Make us hot

As I reread my post, God’s Ways are Higher Than Mine, I had a few more thoughts on that topic. The idea of the post was that God is infinitely loving and full mercy and saves a Christian from their sin and blesses them with the assurance of eternity in heaven. At the same time, the same God is also holy and just and can’t coexist with sin. Therefore, He also condemns non-Christians to an eternity in hell.

We are finite creatures trying to understand an infinite God…. a God who is not bound by time or space. We study God’s Word in an attempt to understand God.  And that is a good thing, but God wants us to do more than intellectually agree with the Bible. He wants us to live it out in our daily actions.

If Christians actually lived out the Scriptures, we would shock the world. Instead, we have become dangerously comfortable.  As a general statement, we (Christians living in the US) are wealthy and addicted to our comfort and security and we allow all of that stuff to numb us to the urgency for the gospel.

We are lukewarm. We are exactly like what is written in Revelation chapter 3. We confess Jesus with our lips but we deny him by our actions.

So what did you do today to further the kingdom of God?

Did you live out your faith with your actions?

Were you generous, kind, loving?

Were you that way only towards people who, in your opinion, deserve it, or were you that way to everyone you came into contact with?

Were you patient? How did you react to the car that cut you off in traffic?

Did you treat everyone you came into contact with today fairly and justly?

Did the words you spoke today reflect your faith in Christ? Did you swear? Did you lie? Did you misrepresent the truth? Did you put down someone?  Did you make fun of someone?  Did you gossip about someone?

Were you humble?

Did you encourage others?

Were you polite?

Did you take the time to see the people around you …. Really see them. Were they hurting?

God, give us eyes to see our world the way You do.  Light a fire under us and don’t allow us to be lukewarm.  Burn Your Word onto our hearts.  Break our hearts for the things that break Yours..

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Revelation 3:15-20 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me”