his morning, as I waited in God’s presence, I heard the Spirit whisper a question into my heart: “What is your spiritual temperature?” I was quiet for a moment, trying to process what that meant. Then the Holy Spirit directed me to a sobering portion of Scripture in Revelation 3:15–16:

“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.”

These are not gentle words. They are sharp, fiery, and direct—spoken by the resurrected Christ to the church in Laodicea. It wasn’t a message to unbelievers, but to those who were in the church. And it struck me: lukewarmness is not a place of neutrality; it is a place of danger.

What Does It Mean to Be Lukewarm?

Last week I was in CAC Village, Blue Ridge Summit ,Pennsylvania for the Annual retreat of Pastors of CAC, Latunde Region. One of the questions that pop up was despite the increase in knowledge, teachers of the gospel everywhere how come crime , corruption, ungodly lives is multiplying

I think the answer is LUKEWARMNESS.

Lukewarmness is that spiritual middle ground where we may still speak Christianese, show up in church, and occasionally pray or read the Bible—but the fire is gone. We are neither burning with passion nor completely cold. We are just… “there.” Comfortable. Passive. Unmoved.

Lukewarm believers:

• Settle for routine religion over relationship.

• Feel no urgency to repent or grow spiritually.

• Justify sin instead of grieving over it.

• Lose their hunger for God but maintain a form of godliness.

The Holy Spirit showed me that lukewarmness is deceptive because it often looks like spiritual activity but lacks spiritual life.

The Danger of Being Room Temperature

In the physical realm, lukewarm water is unremarkable—it neither refreshes like cold water nor soothes like hot water. Spiritually, it’s the same: the lukewarm believer offers no healing (like hot water) and no refreshing (like cold water). Christ says, “I will spit you out of My mouth.” Strong words. It reveals how distasteful compromise is to a holy God.

Symptoms of Lukewarmness.

The Spirit gave me a quick internal checklist:

• Has prayer become a chore instead of a lifeline?

• Does worship feel empty or mechanical?

• Are you more excited about worldly things than heavenly things?

• Are you coasting on yesterday’s passion for God?

• Are you resting your anointed head on Delilah’s lap?

“Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I'll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza” Judges 16:20-21

• Are your eyes roaming about on social media looking for naked women or men ?

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,” 2 Sam 11:2

How to Rekindle the Fire

Romans 12:11 gives a powerful solution:

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit reminded me that spiritual heat is not automatic—it must be maintained. Here’s how:

1. Repent of Lukewarmness – Call it what it is and ask God to forgive you.

2. Fan the Flame Daily – Spend time with the Word, in prayer, and in worship not as duty, but as your delight.

3. Be Accountable – Walk with other believers who are burning for God.

4. Serve with Passion – Don’t just believe; belong. Don’t just attend; engage.

5. Stay Filled with the Spirit – Ask the Holy Spirit daily to fill you anew (Ephesians 5:18).

Conclusion:

The Holy Spirit’s message this morning was clear: lukewarmness is not a season to endure—it’s a condition to confront. God wants a church on fire, believers ablaze, lives marked by intensity, intimacy, and integrity. Lukewarmness is killing the church . Let us stop it . Let us be hot for God.

As you read this, pause and ask: “What is my spiritual temperature today?” If the fire is low, you can cry out like David:

“Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)

Shalom

Pastor Amos Dada is a trained engineer with the call of a preacher. Lives in Toronto. Reachable at [email protected]