welcome to real Christianity a weekly show designed to help Christians know their Bible defend their faith and truly understand what it means to follow Jesus the premise is simple the culture is getting louder the church is getting flash ear but few pastors are teaching on how to live a Biblical life my name is Dale Partridge along with my incredible wife Veronica join us if we start an important conversation about what it really means to be a Christian
 welcome to real Christianity today we are talking about are you a lukewarm Christian yeah so lukewarm Christianity Today we're going to be sharing the Bible's perspective we do want to give you your opinion on what it means to be lukewarm but the Bible does talk about that we want to share about that in regards to my book but before we get started I want to talk to you guys about reviews guys we've got 4,300 reviews thank you and the show continues to grow because I have to believe that the reviews have a huge impact on that because we get put in the algorithms because our show has so many reviews. It's a thank you guys for leaving a review if you have not left to review would you be willing to do that just go to iTunes just have to starve you don't need a ride anything but if you write something we will read it I'm also we are having a Black Friday sale and we also just have a variety of offers a handful of times for your we're not like the big sale company in terms of like a non-profit we're just
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 haven't picked up a copy you can grab yours online on the online store at shop. Relearn church.org or on Amazon or on Audible do order it from the website it is something that goes towards the minute we get we are in a little bit more profit from our store that we went on Amazon and see if you have gotten it yet so an episode of one which is what she episodes ago something like that we talked about biblical salvation and the authority of scripture which were the topics of chapters 1 and 2 in Dale's book the last episode we talked on two topics of dying to self and alive in Christ which are topics 3 and 4 chapters 3 and 4 in your butt and then today we're going to talk about lukewarm Christian which will be chapters 5 and 6
 citing a lot of people wonder what lukewarm actually really mean and you titled the chapter number 5 in your book do you really love Jesus hear you Taco the idea of physical love in what the Bible has to say about people who love Christ but you also touched on how not loving Christ according to the scriptures can be a manifestation of being with water so can you explain what you mean by that so this is lukewarm is is an important term to Define in your life so that you can stay away from me because the reality is that when you're lukewarm you don't know it I don't think people know I got him a lukewarm Christian it's a it's a deceptive by the Holy Spirit and
 so the term lukewarm it comes from Revelation 3 15 through 16 where Jesus says I'm going to read it to you here it says I know your works that you are neither hot nor cold I could wish that you were cold or hot so then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth
 and so it's pretty intense language there Jesus is correcting seven churches in the Book of Revelation and they have these specific issues and you really ended the section with this this one line at the at the bottom of each of these seven Corrections and not every one of us has specific correction but I'm going to the label on that for just easy understanding right now but he finishes each one with he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches and so these are our specific issues directed at specific churches
 but these are lessons for The Universal Church in principle and so the addresses the Loveless church he addresses the persecuted Church the compromising Church the corrupt Church the dead Church the faithful church and the lukewarm church and and so the the lukewarm churches the last church and we're going to talk about what that that idea means it's a basically the word picture in that passage of scripture that I was reading to you in Revelation it showing the frustrating state of lukewarm water or hot water has a purpose and cold water has a purpose but lukewarm water is kind of this attempt to be both at once
 it's like what are you right it's this this is a weird thing and it has no loyalties it's a state of indifference it sits idle or it's inactive that's kind of what its stating here and I would say that's really fascinating to know that Jesus actually shows more Mercy to those who are cold then he does for those who are lukewarm like he doesn't even like look at the fact what he's going to talk about the cold people and their face but he says he's going to vomit out of his mouth so lukewarm people it's so basically Jesus is
 I would say he prefers an outright denial over half-hearted commitment and so I want you to just hear that again cuz that's an important statement in Jesus would rather have outright denial then half-hearted commitment and that's that verse teaches us there and it tells us that that something really important about Jesus expectation for his followers he's he's really looking and expecting a blazing hot devotion. That's that's the heart of what he's looking for and that's what you get to measure yourself against Pan Am I on fire give it what is what is blazing devotion actually mean like how is how is it supposed to look in the lies of a common everyday Christian does it mean getting involved in the church more does it mean studying the Bible more does it mean praying more or how can we be on fire for the gospel
