Neither hot nor cold: Lukewarm — Spat out of his mouth
Lukewarm is serving God one day and sinning the other. Neither hot nor cold is God is a recipe for ending in fire. Keeping the commands of God is full-time.
A lethargy embodies the many followers of religion. An aura that takes a life of its own and seeps between the bodies of the congregation. A contagious infection that spreads without impunity to all its members. The community is covered in a haze of inertia, allowing them to follow each other in delusion. They love the lukewarm, neither hot nor cold comfort, keeping their eyes covered for several reasons.
Using the grace of God as a stance to stand boldly in the face of the world for him
Sitting in prayers one day and the other day in sin
Compromises on the laws of God so that they may not be kept
Their half-hearted, lukewarm attitude holds a delusional belief that it is okay to make excuses and expect God to welcome them with open arms. This belief is sad and irritating because they have God in low regard, thinking him unrighteous. They lack the courage to believe and trust in God and his promises.
Lukewarm: Neither hot nor cold
15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
God has promised to spit anyone who is lukewarm out of his mouth. He seeks those who are fully committed to him and are willing to do as Jesus did—sacrifice their life.
Nobody comes to God without being clean. Nobody comes to God without explicitly choosing God despite the persecution. The ones who walk the narrow path buy from God gold tried in the fire.
The lukewarm Christian
We all know the type of Christian who makes excuses whenever faced with the choice between God or persecution. One day in prayer and fasting, the other violating the Sabbath or fornicating because the opportunity arises. The type who wishes to maintain the comforts of the world but keep their standing with God (1 John 2:15, James 4:4).
Many Christians fall into the lukewarm category, always desiring to return to their comfortable life despite evidence that contradicts their stance; they will not budge.
Lukewarm Punishment
Reverencing God will inevitably instil the understanding that his words are unfailing no matter how soft they are spoken. When God states that he will spit the lukewarm out of his mouth should not be taken lightly. His promises are not in vain, those to stand with us and those to punish.
And I saw there a fervent river of fire, and in it a multitude of men and women immersed. up to the knees, and other men up to the navel, others even up to the lips, others moreover up to the hair. And I asked the angel and said: Sir, who are those in the fiery river? And the angel answered and said to me: They are neither hot nor cold, because they were found neither in the number of the just nor in the number of the impious. For those spent the time of their life on earth passing some days in prayer, but others in sins and fornications, until their death.
And I asked him and said: Who are these, Sir, immersed up to their knees in fire? He answered and said to me: These are they who when they have gone out of church throw themselves into strange conversations to dispute. Those indeed who are immersed up to the navel are those who, when they have taken the body and blood of Christ go and fornicate and did not cease from their sins till they died. Those who are immersed up to the lips are the detractors of each other when they assemble in the church of God: those up to the eyebrows are those who nod approval of themselves and plot spite against their neighbour.
The punishment that is exacted sends chills down my spine. Yet the fear only lasts a moment in the lukewarm believer. Embracing the law of God—his instructions, signals that you desire him. Consequently, wisdom is imparted to you from the Highest and thus opens your understanding to the truth (Proverbs 2:6-8, Wisdom of Solomon 6:11-20, James 3:13-18).
And they all cried out and said, We bless thee, Son of God, that Thou hast given us a night and a day of respite. For better to us is a refreshment of one day above all the time of our life which we were on earth, and if we had plainly known that this was intended for those who sin, we would have worked no other work, we would have done no business, and we would have done no iniquity: what need had we for pride in the world? For here our pride is crushed which ascended from our mouth against our neighbour: our plagues and excessive straitness and the tears and the worms which are under us, these are much worse to us than the pains which we have left behind us.
When they said thus, the malign angels of the penalties were angered with them, saying: How long do ye lament and sigh? for ye had no pity. For this is the judgment of God who had no pity. But ye received this great grace of a day and a night's refreshment on the Lord's Day for the sake of Paul the well-beloved of God who descended to you.
Conclusion
Better to choose a side in this world and enjoy the benefits of that side in its season. Taking some days to serve God and other days sinning wastes the benefits of both sides. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) will be indulged in half measures, but at the same time, the lake of fire will be the inheritance from God.
Since it is essential to serve God with all your heart, without half-measures, the righteous will lose their lives as a sacrifice to God (John 12:25, 2 Peter 1:1, 1 Corinthians 7:22). Purchasing from God, gold tried in the fire—their test of whose kingdom they serve.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
Matthew 7:13 KJV
Choose who you will serve today and serve with all your heart (Joshua 24:15, Matthew 22:37) since there is no middle ground—lukewarm. The road is very narrow, but we can get there with the help of God.
3. I said, “Speak, my lord.” And he said to me, “There is a sea set in a wide expanse so that it is broad and vast,
4. but it has an entrance set in a narrow place, so that it is like a river.
5. If any one, then, wishes to reach the sea, to look at it or to navigate it, how can he come to the broad part unless he passes through the narrow part?
6. Another example: There is a city built and set on a plain, and it is full of all good things;
7. but the entrance to it is narrow and set in a precipitous place, so that there is fire on the right hand and deep water on the left;
8. and there is only one path lying between them, that is, between the fire and the water, so that only one man can walk upon that path.
9. If now that city is given to a man for an inheritance, how will the heir receive his inheritance unless he passes through the danger set before him?”
10. I said, “He cannot, lord.” And he said to me, “So also is Israel’s portion.
11. For I made the world for their sake, and when Adam transgressed my statutes, what had been made was judged.
12. And so the entrances of this world were made narrow and sorrowful and toilsome; they are few and evil, full of dangers and involved in great hardships.
13. But the entrances of the greater world are broad and safe, and really yield the fruit of immortality.
14. Therefore unless the living pass through the difficult and vain experiences, they can never receive those things that have been reserved for them.
15. But now why are you disturbed, seeing that you are to perish? And why are you moved, seeing that you are mortal?
16. And why have you not considered in your mind what is to come, rather than what is now present?”
2 Esdras 7:3-16 KJV