REVELATION 3:14-18 – “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.’”

THEME OF THE DAY. THE SERIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE. The Christian life is to be a joyful life, an enjoyed life, a fruitful life, a loving life, an exciting life, a purposeful life, and a serious life. I sometimes wonder if our Christian culture gets the last description I wrote of the Christian life – a serious life. I wonder if I grasp the seriousness of the Christian life. I hope so. I hope I am not guilty of the worst form of deception there is – self-deception. I hope you are not guilty either. The words of the Apostle James should make us stop, ponder them – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Then after meditating upon them, we should pray something like this, “Father, please help me not to be self-deceived about my life in You. Please, I beg of You, protect me from myself and burn within me the seriousness of the life in Your Son You have called me to.”

The serious Christian life. What would it look like if we really took our walk with Jesus seriously on a daily basis? Allow me to challenge us in two areas that reveal if we truly understand the Christian life and its joyful, but serious nature.

First, the seriousness of loving other Christians. Our Lord told us the “ID Badge” we are to wear that validates our life in Him is our love for other Christians – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35). Do some self-examination. Are we known for our love toward other believers? An impartial love, not based on common worldly interests, but based on our shared union in Christ? Before we answer, remember that love in the Bible always contains action. Do our lives consistently show acts of impartial love to God’s people? It will, if we are Jesus’ disciples.

Next, the seriousness of being separated from the world. The Apostle John gives a direct command and a strong warning to believers about loving the world, its pleasures and attractions – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17). Worldliness is a death blow to a Christian’s holy enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and significant influence for Him in the world. It is also very serious. God basically says, “If you love the world and its pleasures, you don’t know Me or My love.” Don’t dismiss this quickly. Do another round of self-examination. And do so along the lines of the two primary means of knowing and growing in the Lord – prayer and His Word. If given a choice to be in prayer and His Word, alone or with other believers, or to enjoy personal pleasures, activities, events and pursuits of the world, what would we choose? If the latter, we love the world more than the things of the Lord and that should alarm us. God does not allow His children dual affections – Him and the world.

Fellow brothers and sisters, enjoy the Lord and the Christian life, but also take Him and our walks seriously because the Christian life is serious.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I allow spiritual drift to occur in my life and lose first love for Your wonderful Son.”

QUOTE: “The Christian who has become spiritually lukewarm, indifferent to spiritual things, did so by spiritual neglect.”