Lukewarm Love Loses

“Dear lukewarm Christians,

Here we are, attending fancy functions, politely judging the inferior, keeping our houses pristinely pretty, worrying about financial difficulties, ensuring our reputation isn't bruised, preoccupied with our standard of living rather than others’ living, feeling content and neutral, twisting our faces in disgust at injustice in one moment then forgetting it a few minutes later, indulging our time with delightful vacations and emphatically declaring our devotion and love for Christ. From a Christian who has repented of my lukewarm ways”

… was written by a Christian who believed she/he was on fire for God. Perhaps some of us frown upon this sarcastic extract and accuse that person of rebuking our remaining complacency, passivity and dangerous contentment with sin. We must all admit, there is a tone of anger in the writer’s piece. Is it righteous anger of reckless judgment? That hardly matters when we compare that writer’s opinion to God’s opinion. Without humility, self reflection and willingness to confess, some of us may dismiss the above spiel as undeserved criticism and sink back into one of the most dangerous beliefs – that we are safe and truly in Christ (when in actual fact, we might still be in danger).

Although it is not by effort or desire that no one should boast (Romans 9:16), truly being in Christ and having the Holy Spirit of God in you means you are striving and scraping and clawing and praying your way through sanctification (Romans 8:5-11). In other words, if we are truly saved, we should be genuinely fleeing from sin because it revolts us to the bone (Ephesians 4:30).

A Tree and it’s Fruit

‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every good tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them…

…Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – (Matthew 7:15-23).

The Wedding Banquet
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet…

… But they paid no attention and went off – one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated tem and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find’. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests…

… But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend’, he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’…

…For many are invited, but few are chosen’. – (Matthew 22:1-14).

If Jesus returned tonight, are you confident He would take you with Him to paradise?