Profile of the lukewarm

This thing called "lukewarm Christianity" has really got me thinking these days.  Perhaps it's because, in studying what it means to truly be a Christian, I'm realizing more and more how many lukewarm tendencies I have.  After realizing just how much God hates lukewarm Christians, that's worrisome, indeed.  So sat down and really studied what it is that God expects of us, what it really means when we say that we are a "Christ-follower."  I also looked at the opposite.  What does a lukewarm Christian look like?  How can you tell what you are?  In the next few paragraphs, I encourage you to honestly search your heart and test yourselves, and see if you match the profile of a half-hearted Christian.

Lukewarm people do what is right, but only when it's easy, and only because they're supposed to.  Their heart is not in it.  

"The LORD says: 'These people honor me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship is made up of only rules taught by men.'" (Isaiah 29:13)

Lukewarm people rarely, if ever, talk about Jesus with the people in their lives.  They would rather not rock the boat and not step on any toes, than tell people about Jesus Christ and His gift of eternal salvation.

"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." (Matthew 10:32-33)

Jesus is a part of the lives of lukewarm people.  But only a part.  Lukewarm people have never truly given everything to Jesus, but prefer instead to compartmentalize Him into the "churchy" segments of their lives.  

"As they were walking down the road, a man said to Him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'  Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.'  He said to another man, 'Follow me.'  But the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.'  Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'  Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.'  Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:57-62)

Lukewarm people focus more on this life than the next.  Their lives are so taken over with lists, and jobs, and savings account, and retirement, and friends and family, that they have little if any time left to give to the Lord.

"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eargely await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:18-20)

There are few things God hates more than a lukewarm Christian.  He wants people - He demands people - who are passionately sold out for Him, who have given Him their whole life, not just a part of it.  He has no business with people who just pencil Him in around the rest of their busy schedules.  If you were honest with yourself, which kind of person would you say that you are?

Whoever loses his life...

So yesterday I mentioned in passing that I went to North Korea for a few minutes.  I'm sure that that may have alarmed some of you, or at least piqued your interest.  But it really wasn't nearly as scary as it sounds.  The South Korean government regularly hosts tourists trips into the DMZ.

Now, that being said, it's not like you can just walk onto the DMZ if you feel like it.  We were checked for ID 3 times over the course of our visit there, and anything other than a camera (without a case) and a passport were not allowed.  Pictures were only permitted in certain, very restricted areas, and pointing or any sort of gesturing in even the vague direction of North Korea was strictly prohibited.  We were told that the North Korean soldiers might consider it an act of aggression.  It was pretty heavy stuff.

As I was standing there, literally on the border between North and South Korea, looking at soldiers of one of the most oppressive governments in history, I couldn't help but thinking if they had families in South Korea that they never spoke to.  Our security escort told us that any sort of communication with the North Korean soldiers is strictly prohibited.  There are thousands of North Koreans defectors who have no idea how their families are doing, or even if they are alive.  What must it be like to know that you will likely never see your family again, or even speak to them?

But Jesus has called us all to do just that.  For most of us it will not be as drastic as never speaking to them again; but He did say that "anyone who loves their mother or father more than Me is not worthy of Me."  That's a heavy verse for me.  My family and I are very close, and I love them dearly.  But God wants us to be willing to give up everything for Him, even our families.  The Bible says that "whoever loses their life for His sake will find it."  So tell me....do you want God as much as those North Korean defectors wanted freedom?  Would you be willing to lose your life for Him?

Matthew 10:32-39

 ³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. ³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn   “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— ³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
   ³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.