Today we talk about a lethargic church—a religious, untransformed body of believers.
Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV) states: “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.”
My gosh, no one wants that.
Unbeknownst to millions of people, lazy Christianity is believing Jesus did the work on the cross and that all we have to do is believe while taking no part in the work it takes to change and transform.
It’s a lie from hell.
To be clear, this exhortation is not in any way talking about or evaluating the power of the blood of Jesus Christ in the sacrifice He made, nor the power of grace to save or salvation.
John 14:6 (NIV) states: “Jesus answered, ‘I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Meanwhile, Acts 4:12 (NIV) reinforces this, stating: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
This encouragement is about a lukewarm, untransformed, divided church that has been misled by worldly means from modernized religion.
As James 2:17 states, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
We are called as followers of Christ to actively participate in our faith and salvation with a healthy fear of God and live out the Word through our actions, and that does not mean solely on good works to prove holiness, it does not.
It means personally.
Isaiah 64:6 (NIV) states: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
God says that apart from His grace, even our best efforts are insufficient for righteousness.
We must study the Word and apply it by living it, worshipping with our lives not only our mouths to learn through trial and error, acknowledge our mistakes, and pass on what we learn to gain wisdom.
A character reset.
We live repentantly and are transformed spiritually. We study where we lack, gain what we didn’t have previously, focus on spiritual things, and become spiritual, which doesn’t mean saying it 24/7 but being a living reflection of what we say.
It’s never repetitive, that is a sign of repeated clichés from Christianity.
There is no denying a genuine follower of Christ, although lukewarm Christians find offense in this fact which can often cause problems for genuine followers of Christ who actively do the work because they become a mirror to those who don’t, and the lukewarm Sunday churchgoers get defensive.
It’s time to change.
Here is a prime opportunity to actively take part in one’s own shortcomings: take that offense and see it for what it is—conviction.
Seek the Lord, His Word, repentance, and humble oneself and do something about it rather than getting mad at a messenger and becoming bitter without reason.
No person can escape themselves. If it’s not me or someone else that people get annoyed with, it will always happen because it’s not other people causing those feelings but one’s own inner conflict revealing itself.
Hey, we’ve all been there; it’s time to do something about it. If a person wants to change, it takes a great deal of humility and the obedience to suffer to succeed—not in worldly terms, but spiritually in Christ.
To be Christlike.
If Jesus had to carry a cross and suffer the way He did, what makes any person who claims to be a Christian think that by sitting in a building on Sunday, that transforms their lives?
That is a religious misconception that has been elevated above the truth for far too long.
Now is the time, and this message is for those who genuinely want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and not be seen merely for the circle they sit in or the building they attend. Believing that a meeting place is a church is misguided; it’s a place of worship.
Think of it this way: what makes you think that you can have a close personal relationship with your bridegroom (Jesus) just on Sunday, or that you have to go somewhere to do that? Or to receive Him?
Yet you have a husband or wife, and you’re with them seven days a week, all the time.
You wake together, you sleep together, you eat together because you’re in union.
Yes, we meet to gather with fellow believers, because the Bible says, in
Matthew 18:20 (NIV):
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” -but we live day by day, year-round as the bride and groom when we’re married.
That is exactly how the bride of Christ must be with Jesus Christ. He is our bridegroom.
Meanwhile; scripture facts.
Ephesians 5:27 (NIV) confirms: “and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
Jesus is coming for a spotless bride, pure and devoted Church, a Spiritual body.
To close:
It’s important to acknowledge, accept, and believe that as human beings we are fallible, and as a spiritual body of believers, we recognize our place and identity in Christ.
We are often fragile but Jesus is strong and mighty and when we are willing to admit that we don’t have all the answers, understanding that Jesus is our primary source of clarity is the key to Spiritual success.
It’s not worldly, nor lethargic, but alive, and Jesus loves you so much, and His example of humility is a gift.
Much love and truth,
Sister Christine ♥️
C. Beach ©️