Spit Out

Awhile back we had our grandchildren at the house, and they were getting ready for school. Allie was hungry, so Cathe said, “Greg, make some eggs for Allie.”

All I know how to make are eggs and toast. So I made my scrambled eggs. Now, Cathe always cooks them on lower heat so they’re fluffy. But I didn’t want Allie to be late, so I cranked up the heat to finish them. And by the time I served those eggs, they were rubbery.

They were horrible, in fact, but I wasn’t saying anything. Allie took one bite and announced that she wasn’t really hungry anymore.

What if you made a meal for someone and they said it made them want to throw up? This is the language Jesus used when He described how He feels about lukewarmness.

Speaking to lukewarm people in Revelation 3, Jesus said, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (verses 15–16 NLT).

But isn’t it better to be lukewarm than cold? No, it actually isn’t. That’s because a cold person who has no interest in the things of God may, in a way, be closer to coming to Christ than a lukewarm person. They may be thinking about getting their life right with Him.

On the other hand, someone sitting in church might say, “I know this already. I’ve heard this already.”

At least the spiritually cold person knows they have a need, while the lukewarm person doesn’t think they do. And that’s the problem.

There are three spiritual temperatures: cold, lukewarm, and hot. Which one describes you?