Nauseating Christians

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increase with goods, and have need of nothing"(Rev.3:16).

Are you a lukewarm Christian? Concerning Jesus' words about the Lukewarm condition of the Laodicean Church, John Piper writes,"His indictment against the church is that they are half-hearted in their relation to him. They do not have the fervor and warmth and zeal of a true lover of Christ; nor are they outright unbelievers who flatly reject Jesus and make no pretence of faith. They are halfway in between. Christ has a moderate influence on their lives. They are not uninfluenced by the Lord; but neither do they go overboard nor get very excited about the Creator of all. In relation to prayer, it would be safe to say that they probably pray at meals and pause for two or three minutes at bedtime. But they do not burn with a desire for more of God. They do not go hard after him in the secret place. They do not fling the door wide and welcome him into the innermost places of their emotions. But they keep him just outside the door and do their business with him coolly, lukewarmly, through the mail-slot. They like the ancient (but very unbiblical) proverb: Moderation in all things...The essence of lukewarmness is the statement, "I need nothing." The lukewarm are spiritually self-satisfied. To find out whether you our among that number... look at your prayer life...the test of whether we our in bondage to spiritual self-satisfaction is how earnest and frequent and extended our prayers for change are. Do you seek the Lord earnestly and often in secret for deeper knowledge of Christ, for greater earnestness in prayer...for sweeter joy in the Holy Spirit, for deeper sorrow for sin...for more divine power to love?"

Prayer is the vehicle by which God meets all of our needs. Are you lukewarm? God is standing at the door of your heart. Open it with prayer, repent of your lukewarmness and ask the Lord to set you ablaze for him.