Be Set Ablaze

Revelation 3:14-22

I believe one of the greatest dangers facing the body of Christ today is not outright rebellion, persecution, or even false doctrine. It is Lukewarm Christianity. John Wesley once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell.” He understood that God does his greatest work through people who are on fire for him. In Revelation Three, Jesus is speaking to a church that had everything except spiritual fire. The church in Laodicea was wealthy, comfortable, and confident, yet spiritually speaking, they were Tepid, self-satisfied, and unmoved.

Revelation 3:14-22 focuses us on a very hard but holy question. Am I burning with a passion to share the holy love of Christ, or am I merely warm with religion? Let’s break down this passage in Revelation.

In verse 14, it reads, “These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” This is Jesus introducing himself with absolute authority. He calls himself the Amen, which is the final word, the certainty of God’s promises. He calls himself a faithful and true witness, unlike the Laodiceans’ false self-assessment. Finally, he calls himself ruler of God’s creation, the one with the rightful claim over the body of Christ.

This reminds us from a Christian perspective that grace is always initiated by God. Christ should come first, calling us, comforting us, and inviting us to be a people of renewal. This is not a peer's suggestion. It is the Lord Christ Jesus calling His church back to life.

The Laodiceans' problem was not hospitality but half-heartedness. Look at Verses 15 and 16, which say About them, “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.” It begs to ask the question: what does lukewarm mean?

The cold represents open rejection. It is a life that is not given to Christ. It is about living the life you want, not the life God wants for you. Being hot is having a passionate, life-giving faith; it is truly surrendered to God and Jesus Christ. Lukewarm is neither that; it is complacency, comfort, and spiritual indifference.

See what Jesus says about lukewarm faith; it is repulsive to him. It is not neutral at all. John Wesley always warned against dead orthodoxy, which is right beliefs without living in holiness. We, as believers, need not merely think the right things but to live a life fully loving God and surrendered to him. A lukewarm faith is a religion without the transforming power of Christ, it is belief without surrendering, and it is grace without holiness.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my coffee. I like my coffee to be hot. Lukewarm Coffee is disgusting to me. I just want to spit it out. Just as Jesus did to those with lukewarm faith. We need to be Hot for Jesus because if we are lukewarm in our faith, it is satisfying to no one, not the world, not the church, and definitely not to Christ Jesus.

Verse 17 calls out the Laodiceans by saying this, “For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,' not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” The Laodiceans had material wealth, but they were spiritually poor. As believers, this is a dangerous mindset to have when we resist the grace of God.

We see the Church in Laodicea did experience God’s grace at one point, but they stopped responding. They believed they were fine, blessed, and didn’t need revival; this self-sufficiency is the enemy of living a life on fire for God. True sanctification requires a continual dependence on the grace of God. We cannot coast into holiness; we must continually surrender our lives to God. Lukewarm Christians do not do this. They trust in past experiences instead of Present obedience. Let us not rely on our past experience but continuously give our lives to Christ Jesus.

The wonderful thing about God’s grace is that it still calls to us. Look at the invitation that Christ Jesus gives to the Laodiceans in verses 18 and 19, “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. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” This may seem hard to believe, but even in God’s rebuking, He is speaking grace to us.

Christ Jesus is offering three gifts in these verses, and look at what they are. The first one is gold refined by fire. This is Pure and genuine faith that’s been purified by God’s sanctifying grace. This is not to make us worldly rich but to give us spiritual wealth that is much better than anything this world has to offer. Are you letting God’s refining fire purify your faith?

The gift that Christ Jesus offers us is white clothing. This is not to cover our physical bodies, but rather to represent the life that makes us holy, righteous, and purified. It is a life that is truly given over to God. Are you letting Christ Jesus clothe you so that you will be fully equipped to be on fire for the Lord?

The final gift that Christ Jesus gives is a Salve for your eyes. This is not medicine to heal your eyes or body in the physical sense; God can do that if he wills, but this is to renew your spiritual sight, give you discernment, and Bring Renewal. Brandon Heath sings a song entitled “Give Me Your Eyes,” in which he talks about receiving eyes to see as Christ Jesus sees. Are we letting Christ Jesus change our eyes so that we can see as he sees? Are you letting Christ Jesus renew you?

All this is holy love in action. It shows that God’s rebukes are not meant to destroy us but to restore us. When God disciplines us, it is a sign of His perfect love. God loves us too much to leave us as lukewarm Christians. Conviction is condemnation, but it is an invitation to grow deeper in your faith through His grace.

That is why Christ Jesus says in verse 19, “So be earnest and repent.” I believe the New International Version gets this verse better than most other translations. The word earnest means to burn with zeal and not wait one second to turn to God. I believe it is what beats the hardest and loudest of the message Christ Jesus is saying here, to the Laodiceans, and us. God is calling his people to be on fire for him again.

