Have you ever read the warning in Revelation 3:15 – 16 about being lukewarm and wondered about it? Here’s what it says ‘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 spew thee out of my mouth.” Did it ever put a sense of carefulness in you and a search of your life to see if you were lukewarm?
If your answer is yes, this article is for you. For your sake, we’ve put out these 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian to clear your doubts on this matter.
Most of these signs may have manifested in your life, but you might have dismissed them as bad thoughts or guilt from the devil to weigh you down. We hope that this article points you to the light and smokes out these characters so you can work on them.
1. You are Not Going the Extra Mile
This sign takes first place on the list of 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian because it is subtle. If you are comfortable just because you have received Christ into your life and feel you have secured a space in God’s kingdom, unlike the unbelievers who have not received salvation, then you are in danger of being lukewarm.
You might do only the barest minimum that would guarantee you a place in God’s kingdom, like observing your short quiet time, paying your tithes and offerings, and living right. If you think that is enough for you, then it’s likely you are lukewarm. You’ve got to take some extra oil of evangelism, continuous prayer, and deep meditation on his word.
Also, when you begin to think that because you don’t sin, do good deeds, obey all of God’s commandments, serve in the church, and evangelize, you are better than others, that is one of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian.
Lukewarm Christians may compare themselves with those around them and feel good because they think they are okay and better.
2. Your Love for People Is Conditional
One of the signs of a lukewarm Christian is a superficial love for people. You only love people who will love you back. You love people for what they give you, what you can benefit from them, or when things are convenient.
For example, if Brother A can give you a slot for you to get admission into the university, you’ll love him and sing his praises, but if Brother B insists you must pass the exams first, he becomes an enemy to you and unworthy of your love. There is no room in your Christian heart to love people, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.
Jesus denounced this behavior in Luke 6:32 comparing it to the behavior of sinners while commanding his followers to love unconditionally.
3. You Love To Always Be Safe
If you value your safety and security so much that you will not attempt anything for God or His kingdom that requires blind faith and trust in God, look out, it might be a sign that you are a lukewarm Christian.
When you hate to take a leap of faith and let fear paralyze you, or when you are the first to question how safe a place would be for a crusade or how risky a mission trip would be, know that is one of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian.
You are the first to shrink back when there is a call for volunteers for a task. You don’t even want to try because you love your life more than you love God. When you notice this sign in your life, know that you are gradually becoming a lukewarm Christian.
4. You Cannot Sacrifice Anything of Yours for God
The early Christians had a habit of providing for each other’s welfare. They could sell properties to ensure everyone had something to eat or drink, but that could never be you. You cannot carry anyone other than your family in your car. You cannot give your money to advance any church program or help someone in need.
You consider anything that has to do with sacrifice for God in your life, your family, your business, or your career foolhardy, and you won’t venture into it. You are unwilling to deny yourself for a few minutes or hours. You complain about the seats or heat in the church and can’t endure an hour of discomfort.
You don’t like inconveniences and would not even consider them for the one you call your Lord and Master. You’ve also forgotten that denying yourself is a prerequisite for being a disciple of Christ. If your life matches the description, my friend, you are exhibiting the signs of a lukewarm Christian.
5. You Are Afraid of Speaking the Truth
This sign exposes itself when you find yourself among people who do not believe in Jesus Christ. You can listen to them say all manner of wrong things or twist the Bible upside down, but you cannot open your mouth to say the truth and defend your faith.
You fear being rejected or canceled, so you shut your mouth and give a nervous laugh when they blaspheme the name of Jesus. Infact, you are afraid to publicly display your faith in Christ.
You are afraid of causing conflict, so you refuse to tell your co-workers or neighbors about your faith.
6. You Lack Commitment to the Things of God
One of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian is your commitment to the Lord. When it is no longer as before or as when you began your Christian journey, or when you are no longer available to teach the Bible to young people or are not interested in outreaches, prayer meetings, or fellowship again.
When going for evangelism and visitations are now a chore to you and you resign from your service units or select the days you attend church meetings, and are more interested in the social meetings to boost you up the ladder of success in your businesses or careers. Watch out! Lukewarmness is at your door.
7. You Choose What and What Not to Believe – James 2:10
Another sign of a lukewarm Christian is that you suddenly do not believe everything the Word of God says anymore. You begin to poke holes and second-guess commandments or promises. Even when countered about your unbelief, you declare you are not the first nor will you be the last to doubt.
You pick the scriptures you want to obey. You select which parts of the word will suit your ideals and make them your standard. You interpret the scriptures in a way that will favor you and whatever schemes you have in mind.
8. You Will Hate Sound Doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1)
If you are a lukewarm Christian, you will not be able to endure the sound doctrine of the Bible. You will begin to avoid churches where holiness, righteousness, and the good Christian life are preached and flock to churches that don’t talk about sin and preach ease.
You turn off your radio or television set when preachers begin to hammer scriptures that convict you of your sinful lifestyle and prefer messages that are soft and full of fables that make you comfortable.
You might even chase off friends who try to point out the wrong path you are taking. This, too, is one of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian.
