Are you Masquerading as a Christian?

 

 

by Mihran Kulhanjian

 

 

Dear Friends,

Are you a lukewarm Christian?  God does not want you to be lukewarm.  What does this mean?  In Revelations 3:15-17 Jesus says:   “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. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

 

A Lukewarm Christian is not really a true believer at all.  Professing Christians may not be truly born again or even understand the term from John 3:3.  They lack knowledge, discernment and conviction. A lukewarm Christian can be associated as a false Christian, a pretender who may believe a false idea of Jesus and God the Father.  There are so called Christians who are idolaters—forming images of a God that is not the God of the Bible.  Many form a god and tightly put him into a little box like a type of genie or Santa Claus. God wants all to know truth.  But we know few will accept it; they may answer the knock at the door, but they do not invite Him in.  There are the reprobates in this world who are predestined to spend eternity in hell.  God’s foreknowledge of the world gives God the power to know what we cannot. God knows who will receive Him and He knows who will not. 

 

 

The word “lukewarm” appears in Revelation 3:16

 

The Lukewarm Church

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  “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. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. herefore be zealous and repent.

 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”  (Revelation 3:14-21).

 

The church in Laodicea (the people in the city of Laodicea who called themselves believers) were idolaters, hypocrites, with no zeal for God, and their practices were not of righteousness as commanded by Jesus.  The city of Laodicea was one of the wealthiest cities in the region; it was a banking center and many followers of Christ were well off and lacked conviction. The water, however, was lousy. It was undrinkable.  Ice cold water from Colosse came down through underground aqueduct. By the time it reached Laodicea the water was lukewarm and awful.  Not too far away were the hot springs of Hierapolis. By the time the hot water from Hierapolis reached Laodicea it was likewise, lukewarm and worthless.  Jesus is comparing the so called believers to the poor water quality of Laodicea. He is saying the waters [the so called believers] are basically worthless because they are not cold or hot, but lukewarm. The water cannot quench a thirst on a hot day nor satisfy or sooth a body on a cold day.  A false Christian is the same—unsatisfying to God, and a bad example of a Christ follower to others.

 

God knows your heart.  What did Jesus say in Matthew 7:21-23 to professed believers who appeared to be true followers of Christ but where false?

True and False Disciples
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

 

If you are to follow God, you must follow Him all the way—by keeping His commandments and doing what He says. God wants you hot. He wants you on fire for Him.  Someone once said “When you are on fire for God, people will come from miles to watch you burn.” You must keep in the word daily (read and study your Bible).  You must feed your spirit, because God is spirit and we communicate with Him with our spirit. 

 

Our purpose on earth is to honor God, to glorify Him, to worship Him, enjoy Him and have fellowship with Him. He is the Creator, our Creator. We bring Him glory by developing our character and becoming Christ-like. Let's become imitator's of Christ.  We glorify God by obeying His word and by the outward fruits of our labor. For, we are created in Christ for good works. We honor Him by recognizing Him and knowing Him. Bringing glory to God in everything we do should be the focus of every action we take in life, whether at work, at home or leisure activities. We glorify God by being holy as He commands.  We rely on God, we surrender to Him, and trust Him and leave the consequences to Him.  We bring glory to Him by doing the things that please Him. We know what pleases God by what he tells us in the Bible and what He did by showing His love for us. We please God by keeping his Commandments. We also know what displeases God; and that is sin, disobedience.  We dishonor God when we turn from Him, when we distrust Him by behaving contrary to His law and not believing in His every word. We know what pleases God by his attributes. We know that God is holy.  He is holy beyond our imagination.  The Bible also tells us that we will not truly know Him because God’s ways are not our ways, and we know Him by what He reveals to us. He does not reveal everything to us.