The Laodicean church was established in the ancient city of Laodicea on the river Lycus in the Roman province of Asia. The word of God came to them like rest of the six churches. In Revelation 3:15-16 We read- I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

 

               The word ‘hot’ means ‘to be in higher temperature’. But in spiritual sense it can be said that the person who is ‘hot’ is the person who is ‘saved’. While  the word ‘cold’ means that the person is ‘unsaved’ .The word ‘lukewarm’ means that the person is a person ‘who believes that he is saved but actually is not saved’. Now it might be argued how could ‘cold’ denote a situation where a person is ‘unsaved’? because Christ says “I wish you either one or the other”. How could a loving God wish that a person be ‘unsaved’ ?as we read in Romans 5:8 –But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read- The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but all to come to repentance. In 1 Timothy 2 :4 we read  Who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth .But we should not forget Revelation 22:11-Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong: Let the vile person continue to be vile, let the one who does right continue to do right: and let the holy person continue to be holy”. Thus again we need to think how could God wish that a vile person continue to remain vile or let the one who does wrong to continue to remain wrong? To begin with, the answer to the question "Is it God's will that all people be saved?" must be "Yes," because that it what the Bible says.  But does that mean that all will be saved?  The answer is obviously, "No." Was it the desire of God that Adam and Eve rebel?  No.  Was it God's will that David commit adultery?  No. Yet, they did the very thing God did not want.  God desires that all people repent (Acts 17:30); but not all do. Clearly, God's will is not always done. In theology, when examining this issue of God's will and His allowance of sin, we distinguish between what is called God's perfect will and His permissive will.  In His perfect will, He desires that all refrain from sin.  But in His permissive will, He allows people to sin.

 

               We   see in Ezekiel 20:39 God says "As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.”  When Jesus said “I wish you were one or the other”  He meant to say that the harm that is possible by lukewarm condition is higher than when one is cold condition. Thus a lukewarm church is a compromising church which can actually bring a lot of damage to the image of Christ in the world. The unsaved( cold ) would not take the name  of Jesus  but lukewarm church will do and they would spread the message of Jesus at the same time they will show their wrong doing in the midst of the people. Thus God’s name would be disgraced before people. We read in Romans 2:24 As it is written “God’s name is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.” Thus Jesus knows that it is dangerous to have a church which is in lukewarm condition.

 

                The lukewarm condition is such a terrible situation because Jesus says I will spit you out of my mouth which means total rejection. No one like to take back the spit which has been taken out of the mouth. It is shameful thing to be rejected by Jesus . We read in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Thus lukewarm condition is that condition in which the church think that they are saved but are not. By one hand they work for the Lord with another hand they practice evil.

 

                We all know that there are animals which survive on land, this could not remain in water for longer time. We know that fishes survive in water and they cannot remain alive when they are taken out of water for longer time. Similarly a spiritual person cannot remain longer in a unspiritual environment neither the unspiritual person can remain in spiritual environment ,they will suffocate.  We know David sinned but he soon repented .He felt bad to remain in sinful condition hence he ask God to cleanse  him. There are also some animals which can survive on land as well as in water. This are called Amphibians. Frog is an Amphibian which can dance on land as well as in water. Thus there are individual who can survive in both spiritual and unspiritual environment. They are people who can be a leader of singing choir in church and be a drunkard at home. Thus such person can be called has lukewarm. They are so dangerous because they seems to be something but are not what they actually seems to be. We may consider them to be spiritual but they are highly unspiritual.

 

               The lukewarm church is similar to Pharisees who believed that they are saved but actually were not saved. They were self righteous people. Jesus was always in conflict with Pharisees in His ministry on earth. They were the hypocrites whom Jesus hated the most. Thus this is the reason Jesus wanted to spit them out of His mouth. The things which we hate we usually we spit it out of our mouth. Thus Jesus is showing His hatred toward Lukewarm church.

 

               In Revelation 3:17-19  we read 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. The problem with the lukewarm church is that they are physically rich but spiritually they are but poor. We should not be like lukewarm church be proud of our physical wealth. We should be spiritually wealthy so that Christ would not find us wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. He advise the lukewarm church to be zealous and repent. In another He want the lukewarm condition to turn to hot (saved ) condition.

 

                                                                    Conclusion

 

                God want His church in Hot (saved) condition. He want us to be in fire continuously. We read in Leviticus 6:13 ‘fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar it is not to go out’. When the spirit of God burn in us continuously we would be hot. The condition of lukewarm comes when the fire is not in us. We need the Holy spirit fire all the time so that we don’t come to a stage where we are lukewarm. We know that our God is a consuming fire. He should consume all evil in us and help us to remain in hot condition. May God bless you.