Some Like It Hot.... (Part one of two)

 

(picture from etsy .com)

“I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!” – Revelation 3:15-16 AMPC

Ouch! Hard statement! Check out the AMP translation, it’s even more intense:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. Revelation 3:15-16 AMP

So, who or what is hot, cold or lukewarm?

Pastor’s sermon the other morning explored these scriptures, mentioning that cold water can be invigorating or refreshing, and hot water can be healing and therapeutic. (He must have read that AMP translation.) I’ve been in ridiculously hot “healing hot springs” that could burn your skin off. But hot water can be relaxing and therapeutic.

We’ve all enjoyed a refreshing glass of ice water. But an ice water bath? No thank you. It may be invigorating, but you won’t catch me in one!

(picture from heandshefitness .com)

After church, we talked with friends about the sermon.

We drew from another scripture that Pastor referenced, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses its flavor…it’s good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot... (or on icy roads?)”. - Matthew 5:13

Salt can lose its savor; hot water can cool off and ice water can warm to room temperature. These examples pointed us to the conclusion that we’re losing something along the way. Can we lose our zeal for the gospel? If we understand the price Jesus paid to bring us this good news (gospel), we’d share it with everyone. But when we get busy, some of us let our priorities slip; we place Jesus on a shelf in the background of our lives, as if He isn’t important at all. Or what if….we lose our purpose, or our sense of purpose – or fail to even discover our purpose?

Another comment led us to a discussion about our comfort zone. When we do something that we’re skilled at and comfortable with, it’s not challenging, but we can feel good about doing it. When it’s something big and exciting that God is leading us to do, it’ll take us out of our comfort zone so that we’ll know that it was Christ in us accomplishing the task. If we’re sitting in water that is either too hot or too cold, we’re not comfortable at all. But if we settle into a lukewarm tub, it doesn’t disturb us or prompt us to move at all.

One thought that crossed my mind, regarding being hot, cold or indifferent; could it have to do with shock value….

BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD this is where people lose interest in a blog post, around the 500-word mark. Sometimes I go over it a bit. Sometimes I go over it a bit too much. I’m being loquacious again so, I’ll break this up into two parts, so I don’t lose you. I’ll share my conclusion quickly.