The Overcomer’s Guide to Lukewarm Christianity
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16, NKJV).
Of all the seven churches of the Book of Revelation, the Laodicean church is arguably the most referenced. This is largely due to the fact that it is the last church on the candlestick and therefore symbolically viewed as the church in the last days. (Many scholars see the seven churches of Revelation 2–3 as seven ages.)
Many problems emerge as we seek to practically apply this idea to the church in our age. If we truly are the church at the end of the church age, what kind of commentary is this? Are we all painted with this broad stroke of being lukewarm? Is Jesus really going to vomit us out of His mouth? Does the end-time church taste that bad? It seems that many end-time experts think that is the case. I have heard this mantra many times.
The issue I have with branding the end-time church as “lukewarm” is that it ignores the larger message from Jesus. As with each message to the seven churches, Jesus admonished them to do something about it, and even promised a reward for the overcomer. If we cannot change our status, then why give us such a promise?
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21, NKJV) .
The last thing Jesus wanted was for the church of Laodicea to stay the same, but labels once applied are hard to shake. Let us be plain: Jesus never intended the label to be permanent. Human nature often seeks the mediocre road of excuses that explains why we can’t change rather than allowing the conviction of the Holy Spirit to motivate us to face the hard reality of where we are so we can correct our course. Let me encourage you that Jesus believes in your potential for more. He only brings to light the things He intends to transform.
Notice from the very beginning of His assessment of the church that Jesus gives them options to overcome. He says, in essence, “This is where you are, but this is where you can be.” Let’s take a quick look at a few of these options for the overcomer.
You are lukewarm, but you can be hot or cold. Laodiceans got their water from an aqueduct system. North of Laodicea was Hierapolis, a city noted for its hot springs that healed people. South of Laodicea was Colosse, known for its refreshing cold springs. When these two waters met in the middle of Laodicea, the water was lukewarm and tasted bad. Jesus was intimating that the Laodiceans had access to both of these waters. They could be either hot or cold.
You are blind, naked, poor, miserable, and wretched, but you don’t have to stay that way. The Laodiceans didn’t know their true spiritual state. They said about themselves, “We are rich and have need of nothing,” but they needed everything! Jesus gave them directions for change when He said, “Buy from Me gold refined in the fire that you may be truly rich, and buy white garments that you may be truly covered.” He went on to say that He had eye salve for their eyes so they could see. Jesus sees the worst of us but always offers viable solutions. We must choose the option He offers if we are to be overcomers.
Jesus stands outside the church, but He is knocking. This powerful imagery tells us two things: (1) Jesus is persistent. He will not give up on us. (2) We have the power to open the door.
Everything in this text points toward the yearning of God to have relationship with us. The key to transformation comes from embracing truth and love.
The heart of the overcomer hears the words of Jesus and understands the power in them. Jesus loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19, NKJV).
©2025 Jason Sciscoe