I trust my best and most noble instincts. I try to keep them stirred up so that they become and stay red-hot within me. I reject and resist my worst instincts and do my best to freeze them out of my life. I strive to never drift into compromise between the two which is lukewarmness.

Lukewarm Christianity is sneaky and deceptive. Jesus strongly warns people against it. (Revelation 3:15-16)

Self-protection is the shell that keeps us humans from falling to the ground like a seed and surrendering wholeheartedly to the Lord. It keeps Christians satisfied with and trapped in lukewarm Christianity. As long as ego keeps us focused on our desires and opinions, we follow the pull of pride instead of the inner promptings of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Lukewarm Christianity is passive, casual, Sunday focused, half-hearted, routine, religious, programmed, part-time, superficial, and powerless. It trains people to only be hearers of the word but not actual doers of the word. (James 1:22)

Lukewarm Christianity honors God with words but people’s hearts are kept far away from Him. (Matthew 15:8) It is bound up in traditions that make the Word of God ineffective. (Mark 7:13) It has an outward form of godliness that denies, (2 Timothy 3:5) quenches, (1 Thessalonians 5;19) and grieves (Ephesians 4:30) God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus wants to see red-hot Christianity. (Revelation 3:15-16) Red-hot Christianity keeps the fire of God stirred up in people’s heart. (2 Timothy 1:7) It doesn’t just talk about Jesus; it demonstrates His power and presence. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

Red-hot Christianity anoints individual Christians with flames of fire and burning passion to follow and obey the risen, ever-present Jesus. (Acts 2:3-13)) Red-hot Christianity is Spirit-led (Romans 8:14) not human-controlled. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Red-hot Christianity focuses on Christ living inside of people (Colossians 1:27) not on outward religious programs. It doesn’t just study, analyze, and systemize the Bible. It causes God’s words to continually burn in the heart. (Luke 24:32 & Jermiah 20:9)

Jesus said that if you’re not red-hot it’s better to be ice-cold than to be lukewarm. He said that if you are lukewarm, He will spew you out of His mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’d strongly advise you to take Christ’s warning seriously. Get and stay fired up for Jesus!

Getting free from lukewarm Christianity involves obeying Jesus’ command to repent. (Matthew 4:17) What does the word repent mean?

To repent is to resist every form of sin (John 8:11) by consistently fighting against every temptation that comes your way. (1 Corinthians 10:13) It is to purify your heart by drawing near to God (James 4:7-8) and by keeping your heart closely connected to Him. (Matthew 15;8)

Whenever you go against God’s will in thought, word, or action, repentance involves confessing to God what you’ve done and humbly receiving His forgiveness. (1 John 1:9 & Psalm 32:5) It also involves confessing your sins to another human being (James 5:16) and walking in the light of openness and honesty (John 1:7) instead of hiding your sins from people. (Proverbs 28:13)

As you can see from the Bible, repentance is a lifestyle that involves continually changing how you think and how you act by consistently aligning your thoughts and your behaviors with God and His will. (Romans 8:14) It’s not a onetime apology to God or to a person. It’s a lifetime struggle to deny yourself, take up your cross, and daily follow and obey the risen Jesus Christ. (Luke 9:23)

God wants every human being to come to and live in a state of repentance and full surrender to Him. (2 Peter 3:9) Will you? Reach for red-hot Christianity. Laydown lukewarm Christianity.

This pic is how Jesus describes His reaction to people who are lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15-16) Does He really mean it?