion: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire... and white raiment... and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve" (verse 18). This is a call to repent, to acquire genuine faith refined by testing (gold), the righteousness of Christ (white raiment), and spiritual discernment (eye-salve).

The ultimate antidote to lukewarmness is to seek an intimate relationship with the zealous, holy Christ, who stands patiently knocking at the door of the lukewarm heart, waiting to enter and fellowship (verse 20). Our victory over lukewarmness lies in consistently examining our inner passion and devotion. We must choose radical commitment over comfortable compliance, zeal over indifference. We are called to be a church on fire, a people who, having tasted the richness of Christ, are incapable of spiritual neutrality. When we find ourselves slipping into a tepid faith, we must hear His voice, open the door, and allow the heat of His presence to re-ignite a love that is fervent and true.

Action Steps: Examine your heart. Assess your current spiritual state, and identify areas of complacency and apathy. Recognize causes of your lukewarmness. Seek intimacy with Christ through quality time in prayer, Bible study, meditation, and focusing on His character and love. Stay grounded in Scripture, studying and applying God's Word, allowing it to shape your thoughts and actions. Pray for a renewed, authentic passion for Christ. As you go about your day, consciously seek to be "hot" in your interactions, demonstrating active love, fervent prayer, and bold obedience.

Quote for the Day: "A lukewarm Christian is one who has one foot in the church and the other in the world, whose heart is neither here nor there." (Simon Olatunji #quotablequote)

Let Us Pray: Holy and Righteous God, Your Word convicts me of the subtle danger of spiritual lukewarmness. I confess that I often allow comfort, self-sufficiency, and the cares of this world to cool my initial fervent love for You. Forgive my spiritual apathy and my moments of compromise. I pray for a renewed, burning zeal for Your presence and Your mission. Grant me the grace to be truly "hot"—passionately committed and radically obedient—so that I may never be a stumbling block to Your truth. Re-ignite in me the fire, O Lord, for Your glory, in Jesus's mighty name. Amen.

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Thank you for being part of this journey to deeper faith. For additional readings on the themes of zeal and commitment, read: Romans 12:11, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Titus 2:14.

With all my love and prayers,

Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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