Repentance is not just for sinners, but it is for believers growing in God’s grace. Being sanctified is not instant perfection, but it is continuing to surrender your life to God. Having a holy fire for the Lord is sustained by obedience to his words, being in prayer, and loving others as Christ Jesus loves them. I want to encourage you to do that right now.

Christ Jesus is giving an invitation to have an intimate life with him. Look at what he’s saying in verse 20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” This verse is written to those who are followers of Christ Jesus, not unbelievers. While this verse was not written to unbelievers, Christ wants them to come to him so he can have this relationship with them. The wonderful thing about Jesus is that he is not forcing his way in but inviting you to a renewed fellowship with him.

The sad part is that many churches have Jesus in the pulpit but not in the heart. They have him in the hymns they sing, but not in habits. They speak of Christ in their doctrine, but not in devotion. Being on fire for Christ means daily communion with Christ, being obedient to his word in love, and having your life continually yielded to the Holy Spirit and His guidance.

Christ Jesus wraps up his message to the church in Laodicea with this promise in verses 21 and 22, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Before I dive into this promise, we need to find out who the one who conquers is. The Greek word here, translated "conquers," Can also be translated "overcomes."  This same word is used in 1 John 5:4-5, where it reads, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” So, the one who conquers is those who are followers of Christ Jesus and who are on fire for the Lord.

How can you tell if you have a lukewarm faith? First, you really don’t want to be saved from your sins, but instead you want to be saved from the penalties of your sins. Your faith in Christ Jesus is only useful as a fire escape, not for worshiping God. A life that is ablaze for Christ Jesus is one that truly worships God And does his best to live a life free of sin.

If you are moved by the stories of people who were on fire in their faith for Christ Jesus and Radical things they do for him, yet you do not want to be on fire and call those things radical that Jesus Christ expects us to do as followers of him. If your faith is set on fire for the Lord, you will naturally do those things.

If you have a lukewarm faith, you think that your partially sanitized Life is holiness. However, Jesus doesn’t call us to sanitize our lives, he calls us sanctify our lives. If your faith is on fire for him, your life will not be defined by only avoiding sin, but will join Christ Jesus’s suffering.

If you have lukewarm faith, you rarely share your Faith with neighbors, coworkers, or friends; instead, you hide it. Charles Spurgeon said, “You are either a missionary or an impostor!” A person whose faith is on fire will have it on full display, sharing it with everyone.

If you have a lukewarm faith, you think more about your life on this earth than eternity in heaven. A person who has a faith on fire for Christ Jesus thinks more of eternity in heaven than of that on earth. I like how C.S. Lewis wrote about this, “Aim at Heaven, and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth, and you will get neither.”

If you have a lukewarm faith, you love your luxuries and rarely give to the poor in a truly sacrificial way. A person who was on fire in their faith will give sacrificially and then trust the Lord to provide for them.

If you have a lukewarm faith, you do not live by faith; you believe you have structures and follow the letter of that structure, so you do not need to live by faith. A person who has a faith that is on fire for the Lord will still have some structure, but they will not follow the letter of that structure that will hinder them from doing what the Lord says.

If you have a lukewarm faith, you give God the leftovers, not the best or the first. A person who has a faith that is on fire for Christ Jesus will not be complacent or apathetic, using phrases like "I have a busy schedule," "but my bills," or "sorry I am forgetfulness." They will call those excuses what Malachi 1:8 calls them, Evil.

The promise of sharing Christ’s thrones reflects the fullness of salvation. When we as believers who are fully on fire for the Lord Be fully restored in relationship, authority, and holiness with Christ Jesus Himself. This is a restored communion and His holy Presence in our lives now and when depart from this world. It is a promise that we have to help us to continually trust him by repenting and growing in our faith through His grace.

A faith that is on fire leads to faithfulness, and that faithfulness will lead to victory. Followers of Christ Jesus have a holiness that is not just personal but also missional. Believers who are on fire for the Lord will change this world. When we are on fire for the Lord, we as the body of believers will become unstoppable. However, if you are lukewarm in your faith, you will stop at every hindrance and hide your faith.

Let me ask you these questions in closing and be honest with yourself. Are you lukewarm or a flame for God? Are you comfortable in your faith, or are you being consecrated for the Lord? Are you being religious, or are you seeking to be revived? God is not calling us to respond to our emotions, but to a holy love. It is not a momentary excitement, but it is a lifelong devotion. The spirit is still moving and calling you to set your faith on fire. Let us not be content with anything less than us being on fire for God. Let us say what Joshua said, “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”