The Lukewarm Church: Standing for Truth in an Age of Compromise

While there is much debate among Bible scholars about whether or not the letters to seven churches in Revelation 2–3 present a timeline of church history, the historic parallels are undeniable. The seventh and final letter has some very interesting parallels to what is happening in our day.

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “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” (Revelation 3:14‑16).

The name Laodicean is a compound of two words that, when combined, mean “rule of the people.” In other words, in the last days, the church will be ruled by the people. This is confirmed by 2 Timothy 4:3‑5:

The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In the last days, people will defect from sound doctrine and replace it with teachings they want to hear. This tells us that many of the church’s doctrines will be ruled by or decided on by the people.

In these times, when sound doctrine is not endured and people are lining up to listen to teachers who will tell them what they want to hear, Paul says to Timothy—and us—“Be watchful in all things.” In other words, don’t fall for this. Be consistent in your teaching, even though doing so will cause afflictions. Be careful about who and what you listen to. God has forewarned that not all that sounds good is good or even true.

Jesus told the people in the church in Laodicea that their spiritual status was lukewarm, a condition the Lord described as sickening to Him. We recognize that hot water is good for cleansing and purifying, and cold water is refreshing. But lukewarm water is neither. This is the consequence of not enduring in sound doctrine—losing the ability to purify, cleanse, and refresh a dark and dying world.

In these days of full‑scale defection from truth by false teachers, we must remain watchmen and fulfill our ministries of being evangelists, knowing that doing so requires us to endure afflictions. The time has come when false apostles and deceitful workers are presenting a message disguised as the light but is actually a message of darkness. We are seeing a prophetic, large‑scale rejection of sound doctrine, which is being replaced with a message that cannot purify, cleanse, and refresh, but can only nauseate. No matter what is happening in the church today, we must choose this day whom we will serve and not falter between fact and fable. We must decide to be for and not against the Lord by standing on and for His unchanging Word!