LUKEWARM, CARNAL WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN!
Since 1974, I have heard two terms for Christians that are described as
1. Carnal Christian, meaning a Christian still operating in the flesh
2. Lukewarm Christian, meaning a complacent Christian.
But do they really exist, or have I missed it? So I began a journey in God's word to learn is there such a thing as those types of Christians.
So first let's look at the definitions:
Carnal means: pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites, sensual, carnal pleasures, not spiritual; merely human; temporal, worldly, a person of secular, rather carnal in their leanings.
Now does any of that definition sound like a Christian?
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.
The word says something happens when we are born again. We are made new! Yes in the beginning we are babes in Christ, and many remain babes for their whole lives; they received, in faith and believing in Christ Jesus as their Savior, but they never mature because they don't allow themselves to surrender daily to the cross, they don't stay daily in the word to have their minds transformed, or stay regular in church to be strengthened. They know Jesus as the Savior but have failed to recognize Him as their Lord. But is this the same as carnal?
Romans 8:5-9 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are of the flesh cannot please God. But you are not of the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he is not His.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
A Carnal man is a natural man an unbeliever. So why have we associated a Christian as being carnal? This verse may give us a clue:
1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as carnal, as to babes in Christ.
In this verse Paul was not saying they were carnal Christians, he was saying that because of their behavior he had to go back to the basics and speak to them as if they were unbelievers or at the lest babies in Christ.
Does this mean that a Christian never acts like a carnal person, or operates in their flesh; of course not, in fact we do often act like an unbeliever, but that should never be our lifestyle. A moment and the way we live each day is totally different.
What I am seeing through the written word is: there is no such thing as a CARNAL CHRISTIAN! Because you are either a believer or an unbeliever, you can't be both.
Now what is the definition of Lukewarm: moderately warm, having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm, indifferent, no conviction.
There is only one place in God's word that this word is mentioned and wouldn't you know it is in the letters to the churches found in Revelation 3:14-22,
Let us look at the city of Laodicea, they received hot water from about five miles away. It came through wooden pipes they had learned to make from the Romans. But the problem was by the time it reached them it was neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, meaning "not fresh", and rendered "useless". They were a wealthy coastal city, arrogant who believed they had enough. One of the cities great achievements was the manufacturing of "eye salve".
Jesus addresses them according to those things they hold dear. I remembered a message from several years ago on; "Never tell God you have enough". From Genesis 33:9, returning home to reunite with his brother Esau, unsure if Esau would want to harm him, Jacob brought an abundance of gifts to bless him with. But look at what Esau says:
Genesis 33:9 But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother keep what you have for yourself."
Oh Esau, the brother who placed such little value on his his birthright that he sold it to Jacob for a meal.
Esau represents the natural man, who was satisfied with all he had accomplished, that is where we see the church of Laodicea, they were wealthy and full of themselves, believing in their prosperity achieved by their on works, you might say that wealth was their god. Look at verse 18 Jesus says to buy refined gold from Him. We know that refined gold represents our Christian walk with Jesus being in the Refiner's fire to purify the infirmities in us. This church apparently had not submitted to the Refiner's fire for purification. When the word "buy" was used I immediately thought of two scriptures; one in Matthew 25 the parable of the 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins. The foolish had no oil in their lamps and were told by the wise "you go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." While they were gone the Bridegroom came and they were left behind. Again this one in
Isaiah 55:1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
This verse is a call to salvation. But it appears that the word buy and without money were contracting one another. Because we know that salvation is a free gift purchased for us by the blood of Jesus. Yet here are three different scriptures that use this little word "buy", how can one buy something that is a gift freely given? So I searched what does "Buy" mean in the Hebrew, among the many words found, we find these two little words for the meaning: "Acquire, and Redeem"! What Jesus is saying to the virgins and Laodicea and in Isaiah "Go and receive what I have already provided"! Isaiah announcing a future coming of the Messiah, the 5 foolish virgins had waited too late, they had all the opportunity to acquire the gift, but they slept, ate, partied while the Master delayed and missed their opportunity. And to the End Time church, "In your self-sufficiency, you have never placed yourselves in My sufficiency, therefore, you never knew My supremacy." See that little verse everyone quotes, referencing Jesus knocking on the heart of the unbeliever, yet here is the quote and it is to the Laodicea church, "Behold I stand at the door and knock"! Why was He knocking? Because He wasn't in them and He was saying "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me".
Many say this church represents the Apostate church at the end of the church age. Though we associate the word church to the corporate building, we must also remember we, you and I are the church. So we ask ourselves "Where have I placed my faith, in Christ or in myself, my achievements? Do I have real biblical convictions or opinions? Am I more in tune with the world rather than Jesus? Do You know my name?" The Apostate leaves their faith when the times get tough, because they have no root, they claimed they were saved but in reality they weren't. Remember the parable of the sower of the seed, Matthew 13.
Can a Christian become complacent, can the fire within them be quenched, like someone poured water on the Holy Spirit, can a Christian become lazy in their prayer life, church attendance, bible reading; can a Christian fall into sin, walk in dry places, find themselves in a wilderness? Yes we can! BUT WE MUST NOT STAY THERE! The longer we keep ourselves away from God's house, His people, His word, prayer, His presence, the fire within us will grow dimmer and dimmer. But they are saved,
I am afraid many will hear these words:
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesized in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
You see just like the end time church, of Laodicea, many may think "I attend church, I sing songs, I lift my hands, I serve and give," some are prominent in the church, hold even high positions" but they only know of Jesus, they have never entered in a saving relationship with Jesus the Son of God.
No there is not a LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN, the title "Lukewarm Church" as a heading is a title man gave that section, not Jesus. So digest these scriptures to really see what God is saying. Remember Jesus VOMITED THEM OUT OF HIS MOUTH! In all the other letters even the one titled "dead church" Jesus had something good to say about their works, except this one church, not one good thing was mentioned.
Now is the time to examine your heart, do you know Him, or do you know of Him? If you have drifted away from your first Love, by putting life before Him, then come quickly back to Him, if you have ran headlong into the wilderness of the world, then turn come running back!
Notice in the Revelation verses, Jesus says they are naked and to buy garments of white. Nakedness is the exposing of sin, only the saved wear the garments of white. We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, that is our garments of white. Before we were saved our righteousness was as filthy rags. In verse 21 it says "To him who overcomes" how do we overcome? One of my favorite verses:
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
A Christian is not and should never be considered Lukewarm in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet too many take their relationship with Jesus for granted and casual. If that has become who you are then perhaps it is time to examine your own heart.
Many will not agree with this, and that is okay. But I suggest that you go read and search these scriptures and dig into God's word, don't just take anyone's word for it. Perhaps it is merely to recognize we put terms and labels out there even within the church, just like in the secular world. Is this good to do, does it help us understand better? I don't know!
Be blessed
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