 yeah it's a good question because the
 yeah it's a good question because how does it's practically play out what does it really look like to be hot or to be on fire for before Christ blazing devotion is I said can be translated to passionate love now we got to determine what passionate love is also last week we talked about Jesus as stated that he repeated if you love me keep my Commandments if you love me keep my Commandments he says it over and over and over and and how really the greatest way to display our love Christ is through obedience through keeping his Commandments and you're not saved buyer by our obedience at the cell or saying that you're saved by your obedient your obedience is the outpouring Gratitude in evidence that you are saved and so yeah so I think that
 you translate blazing Devotion to passionate love and passionate love is translated to keeping his Commandments as Jesus said if you love me you'll keep my Commandments
 hey Dale Partridge here I think Christians underestimate the influence the culture can have on us I think without even noticing many of us have traded this incredible life that God wants for us for an empty counterfeit if you haven't realized the church has become comfortable with things we shouldn't be comfortable with weave normalize things in our work our marriage has our families in our finances that are not normal but the question I have for you is this what does the Bible say about what's normal what kind of life should Christians be chasing what if I told you that what's popular isn't Superior what if I told you that what seems smart isn't actually right what if I told you that the worldview of 6 is actually God's definition of failure
 the Bible says that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God so what if we're doing it wrong what if the lives of those who followed Jesus look more like the culture than like Christ what is the life we're so desperate to have isn't something to speak after but actually to be saved from I answer these questions in my latest book saved from success how God can free you from cultures Distortion of family work and the good life it's a short convicting bold book get your copy in hardback or audiobook at relearn church.org success again that's relearn Church. Org forward slash success
 yeah so before I had a strong grip on the scriptures there were two verses in the New Testament that kind of Shook Me startled me a little bit and I think they're probably to the most expressive passages in the New Testament the first passage is from Revelation which he actually mentioned earlier about being lukewarm and into the single vomit you out of my mouth and the second passages in Matthew chapter 7 verse 21 to 23 and that reads not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven that he who does the will of the Father in Heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in your name cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name and then I will declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness in at the end there there's an! Depart from me you who practice lawlessness! So you explain this to me
 before several times and you give a pretty detailed answer on this passage in the book but can you briefly explain his passes for those who may be worried or in intimidated by it yeah you're right there's two it is two very scary scriptures New Testament I'm going to vomit you out of my mouth if your lukewarm and depart from me you who practice Lawless I never knew you Renee oh yeah and you're like wow okay that's a side of Jesus is not really commonly seen
 I'm in the scriptures and so it's a Friday passage for a few reasons it it it clarifies that calling Jesus Lord by itself isn't sufficient to save you so that's one thing cuz it says right here not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven
 so you know that's a that's a really bold statement that you go out it's not just calling Jesus Lord that is sufficient to to save you Jesus really combines that Declaration of lordship with obedience it's it's it's a combination of the two which we talked about in previous I think I think even episode 1 of the series but he said but he who does the will of my Father in heaven in combination with lordship and that'll be the answer is what Jesus is looking for but it's also concerning cuz apparently there are people who are prophesying who are casting out demons in Jesus's name who are doing Many Wonders and and they're not going to heaven
 Alexa. This is like just like I stopped you in your tracks kind of state and you're like wow like I don't cast demons so bring yeah I don't cast demons out and like that's a really intense Ministry it sounds like you're casting demons out and prophesying and doing wonders and end so basically it's teaching us a really important friends would I want you to grasp that spiritual activity doesn't equal spiritual security so spiritual activity whatever activity it is a dozen equal spiritual secure not secure by your activity your secure by your faith in Christ your belief in Christ in in true belief in Christ which would include lordship will be the ants and in the fullness and understanding of what the gospel is that you're not a lukewarm half-hearted lethargic Christian but you're on fire for him and so
