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Take Your Temperature

Luke 24:13-25

 

Luke 24:15 - And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 

No matter what the ailment is, the doctor usually begins his examination by saying, “Let’s take your temperature.” The same principle applies to the Christian life, for there is more than one “spiritual temperature.”

Some Christians are cold. Matthew 24:12 – “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” A cold Christian has no concern for lost souls. His prayer life is irregular, if he prays at all. He ignores the Bible and the fellowship of other Christians in the church. A cold-hearted Christian is a poor advertisement for Jesus Christ.

Other Christians are lukewarm. Revelation 3:15-16 – “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.” Lukewarm Christians, like lukewarm liquids, are made by mixing the hot and the cold. One day they are zealous for Christ; the next day they are living in the world. Lukewarm water is sickening. Lukewarm Christians make the Lord sick.

But thank God, there are some Christians whose hearts are burning! “Did not our hearts burn within us?”  The Emmaus disciples asked each other. What caused their hearts to burn? They were walking with Jesus and listening to Him expound the Word! The fire of the Word (Jeremiah 5:14) can rekindle the flames on the altar of the heart.

Paul warned Timothy, “Stir up the gift of God that is in thee” (2 Timothy 1:6). The image of that is of stirring up a fire and adding fresh fuel, getting rid of the old ashes that smother the flame. Is your Christian life cold? Perhaps it is time to do something about the fire!

From “Thoughts for Men on the Move” by Warren Wiersbe