When Jesus says in Revelation 3:15, “I would thou were cold or hot,” He is saying that He does not want us to be lukewarm. Some translations say, “I would rather you be hot or cold but not lukewarm.” That little phrase “I would rather” is the difference between someone who is against you and someone who is for you.

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Jesus is speaking to the Laodicean church — the church that has become famous worldwide. Laodicean is even a word in the dictionary, meaning lukewarm or indifferent. Lukewarm is right in the middle with cold on one side and hot on the other. Jesus does not say He would like for us to be hot, lukewarm or cold. No, He says He would rather we be cold or hot rather than lukewarm.

What does a lukewarm heart look like?

A heart that is no longer on fire for God, or perhaps never has been on fire for God, has distinctive characteristics.

First, a lukewarm heart is a prayerless heart, one that has no desire to pray, no desire to come into the presence of God.

Second, a lukewarm heart is unawakened by anything in the Word. It finds parts of the Word interesting and sometimes emotionally moving but does not grasp the power of God’s Word to transform hearts.

The Holy Spirit is calling the church to action and we have to know what type of faith to employ or what action to take. If you start flailing away with a sword, stirring things up on your own and saying, “I’m going to take care of this mess,” you are going to hurt others and yourself.

Perhaps you think you should just pray over an issue but God says, “No, this is the time for you to stand up and take action.” Or, on the other hand, God may say, “Just trust Me right now. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”