 so I guess the obvious question is if you're if calling Jesus Lord and doing spiritual work doesn't assure you that you know Christ
 then what does because Jesus says at the end of this passage you said and then I will declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness again! Angry statement there's two allegations that Jesus is making against these people the first is I never knew you
 I'm an evil man the prophesied one during casting out demons people Jesus never knew them and then the second allegation is practicing lawlessness that they're practicing lawlessness you got two things you got to deal with that I think will overcome the fear in your heart are going to go out like do I know Christ do I how do I know if Jesus knows me and I know Jesus so the Bible is awesome and it gives us the exact answer for this and John wrote the Book of Revelation and John also write the exact answer for this and 1st John Chapter 2 verses three and six three through six and I'll read that he actually answered it directly so if we're asking the question how do you know if you if Jesus knows you well John
 1st John 2:3 says Now by this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he who says quote I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him and who's the truth Jesus right verse 5 but whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in by this we know that we are in him in Christ 46 he who says he abides in him taught himself to also walk as he walked as Jesus walked and so this tells us a few things you cannot know God if you do not keep his commandments so that's one thing you cannot know God if you don't keep his Commandments
 you cannot love God if you do not keep his Commandments if you don't keep his Commandments and you don't know God or love God which means that you're still in sin and you're under God's Wrath you're practicing law business and so I know that there's might be a concern of going wild like how do I keep all these Commandments it's not about
 you
 being self-righteous keeping everyone of his Commandments know it's about the do you listen to the Holy Spirit as the conviction comes the job of the holy spirit in your life is it when you do yourself in a situation where sin is tempting you
 the holy spirit's job is to give you a
 a conviction don't do that and there'll always be a way out there always be a way out and that's 1st Corinthians 10:13 that Veronica's referencing there
 and the Holy Spirit doesn't overtake your body and robotically move your mouth and take your hands and note the job of the holy spirit is to convict you
 you must cooperate cooperate with the spirit and choose to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the desires of your flesh Galatians 5 and and and so keeping his Commandments is really you know the holy spirit is in the Trinity and unified and one God with Christ it so keeping his Commandments allows you to just listen to the Holy Spirit repent or you fail but stay in communion with God it's not about it because my brake one that I'm not safe that's not what we're talking about here
 your relationship is dependent on this kind of seeking to love him and serve him and keep his word but your saved by your belief in Christ
 and so this idea of lawlessness you who practice lawlessness
 1st John chapter 3 to the chapter later he actually says everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness so again if you're not keeping the first one
 you know if you don't know him you don't know him because you don't keep his Commandments and don't keep his Commandments then you don't know him even if you say that you know him he don't give me that you're a liar like this is really important self evaluation so basically biblical Christianity and Plies
 that you are deeply devoted to Christ and his ways and that you're you're
 you're allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you and your listening and you're not grieving the Holy Spirit You're So Vain and you're in relationship in and when you're failing you're repenting and and you're seeking the word and in your ear just think about a relationship with like a child you know you're
 your child and you're trying to keep a relationship with your father are you trying to serve him and serve your dad or mother in a way that honors them and you're trying you're really working tube to be in relationship with him you're not rebellious and and autonomous and independent and walking in your own way and your own will but you've literally sacrificed everything to your lord you're asking almost permission for everything you do in that way and
 and we got to remember that the Holy Spirit as I said earlier quickens your body your your mortal body or flesh to actually we have that we have an advantage as Christians the holy spirit is like renewing and regenerating Us in Romans 8:11 I'll close with this
 says but if a spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit dwells in you
