lukewarm

How do we become lukewarm?

March 28, 2019 // 58 Comments

Many Christians are lukewarm, but not for the reasons they think. “I don’t go to church enough, I don’t pray enough, I don’t witness enough.” Let me stop you right there. How much is enough? How many people do you need to lead to Jesus to stop him from vomiting you out of his mouth? The answer is zero, [...]

Why does Jesus wish we were cold?

March 7, 2019 // 21 Comments

“You gotta be hot, hot, hot for Jesus! You gotta get enthusiastic in evangelizing the lost. You gotta get on fire with passion for the Lord.” This is a message I used to preach, yet it is only half of what Jesus said. “You are neither cold or hot but lukewarm. I wish that you were cold or hot” (Rev. [...]

Are You Lukewarm? Take the Test

August 17, 2017 // 61 Comments

Lukewarm is what you get when you mix hot with cold. It’s mixing the white-hot love of God with the stone-cold commands of the Bible. It’s mixing the new and everlasting covenant of grace with the obsolete covenant of law. Are you lukewarm? You might be if… 1. You think Christians need the law The law is [...]

Are you lukewarm?

July 24, 2015 // 60 Comments

Here’s a favorite question of some preachers: “Are you a lukewarm believer?” You’d better have a good answer because if you’re not sure – “Am I lukewarm?” – Jesus may spew you out of his mouth. What does that mean? He’ll reject you, you apathetic Christian! You may think you’re saved, but if [...]

How to recognize a mixed-grace gospel

May 8, 2014 // 98 Comments

In churches every week, you will hear one of two messages. You will either hear a mixed-grace gospel or you will hear the hypergrace gospel. Do you know how to tell the difference? A mixed-grace gospel combines the unmerited favor of God with the merited wage of human-effort. “You are saved by grace but you [...]

Two Gospels?

May 2, 2014 // 38 Comments

In modern Christianity there are two gospels competing for the hearts and minds of hearers: 1. Mixed-grace gospel: You are saved by grace but sanctified by works 2. Hyper-grace gospel: You are saved by grace and sanctified by grace What is a mixed-grace gospel? It’s the message that you are saved by grace but [...]

What is the “whole” Gospel?

December 6, 2012 // 46 Comments

Heaven forbid that we preach half a gospel, but what is the whole gospel? Your answer to that question says a lot about your understanding of grace. For instance, whenever I proclaim the good news of God’s unconditional love, I can just about guarantee that some serious person will chide me for not preaching [...]

How do we pervert the Gospel of Christ?

August 17, 2010 // 61 Comments

If you were on a sinking ship and had a choice of going into the water holding an anchor or a life preserver, which would you choose? Silly question? Yet this is the same choice we make when we choose which gospel to be believe. Choose a gospel? Isn’t there only one? Many so-called gospels are preached, but [...]

Laodicea, Part 2: What Makes Jesus Sick? (Rev 3:16)

May 16, 2010 // 33 Comments

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. And an updated version of this article can be found here. God never makes us sick but did you know it’s possible for people to make him feel sick? Now there’s a [...]

Forsaking Your First Love: What Was the Ephesians’ Problem? (Rev 2:1-7)

April 5, 2010 // 35 Comments

UPDATE: This is an old article. An updated and expanded commentary on this passage can be found in Paul’s book Letters from Jesus. Camilla and I are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary today. We were married on Easter Monday in 1999 and because Easter moves every year, this is our first anniversary to [...]