Profile of a Lukewarm Christian 17

Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitised lives with holiness, but that couldn’t be more wrong. 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Mat 23:25-28 ESV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Mat 7:21 ESV)

Profile of Lukewarm 16

Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their saving account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. (Luke 12:16-21, Amos 6:1)

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luk 12:16-21 ESV)

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! (Amo 6:1 ESV)

Profile of Lukewarm 15

 Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and taking risks for God. 

 

 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, (1Ti 6:17-18 ESV)

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28 ESV)

Profile of Lukewarm 14

Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the base minimum, to be ‘good enough’ without it requiring too much of them. They ask, ‘How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?’ instead of ‘How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?’ They ask How much do I have to give, instead of how much can I give. They ask, How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible instead of I wish I didn’t have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (1Ch 29:14 ESV)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Mat 13:44-46 ESV)

Spiritual Warfare & the Sovereignty of God

NOTE: These notes have their foundation in the study “Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Truth for Victory” by John Franklin & Chuck Lawless. I wrote down these notes in a previous Bible study a few years back. I know that a good portion of this came from their study, but since I was making notes for myself I did not properly indicate what was a direct quote from them. If you are looking for a study on Spiritual Warfare this is one of the best ones available.

 

Definition for God’s Sovereignty: God is in control of all things and has the absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure. Within God’s sovereignty He preserves and governs all things. This extends to nature, the actions of governments & people. God works through both the good actions and the sinful actions of humanity. We must remember that when it comes to sinful actions that the Bible says that they occur by God’s permission. Sinful actions are also controlled by His sovereignty and overruled according to His purpose and plan. God never approves or causes sin, but limits sin, restrains sin and overrules sin for His glory, the good of His people and the fulfillment of His ultimate plan.

The sovereignty of God does not negate the responsibility and the accountability of man for the choices they make. Some aspects of the sovereignty of God are a mystery and left unexplained (Romans 11:33). We know that from the testimony of Scripture that He alone is sovereign and all His actions are consistent with His own perfection and glory. 

A small sampling of Scriptures related to God’s sovereignty and control over His creation: Genesis 50:20; Exodus 7:13, 14:17, 12:36; Ezra 1:1; Psalm 76:10; Proverbs 16:1, 19:21, 20:24, 21:1;Jeremiah 18:7-10, 27:5-7, 32:17;  Daniel 2:21, 4:25, 35; Acts 3:13 & 18, 4:27-28, 14:17; 1 Timothy 6:15; 2 Timothy 2:13; Revelation 4:11

 

Definition: Spiritual Warfare is the conflict of two opposing wills- namely that of God and His followers versus Satan and his followers.

 

Three Important Truths to remember about Spiritual Warfare:

 

1. The warfare still exists today!
   1. Revelation 12:7-12; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8
2. Satan is already defeated!
   1. Revelation 12:7-8; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:10
3. The war will continue on Earth until the end!
   1. Revelation 12:13,17; Revelation 20:7-10
   2. Although the battle is real, Victory is certain and absolute.

 

Many people mistakenly call every single bad event in their life spiritual warfare. This thinking reveals a deadly error in thinking. Five Misconceptions about spiritual warfare:

1. A person with this viewpoint believes the whole nature of warfare revolves around how self is impacted. They view good and evil solely through the lens of whether or not it troubles them.

2. This viewpoint does not seek to interpret accidents, mistakes, and troubles of life through the lens of the purposes of God. Never assume it is warfare unless the accidents, mistakes and troubles hinder a person from doing the will of God.

3. This viewpoint does not take into account the consequences of the fall. Humanity inherited a sinful nature, and much evil committed in the world results from the wickedness of his own heart. 

4. This viewpoint does not allow for the discipline of God. Many things we might consider to be bad happened in the lives of Bible characters because God was disciplining His children.

5. My irresponsibility does not equal warfare.

 

The way that you act and respond in spiritual warfare will be determined by the answer you give to this question: What is the relationship between God’s sovereignty and Satan’s freedom?

 

If Satan is free apart from the sovereignty of God then you will expect constant attacks with no greater purpose other then Satan’s attempts to hinder you and personally destroy you. This kind of belief is a major downer. If there is no greater purpose and if God is ultimately not in control then we tend to live a life of defeat and hopelessness. Our focus revolves around freeing ourselves from Satan’s influences, rather then the eternal purposes of God. On the other hand, if God is in control we will tend to live a life of victory, trusting in His sovereignty and knowing that although Satan means it for evil, God means it for good and will use it for our good and His glory.

 

From a Scriptural standpoint we need to remember that God is absolutely sovereign. He is in control and before Satan can do anything to God’s children, he must first get God’s permission.

Read Job 1:6-12 & Job 2:1-6. In this passage you will notice that 1. God made a hedge of protection around Job that Satan couldn’t violate. 2. Satan had to ask permission to touch Job. 3. God had to grant permission before Satan could do anything. 4. Even with the permission God set a limit on Satan that he had to obey. Another passage of Scripture that teaches this same thing is Luke 21:31-32. In Spiritual Warfare we need to remember that the throne belongs to God, He is in control. Satan cannot arbitrarily do anything he wants to God’s people. When we experience spiritual warfare the Bible is clear that Satan could not do anything without first getting permission.