 now there's some connection to Resurrection there but also like you we can we have power in us God lives in you as a Christian just remembering that is important so hopefully that answers the question that was a
 a quick little overview of chapters 5 and 6 if you're looking at this on the YouTube video it's a short small little book you guys again can get that at a shop. Wheeler Church. Org and oh and we have the study guide and so I developed a study guide it's it's kind of fun it's like 50 or 60 Pages or something and it's a you can sit right here if you're watching the video also and it's for individuals or small groups and lot of people have bought it so far if you go to our store you can you know it'll automatically ask if you want to add it to your card so that you can get the study as well but you know if you want to go deeper cuz it looks shorter going to take me like an hour and 20 minutes to read hour and a half to read and then you do the city got together I think you could take you a little bit a little bit deeper
 lasting we are you guys know we've been doing the real Christianity resources and these are higher thinking resources theologically speaking so that we don't want to get pulled into the gist the
 run a mill everyday Christian books that like are like a conveyor belt of
 Midway sinking of the Christian faith there there was higher thinking of great Saint. These two that I'm about to show you are and so I'll upload these books real quick and talk about the first second
 so there's there's two bucks I want to share with you guys and this is Abraham kuyper it's spelled kuyper this book is really beautiful it's called honey from a rock it's pretty much the size of a doorstop it's massive and it's rocket use it as a favorite book she is this is this is really heavy theology but this is it it's daily devotions from Young hyper and I'm assuming that this stuff is probably written when he was about my age and this is from this is first published in the late eighteen hundreds and he's just a really fascinating thinker on Theology and it's really good to expand our mind and realize that man there was a really great thinking in like the 15 16 17 18 and it seems to have been diminishing as time goes on
 and it's her again from Black's impress lexham press and then have a good variety of books on this one is you guys know that shows the girl that I'm not a calvinist but I really appreciate a lot of calvinistic Doctrine or reformed dogmatics and reform Camino variety of things but this guy right here this is getting late 1800s boss he he did a whole series called reformed dogmatics and
 there's some really awesome stuff here if you're looking to study topical this is number five of a five-part series and this is ecclesiology the means of Grace and eschatology and so there's there's some on the church there's some on on Christ ology who Christ is there someone Sabbath there's really cool topics you get a really deep theological understanding so if you want to learn more and just start picking up some more theologically Stout and dense resources this is the kind of stuff that I read and see if you know if you want to go deeper you can just go to Lex impress lexham Lex impress.com real Christianity and get 30% off on all the books that are there and have a variety of stuff in the store you can also pick up all those things as well on Amazon
 on that note don't you say something
 she next week Ronica and her her introvertness she loves that all right thanks guys will see you guys next Wednesday for the last session last episode in the series
 did everyone thanks for listening to this episode we wanted to quickly tell you about our six-week online marriage Mentor program at our companion Ministry ultimate marriage, ya don't I designed a powerful biblical curriculum with six beams one for each week here's how it works every seven days Dylan I release a 45-minute video Lesson on that week's theme plus a weekly marriage challenge PDF for you and your spouse to incorporate this teachings directly into your marriage a program where we cover everything from Sex and Money to children and biblical roles but more than that it's also an incredible Community you'll have access to our private online group and the ultimate marriage text message line where Veronica and I can send our regular encouragement and wisdom straight to your phone the catch is this we try to limit the number of couples in the program at one time to ensure a quality and intimate experience so if you're interested in joining the program
 roll now at ultimate marriage.com again that's ultimate marriage.com
 thank you for joining us on this episode of real Christianity real Christianity is an audio Ministry of relearn church.org if you'd like more information on how to live out a Biblical life relearn Church. Sobriety of Articles podcast sermons and videos to support your journey real Christianity is a hundred percent listener-supported Ministry and if you'd like to support our efforts simply click the Donate have at relearn church.org you can also connect with both Veronica and I on Instagram Facebook and Twitter for daily lessons and Bible teaching thank you for being with us today we hope to see you next Wednesday for another episode of real Christianity