Lukewarm

Lukewarm

“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet. 1:8.

“Abound”—in other words, it is not enough just to have them. You are both barren and unfruitful if they do not abound. The angel of the church in Laodicea said that he was rich, wealthy, and lacked nothing. He must have been zealous at one time, since he had become the angel of the church. It is quite possible that he was the most zealous, the one who was richest in the virtues of Christ. But when he had become the richest and had advanced further on the way than anyone else, he thought he had become wealthy and then he became lukewarm.

When we think about what it means to be lukewarm, it is easy to think of those who have not made much progress. All of us are in danger of becoming lukewarm, irrespective of what state we have reached in Christ. “For if these things are yours . . . .” This is a question of degree in the lives of the different ones. Jesus says, “I am the way.” The degree of our development on this way of following Jesus varies greatly, but then we read, “Abound.” The one essential thing that everyone on this way has in common is that they must be in a race. The one who has a good lead in this race can easily end up in the same state as the angel at Laodicea. It does not matter how much you have partaken of the virtues and how far you have advanced on the way. You are lukewarm if the virtues are not abounding, if you do not run. You have become barren and unfruitful and are in danger of being spewed out of Jesus’ mouth.