As we read the Scriptures it becomes apparent that God’s love for us is so rich and full. (1 John 3:1) tells us: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Imagine the Creator of the universe calls us His children and has chosen to lavish His great love on us. And did you know that one of God’s greatest desires is to bless His children and have an exclusive relationship with us. But in order to reciprocate our love for God, it requires us to do it with a whole heart. Just as God sacrificed His very own Son that we could become part of His family, the way we show our love toward God is to sacrifice our all for Jesus.
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13) is the definitive verse in all of Scripture that tells us what God requires of us, but as you will see it is for our good. The verses read: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” And anything short of this type of full devotion to God can be called lukewarm love or halfhearted love.
The Bible is clear that God will bless those whose heart is completely His for we read: “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Some Christians think that if they serve God with half a heart that God will still bless them, but halfhearted devotion is really no devotion at all. Think of it this way if you told your wife that you loved her with half a heart how do you think she would react? She would probably wonder who you love with the other half. And if we give God half of our heart that means that we are probably spending the other half worshipping other gods. My friends, God wants an exclusive relationship with you. And exclusivity means we can only serve one God; and not share our love with any other gods.
Lukewarmness is a serious state to be in when it comes to serving God. Just listen to how Jesus addresses the Church at Laodicea: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16). Or just listen to how Charles Spurgeon addresses lukewarm Christians: “Is it not a sad thing, that after all Christ’s love to us—we should repay it with lukewarm love to Him?”1
I think one of the main causes of lukewarmness is that many Christians have an inaccurate view about God. I like how Francis Chan states the problem: “The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives.”2 Chan also hit the nail on the head when he said: “Lukewarm people call ‘radical’ what Jesus expected of all His followers.”3 Another problem with lukewarm believers is that they spend too much time thinking about life on earth rather than eternity in heaven.
As far as casting out the sin of lukewarmness from our lives I believe the key lies in understanding how sacrifice and obedience to Christ are the keys to rich blessings now and in eternity; and a more intimate relationship with Him. When we sacrifice ourselves for others and Jesus, God promises to flood our souls with great joy. And when we obey His commandments and walk in His will we will experience the wonderful communion with Christ; and there is absolutely nothing sweeter on this earth than true intimacy with God.
I have learned in my Christian walk that the word obedience, in relation to Jesus, is a beautiful word that leads to true joy and rich meaning as well as eternal dividends. I challenge you to learn to kindle your love affair with Jesus by spending time in praise and thanksgiving, reading the Gospels, and looking for opportunities to glorify our Savior. The Christian walk is an exciting adventure – so enjoy the journey!
1 Spurgeon Pithy Gems1 (gracegems.org)