Am “I” a Lukewarm Christian?

Until I read the chapter titled “Profile of Lukewarm” from the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, I would never thought of myself as “lukewarm”. There several adjectives I could probably use to describe my Christianity but lukewarm would not have been one. I am normally not lukewarm about anything – either I am all out or I don’t care. No in between for me! But reading this made me take a long hard look at myself. So maybe this lesson is just for me but y’all get to hear it and maybe reflect on yourself.

Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words halfhearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?

The Bible says to test ourselves, so in the lesson today let’s examine what halfhearted, distracted, partially committed, lukewarm people can look like. As we look at these examples, let’s take a searching, honest look at our lives. Not who we want to be one of these days, but who we are now and how we are living today.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go. "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men'" (Isa. 29:13).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE give money to charity and to the church ... as long as it doesn't have an impact on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? Jesus observed a woman giving her two “pennies” at the temple, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. Jesus said "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). And "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (Rev. 3:1).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they're merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Paul writes "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Rom. 6:1-2).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4: 17).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt. 10:32-33).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE gauge their morality or "goodness" by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get'" (Luke 18:11-12

LUKEWARM PEOPLE say they love Jesus, and that He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals. Jesus said: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment" (Matt. 22:37-38

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love or others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better (or worse) athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…… If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Matt. 5:43-47

LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God and others, but there are limits to how for they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give. See story of rich ruler in Luke 18:21-25.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today's to-do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Paul writes: “Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven." (Phil. 3:18-20). And, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Col. 3:2).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be "good enough" without it requiring too much of them.

They ask, "How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?" instead of "How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?"

They ask, "How much do I have to give?" instead of "How much can I give?"

They ask, "How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible?" instead of "I wish I didn't have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!"

LUKEWARM PEOPLE feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, and live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they God’s “chosen people”, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian and live in America. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven , but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. …. First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. ……. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matt. 23:25-28).

This profile of the lukewarm is not an all-inclusive definition of what it means to be a Christian, nor is it intended to be used as ammunition to judge your fellow believers' salvation. Instead, as 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, it is a call to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves”. We are all messed-up human beings, and no one is totally immune to the behaviors described in the previous examples. However, there is a difference between a life that is characterized by these sorts of mentalities and habits and a life that is in the process of being radically transformed.