“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” 

These are the words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea.

If you have sat through Sunday sermons for long, you have probably heard the warnings against being a lukewarm Christian. Too often, lukewarm is understood to be mediocrity in the Christian life. Preachers declare that to be hot is to be a passionate Christian, while being cold is to be an unbeliever.

But Revelation 3:14-22 does not seem to support that idea, for in this case, the text would apparently be implying that to be an unbeliever is better than being lukewarm. Instead, M.J.S. Rudwick points first to the contemporary situation in which the Laodiceans, despite being rich, could not obtain hot or cold water of which both have good uses, and as a result, the water supply for Laodicea was used as a symbol to represent their “uselessness” and “ineffective[ness]” for the Lord. Yet ineffectiveness seems to be a symptom rather than the root of the problem.

Instead, arrogance and self-reliance are at the core their decline. Apparently, they believe they are prosperous and “need nothing,” but Jesus asserts that they are actually “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” He calls them to come humbly and rely upon him for their riches. Thus it appears that Satan has sought to develop an attitude of pride and self-reliance in the church at Laodicea.

The pride that leads to this kind of self-reliance continues to be common among churches today, and when self-reliance is present, one will find a declining church or at least, soon-to-be declining.

Reliance upon programs, personalities, and promotionals is deadly for a church. 

Jesus calls us to be reliant upon him, guided by his Word, and powered by His Spirit. When we rely upon our own efforts to create growth, the opposite actually occurs. Sure, some initial growth in attendance may come, but spiritual depth and fruit of the spirit will slowly whither away.

Are you relying upon yourself? Or are you completely dependent upon the Lord? If we’re honest, we all have a bit of a self-reliant streak within us.

May we repent of self-reliance, and instead, draw upon the riches of His power and grace that we might be useful for His glory.