 

If we believe that God is truly sovereign then we can gain comfort in knowing that God is in control. If God is in control we do not have to panic and act as if God was caught off guard. We may have been, but He was not. Things do not just happen to you, but God works them out for His greater purposes (See Romans 8:28-30). If God is sovereign and the battle is His, then you cannot ultimately be defeated. In Christ you stand victorious.

 

To help understand the importance of God’s sovereignty in spiritual warfare look at some implications of God’s sovereignty from the study by Franklin & Lawless.

 

• The Implications of a Sovereign God:
  • God has a greater purpose in Spiritual Warfare. 
  • The focus would be on God, not Satan, in the midst of the attack.
  • The Confidence for victory depends on God, not me and my performance.
  • The standard of evaluating success depends on whether or not God accomplished His purpose through my life.

 

• The Implication of a God that is not sovereign:
  • There would be no purpose in spiritual warfare, only random attacks.
  • The focus would have to be on Satan’s evil plots instead of God’s purposes.
  • The confidence for victory would depend on me and my performance.
  • The standard of evaluating success would depend on whether we were able to remove Satan.

 

Take a moment and think about spiritual warfare from God’s perspective. He is sovereign and has complete foreknowledge from all eternity every single encounter with evil that you will ever face. Not only that, but He also knows every possible outcome and has the power to do whatever He wants. So a good question to ask is what could possibly motivate God to allow Satan access to your life?

 

There are three things that will help us to understand the motivation and intentions of God when He allows warfare in your life:

1. God Uses Warfare to Accomplish His Will & Reveal His Glory
   1. Read Luke 22:2-4; John 13:27; Luke 22:31; John 14:30; Hebrews 12:2.
   2. If we belong to Christ, then we can rest assured that Satan has no claim on us.
   3. We can have confidence in God because:

                                                            1.      God uses evil to accomplish His will

ex- God used the persecution of the church in Jerusalem to spread the Gospel.

                                                            2.      God turns into good what Satan meant for evil

ex- Saul & David. Saul chased David around the Judean countryside trying to kill him. During this time David’s relationship with God was strengthened and God prepared him to be the kind of ruler that would lead by example in depending on God.

ex- Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil to sell him into slavery. But God meant it for good. In the words of Joseph even said that it was not them that sent him to Egypt, but God did. God allowed that to happen so that Joseph would eventually save the family from the famine.  

                                                            3.      Satan’s scheming cannot stop the purposes of God

From God’s perspective, setbacks are re-defined as experiences to develop character and accomplish His will

1.  
   1. There is no doubt that those that have trusted God throughout tough times and intense spiritual warfare have typically come away knowing God in a new and deeper way.
2. God Uses Warfare to Advance His Kingdom
   1. How is God’s Kingdom Advanced?

                                                            1.      Conversion

                                                            2.      The Influence of Salt and Light

1.      There are numerous things that we enjoy in society and rights that we have that are because of Christian influences in past generations.

                                                            3.      The increase of love and unity among Christians

Comment: Are these three items not a good focus for any church that has a passion to advance the kingdom of God? How can we as a community of faith be involved in advancing the kingdom of God in all three of these areas? 

 

1. A four-step process occurs for the kingdom to advance through warfare:

                                                            1.      Be on mission with God to advance the kingdom

 Jesus is a good example. He said that He only did the things that He saw the Father doing. Join God in His work of advancing the kingdom.

                                                            2.      Conflict & testing always occur

 Realize that when you are passionate about advancing the kingdom of God that there will be conflict.

                                                            3.      Obey God and do His work

We are only going to be victorious by obeying God and doing His work His way. Read James 4:6

                                                            4.      God advances the kingdom

 Remember to trust Him to accomplish His will.

1. God Uses Warfare to Conform Us to the Image of Christ
   1. Read Romans 8:18-37
   2. Remember that the overall goal of God is to make you like Jesus. In this process you can take courage and have hope that nothing will be able to separate you from the love of Christ. When God allows spiritual battles to occur, He does so for our benefit. A part of the process is to make us like Jesus.
   3. Remember also the Spirit’s role in making us like Jesus. Romans 8:26 talks about the Spirit interceding for us when we do not know how to pray. The Spirit is interceding according to the will of God. If God’s will is that we become like His Son, then the Spirit is praying that God will do whatever it takes to make us like His Son. That is good prayer to pray for ourselves and those in the church.

                                                            1.      I can remember one time praying over an extended period of time that I wanted God to do whatever it took to make me like Jesus. During this time their where some intense struggles, difficulties and spiritual battles. Finally I had had enough. I cried out to God and sought why this was happening and pleaded with Him for these things to stop. He impressed upon me that He was just answering my prayer. Then He led me to (Hebrews 5:8 ESV) “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” God spoke in a very clear way through that passage. If I was going to be like Jesus there would be times of suffering that would teach me obedience and teach me to be like Him. I do not relish those times, but I know two things:

1.      As long as I remain faithful, God will use that for a greater purpose. To make me like Jesus.

2.      I concur with Paul in (Romans 8:18 ESV) “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Profile of a Lukewarm Christian 13

Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, ‘Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only the love of money is.’ Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel ‘called’ to minister to the rich; very few feel ‘called’ to minister to the poor.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Mat 25:34 & 40 ESV)

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isa 58:6-7 ESV)

Profile of a Lukewarm Christian 12

Profiles are taken from Chapter 4 of Frances Chan’s book “Crazy Love”

Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focussed on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they consider the life to come. Regarding this, C. S. Lewis wrote, ‘If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.’  

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Php 3:18-20 ESV)

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Col 3:2 ESV)