The seriousness of being Born Again.

“‘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..."
~Revelation 3:15-18 - ESV

Was reading Francis Chan's ideas from this verse today and thought I would share.

When you read this passage, do you naturally conclude that to be "spit" out of Jesus' mouth means you're part of His kingdom?  When you read the words "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked," do you think that He's describing saints? When He counsels them to "buy white clothes to wear" in order to cover their "shameful nakedness," does it sound like advice for those already saved?
I thought people who were saved were already made white and clothed by Christ's blood...
Jesus' call to commitment is clear: He wants all or nothing.  The thought of a person calling himself a "Christian" without being a devout follower of Christ is absurd...
I doubt if people even considered these questions back in Jesus' day! Is this idea of the non-fruit bearing Christian something that we have concocted in order to make Christianity "easier"?  So we can follow our own course while still calling ourselves followers of Christ?
~Francis Chan - Crazy Love - p85-86

Another passage linked to Chan's thought is James 2:19, I think he's hitting the nail on the head here - our churches today need to be full of Christians - not people who claim the title but aren't devout followers of Jesus. Following on from this morning's post I think that there are many people out there making resolutions, or even claiming to make them, so they can try and fit in with the Christian image (some good it with good conscious, other's do it for their own gain to just to fit in somewhere).  Jesus doesn't want resolutions, He only accepts those who have been born again into the new life He gives. There's not halfway, no "lukewarm".

We're either hot or cold.  In or Out. Sometimes it's good to really reflect on what it means to be hot, or in.