Have You Checked Your Temperature Lately?

Have You Checked Your Temperature Lately?

98.6 is the normal temperature for most human beings. Anything far above or far below is considered to be an abnormal rate or a sure indication of sickness, disease, or infection in the body.

Just as it is with the physical, so is it in the spiritual.

Our spirits - as Christians - also have what would be considered a normal temperature which indicates their health thereof.

Have you checked your spiritual temperature lately?

Why not use this message - as a thermometer - to get a reading on how healthy you really are - spiritually speaking?

1. Are You Hot?

Revelation 3:15 says - "...I would thou wert...hot."

In the Book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus spoke to the Church at Laodicea about being "hot."

In Romans 12:11, the Apostle Paul referred to this condition as being "...fervent in spirit..."

Both the Lord and Paul were discussing the holy ardor, bright glow, or intense zeal that should typify the believer's wholehearted earnestness and affection in serving the Lord. The image portrayed here is that of water or metals being so hot as to boil or bubble over. With such intense fervor, the servant of the Lord diligently and industriously works for Him - always striving to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way.

What actually keeps him "burning" for Jesus is the Holy Word hidden in his heart. The Prophet Jeremiah described it this way - "...His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones..."(Jeremiah 20:9). In another place in this same book, God openly identified His Word as a strongly, raging fire that has the capacity to enlighten, harden, soften, consume, or purify - "Is not My Word like as a fire?"(Jeremiah 23:29)

Is it any wonder that the two disciples - who met Jesus on the Road to Emmaus - remarked in this manner to His explanation of the Scriptures unto them - "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?"(Luke 24:32). They discovered that the "open" Scriptures inflamed their hearts with an indescribable spiritual power, energy, and zeal - which caused them to become more decided, determined, and focused in their walk with Him.

Like Jeremiah and the two disciples, David had a similar reaction. He was troubled about many things. It was while he was meditating on God's Ways and Word that his heart became "hot" within him - "My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned..."(Psalm 39:3).

It is God's Will that every Christian be On-Fire in their service for Him. However, this is only possible if they continuously feed their spirits the "fiery coals" of His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to then pour oil on the flame in their hearts.

It is important to note at this time that for everything that God has, Satan has a counterfeit. Just as there is a "holy flame" ablaze in our hearts - due to the implanted Word of God - there can also be an "unholy flame." This "unholy flame" is stirred up by Satan and the flesh and is demonstrated by passion, fury, and wrath.

Proverbs 15:18 tells us - "A wrathful man stirreth up strife..."

Proverbs 19:19 says - "A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment..."

Proverbs 22:24 says - "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go."

Proverbs 29:22 adds - "An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression."

With such terminology used here as "a wrathful man," "a man of great wrath," "an angry man," and "a furious man," we see that a person may be "hot-spirited," but he certainly is not activated by the Word or Spirit of God. This type of individual has his heart filled with Satan's lies and thoughts - which cause a "flame" that is destructive and abusive rather than life-giving like the Scriptures. Unlike the Word, this "flame" stirs up the individual - not for a noble cause - but for wars, fightings, quarrels, trouble, and "transgression."

Are you On-Fire, O Saint of God? Is your "flame" stirred up by the Word hidden in your heart - producing Life in others - or is it caused by the lies of Satan - resulting in destruction, heartache, woe, and ruin in those around you?

2. Are You Cold?

Revelation 3:15 says - "...I would thou wert cold..."

Does Jesus want us to be "cold"? Absolutely not!

In the discussion at hand, He was admonishing the Laodicean Church to make up their minds to either be "hot" or "cold " - in no way settling for a "lukewarm" middle ground.

To be "cold" would be to have no relationship with Him whatsoever. Everything would be lifeless, dead, and pagan.

What causes this "cold" state is Sin. This is best illustrated in the Master's Words in Matthew 24:12 - "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Sin kills any affection that anyone would ever have for the Lord. It is the #1 cause why many Christians "cool off" in their work for Him and become indifferent and desensitized. The things of this world - which at one time were very offensive - become acceptable and "not so bad."

How about you, O Christian? Have you allowed Sin to "abound" in your heart - quenching the fires of God's Word and your ardent love for your Saviour and Redeemer? Have you left your "first love"(Revelation 2:4)?

Have you lost your spiritual "glow," zeal, joy, or burden for the lost? Are you finding - more and more - that you are "not with" Jesus but "against" Him(Matthew 12:30) - not gathering people toward Him but scattering them abroad by your hypocritical lifestyle? Are you "cold" when you should be "hot"?

3. Are You Lukewarm?

Revelation 3:16 says - "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth."

No one ever wants to be categorized as being "lukewarm." This state is the most disgusting of them all.

The image presented here by the Lord Jesus is very strong indeed. It is one that denotes deep disgust and loathing. Like warm drinking water, it actually turns one's stomach enough to cause him to vomit.

This is exactly how the Master felt about the Laodiceans' "lukewarm" condition - it was utterly disgusting and nauseating. Their indifference, listlessness, and inconsistency produced His threats to "spew" them out of His mouth.

How did this Church ever become "lukewarm"? What caused them to go from a state of fervency to one of indifference?

Hosea 7:8 offers us one possible answer - "Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned."

Like Ephraim, the Laodiceans mingled themselves among the heathen, learned their ways, and became corrupted. They were no longer considered a people totally dedicated to the Lord.

Another possible reason why the Laodiceans became "lukewarm" can be found in Hosea 10:2 where the Prophet addressed the nation of Israel which was divided between God and their idols - "Their heart is divided..." The Laodiceans were giving God a half-service - a divided allegiance - if you will. On the one hand, they professed to fear Him; on the other hand, they held onto their many idols which stole the affections of their hearts.

In Matthew 25:2, we find another cause for being "lukewarm" - "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish." This example deals with not having enough grace or Holy Ghost Power to back up one's profession of Faith. Five virgins decided that they would only take enough oil for the moment. They never expected the Bridegroom to tarry. Hence, when He finally came, they were unprepared. Instead of being "hot," they were "lukewarm" - lacking in spiritual life and principle.

Lastly, the Apostle Paul offers a final cause for "lukewarmness" in Romans 12:11 - "...slothful in business..." Christianity always produces faithfulness, industry, diligence, labor, and a concept of the value of time in its converts. It condemns idleness, the love of ease, and slothfulness. When a people begin to become "idle in the market place"((Matthew 20:3), they set themselves up to become "lukewarm."

Instead of "occupying" and making the most of every opportunity that comes their way, they become intoxicated with the pursuit of pleasure and ease(Luke 19:13).

Oh! Christian! What is your spiritual temperature today? Are you "hot," "cold," or "lukewarm"?

If you are registering "lukewarm," has your condition been caused by your mingling with the heathen and learning their ways, a divided heart, a lack of preparation on your part to assure yourself that you have enough grace and oil for the journey, or a lazy and pleasure-loving spirit?

God desires that we all be Red-Hot! That is the normal temperature. We should not settle for anything else.

To be "cold" is to have a "name" that we are alive but - in all actuality - we are dead(Revelation 3:1).

To be "lukewarm" is to turn God's stomach.

To be "hot" is to be extremely healthy.

Which one are you?

May God Bless His Word.

Connie

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