9. You Are Ashamed of Being Labelled ‘Radical’
A lukewarm Christian detests the labels non-believers or other Christians will place on them when they stand up for the faith. They will do everything they can to avoid it.
You are ashamed of even being called a Christian, and you do not try to do ‘too much’ so that other Christians won’t feel convicted by your upright living. You would rather choose to keep the peace than offend people by talking about Jesus all the time.
You would rather cover up for your colleagues when they do the wrong things than be labeled a radical. You refuse to call out a cheating colleague or a thieving supervisor because you want to lie low. If you do these things, you are displaying one of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian.
10. You Are Ashamed Of Christ
If you are a lukewarm Christian, you will not publicly proclaim or declare your faith. You will run and hide like a coward and choose to live for Christ in secret, which is even a greater burden than you can bear.
When confronted with the things you do and believe in, you will deny them like Peter or even tell a lie. When faced with an ungodly decision, you’ll choose to give a moral excuse rather than proclaim you are a Christian and can’t do that.
If you are afraid of the negativity in the world because of Jesus and hide your faith because you don’t want to be persecuted, you are showing off the signs of a lukewarm Christian.
11. You Love the World (1 John 2:15)
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
One of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian is love for the world. Since the love of God has died in your heart, the space will be filled with love for the world.
For instance, you begin to find pleasure in the world’s amusements, entertainment, and fashion, and find the Christian life stifling. You also begin to study the scriptures from cover to cover, not to learn and grow but to hunt for passages that permit you to explore the world’s offerings.
This love for the world makes you see church services as boring. You begin to behave like a child, shuffling your feet or staring at your watches when the sermon has not even gone halfway, not because of any good reason but because you’re missing a show on TV or the internet. Is this you?
12. You Love God with Conditions
This sign is evident when you are only willing to do something for God because it will benefit you sooner or later. You give because you believe you will receive a double portion, or you volunteer for missions because you expect a blessing from God.
You always have an excuse to not do something or go somewhere for God. You select the times and extent to which you obey God.
Sometimes, before you obey God, you want to be sure that something good comes from it. This is one of the 17 signs that you are a lukewarm Christian.
13. You Flow with the Tide (Luke 6: 25, 26)
Another of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian is your habit of flowing with the tide of the world. Your beliefs change as the general worldview changes. You do not have a mind of your own; you swing to whichever side will benefit you.
You choose what is popular over what is right. You have no strong convictions, and the little one you are holding on to wavers in the face of confrontation. You desire to look good in the eyes of the church and the world.
14. You Are Easily Inspired by Stories of Firebrand Christians
In this instance, you are easily moved to tears and feel a rush of inspiration when you read the stories of Christians who were daring for the Lord and the gospel.
You might encourage and give praise to your Christian friends who are firing and wish it were you but will never attempt it.
You say, ‘That can never be me’, ‘More grace to those who can dare it’, “May God be with them’, and call their boldness ‘irrational’, ‘extreme’, and ‘uncalled for’.
Of course, that can never be you because your tears and outbursts of emotion are just for show.
15. You Fear God’s Punishment More Than Sin
A lukewarm Christian will weigh the consequence of sin as heavier than the deed. This kind of Christian refuses to sin, not out of genuine hatred for sin but to avoid the punishment and repercussions of sin.
This shows you view God as a wicked headmaster or taskmaster who must be feared and obeyed. You want to go to heaven just so you can escape hell and keep all the statutes of God. If that is not imposed bondage, I don’t know what else it could be.
16. You Have a Weak Prayer Life
I’m sure you must have been expecting this sign in the first place because of how common it is, however, its place in number 16 does not make it look fair.
A weak prayer life is a clear and blazing sign of lukewarm Christianity. It is characterized by having little to no prayer in your life. You go to bed and wake up in the morning with no word of thanksgiving to God. You finish your work and go to bed without praying.
Prayer is very important to the Christian walk, as it is the way to stay connected to the Lord. The lack of a prayer life is what leaves you prone to temptations, as seen in Luke 22:46.
It is distressing to see a lot of Christians who have no time to fast and pray or spend 30 minutes on their devotion but can spend hours on social media doing irrelevant things.
17. You Compromise Easily your Faith
This is the last of the 17 signs of a lukewarm Christian. When you compromise, you are choosing to go against every standard you have established in your Christian walk.
You might have even turned your back on God and gone back to the things you renounced and forsook when you accepted Christ into your lives.
For instance, you begin to tell white lies and embellish things here and there, or you begin to collect bribes as appreciation, you show off a little skin now; you don’t take bribes directly but refer your clients to colleagues that take bribes and collect your share later. You think no one will mind, after all, everyone is happy, right?
In conclusion, we all may have fallen into a state of lukewarmness at some point in our lives. Sometimes we recognize it, and other times we don’t. If you have been on fire for God, don’t slow down. If you are lukewarm, it is not too late to repent and return to God.
We pray that this article brings you to a place of renewal and consecration. We pray that we will never be lukewarm Christians, and may we never be spewed out of God’s mouth in Jesus’ name, amen.
