A
lukewarm life is a displeasure to God; he would have us to
be fervent in spirit. God is pleased with us when we are
lively stones, but not when we are formal and lukewarm. A
lukewarm state is a dangerous state. One very dangerous
thing about it is that usually when a person is lukewarm
he is unaware that he is lukewarm. If a man is sick and
does not know that he is sick, he is in great danger of
his life, because he is not at all likely to take the
proper care of himself. So the man who is cold and formal
but thinks he is spiritual and full of love is not at all
likely to do anything for the improvement of his spiritual
condition. He is very much like the Irishman's turtle. I
hesitate to relate anything so amusing, but it so well
illustrates the state of the lukewarm professor that I
think I am justifiable.
Some Irishmen had caught a large
turtle and cut off his head. Then they waited for him to
die, but the turtle scrambled about for some hours.
Desiring an explanation of such a phenomenon, they
accosted an Irishman who was passing by. After watching
the turtle for a moment, he remarked, "He is dead,
but does not know it." This is the condition of the
lukewarm professors. They are spiritually dead, but are
not aware of it. The professors of Christianity at
Laodicea were lukewarm, but they thought themselves rich
and increased with goods and in need of nothing.
Diseases of the human body are
attended with certain feelings and symptoms by which the
physician can tell the nature of the affection in a
particular case. The diseases of the human soul are also
attended with certain symptoms by which the nature of the
malady in a given case may be known. I will now tell you
of a few of the symptoms of lukewarmness, so you may know
whether such is your state.
First. A kind of doubtful or
uncertain feeling as to whether you are right with God,
together with an unwillingness to examine yourself closely
for fear you are wanting. Being filled with the Spirit
gives us fulness of assurance.
Second. If when you testify to
being saved, sanctified, and ready for the coming of
Jesus, your heart fails to say amen and you wish down in
your soul you had a little better assurance that what your
lips say were true, you are not as spiritual as you should
be. When we are filled with the Spirit, our souls are
assured and satisfied.
Third. Going along day after day in
the same routine of life taking it for granted that you
are at the work the Lord wants you to do, and not
earnestly seeking to know his will. Those who are
spiritual can not be contented without a definite
knowledge of the will of God. If you are going along
without any real and positive knowledge of the will of God
and not seeking to know it. surely you are lukewarm.
Fourth. If when your routine of
life is in some way interrupted, you are dissatisfied and
complain; if you do not enjoy being moved out of your old
channel, but you wish to be let alone, it is evident that
you have chosen your own way and that God is not ordering
your steps.
Fifth. If when you are called to
the assistance of a neighbor or the sick or even an enemy,
you find a reluctancy to go and an often returning of your
own mind to your own concerns and a desire to hurry back
to them, you are, it appears, looking upon your own
things, and not on the things of others. The Bible tells
us to look upon the things of others. If you see your own
needs, and see and care but little about the things of
others, you are selfish. Those who are spiritual have time
to help others and do it willingly.
Sixth. If when called upon to go to
the assistance of some unfortunate one and you can not
possibly go, if you do not have a deep heart-regret and if
you do not oftentimes during the day think of the poor
unfortunate man and be pained at heart because of your
inability to help him, you must be more concerned about
yourself than about others. You look on your own things
and do not see nor feel the needs of others. If such is
true in you, you are in a lukewarm state.
Seventh. If you were to be asked
whether you are doing the work you are now doing, solely
and purposely for the glory of God, and you should be
obligated to answer that you had taken no particular
thought about it, but supposed it mattered little to the
Lord just so you were doing something, this would surely
show neglect, indifference, lukewarmness.
Eighth. If you are indifferent and
unconcerned about making spiritual progress; if you are
not desiring and earnestly seeking for more of God; if you
are not earnestly striving to be more meek and humble, to
be more kind and patient; if you are carelessly tolerating
acts of selfishness, of impatience, unkindness, harshness,
lightness, you are certainly lukewarm.
Ninth. Neglect to read the Bible
and to pray in secret; greater fervency in public prayer
than in secret prayer; more outward manifestation than
real inward piety; testifying or preaching beyond the true
standard of living —these too are evidences of
lukewarmness. A man may become enthusiastic in prayer,
testimony, or sermon, and think he is making great
advancement; but if he does not live up to every word he
speaks, he is losing instead of gaining, because he is not
walking in light.
Lukewarmness is very loathsome to
God. It reproaches him. To make no profession of love to
God at all is not such a reproach to him as to profess
love and be lukewarm. God wants all your heart. If he can
not have it all, he will have none. He desires warm,
fervent love. To love him only partially, and not
supremely, makes it appear as if he were worthy of only
half-hearted love. It makes other things equal with God.
After the physician learns the
symptoms and pronounces the disease, he then prescribes
the remedy. Thank God, there is an unfailing remedy for
lukewarmness. Of course, "an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure." "Repent and do the first
works." Come to God and buy of him gold . fed in the
fire. Exercise yourself in spiritual things if there yet
be any love in your heart. Shake off everything that is
stupefying. Press your way through to God in spite of
dryness and deadness. Stir up your soul. Give yourself to
deep meditation upon the great love of God to you. Pray in
fervency and faith. Consecrate to the whole will of God.
If your case is not hopeless—and it is not—this will
effect a cure.
