10 Practical ways on how to stop being a lukewarm Christian

The following are ten practical ways to stop being a lukewarm Christian:

1. Pray often
2. Fast regularly
3. Give alms, offerings, and tithes.
4. Be hospitable
5. Preach the word.
6. Fellowship with the brethren
7. Self-denial
8. Be a doer of the word.
9. Mix faith with works.
10. Do not conform to the patterns and systems of this world.

A lukewarm Christian is one who is neither cold nor hot, as recorded in Revelation 3:14–16, which says:

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, write, These things say 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.”

The danger of being lukewarm is clearly stated in the above scripture, namely, being vomited by Christ. This implies being abandoned by Christ, thereby becoming vulnerable to all manner of attacks from the devil and his agents.

A lukewarm Christian is therefore one who is neither active nor passive when it comes to matters of faith.

Nevertheless, if you are a Christian who has gotten tired of being lukewarm and is looking for ways to turn things around, this article is specifically meant for you. So then, what should you do?

The following are 10 strategies you can adopt in order to stop being a lukewarm Christian.

1. Pray often

If you want to stop being a lukewarm Christian, you must learn to engage in prayer warfare on a regular basis. A praying Christian can never become lukewarm. This is because it is through prayer that a believer remains in constant touch with God.

The Bible teaches that prayer is one of the tools a believer can effectively use to stand against the wiles, tricks, or enticements of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

It is through prayer that a believer can effectively wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Prayer is also effective in overcoming the enemies of our faith, including the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16–17).

Through prayer, a believer can successfully resist the devil and all temptations he brings his way. This is according to the words of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 26:40–41, which say:

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”

Prayer is also the key that opens the supernatural realm. This is because during prayer, God may reveal to you hidden secrets and mysteries. This was the case with Daniel, when the King of Babylon demanded an interpretation for a dream that he had. Daniel prayed to God, and He revealed to him both the dream and its interpretation.

2. Fast regularly

A Christian who fasts regularly can never become lukewarm. Fasting weakens the flesh but strengthens the spirit, making a believer more alive to the things of God.

Through fasting, a believer can cast out some kinds of demons that refuse to come out of a possessed person by prayer alone. This is according to the words of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew 17:19–21, which say:

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except through prayer and fasting.’”

3. Give alms, offerings, and tithes.

When you give to the church in order to help meet its financial obligations, such as administrative costs and mission costs, among others, you will never become lukewarm.

This is because when you give in support of such activities, you remain in constant touch with what is happening at your local assembly, making you an active member of the body of Christ.

Giving alms entails giving to the needy people in society, such as orphans, widows, and the homeless, among others.

In fact, the Bible teaches that pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father entails ‘visiting orphans and widows in their trouble and keeping oneself unspotted from the world’ (James 1:27).

These sentiments are echoed in Isaiah 58:9–10, which teaches that God will answer your prayers ‘if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul.’  

4. Be hospitable

As a Christian, another way to stop being lukewarm is by ‘entertaining strangers.’ This simply means being hospitable and not hostile to people you do not know, but nevertheless, God is leading you to help. This is according to Hebrews 13:1-2, which says:

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

Throughout the Old Testament, we see God strongly castigating the children of Israel for either mistreating or neglecting strangers. The following verses attest to this fact:

Exodus 22:21

“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-19

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

In the New Testament, Jesus emphasized the importance of being hospitable to strangers, as recorded in Matthew 25:34–36. The scripture says:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”

So, my dear friend, if you want to stop being a lukewarm Christian, stop ignoring those strangers around you calling or reaching out to you for help only to be met with a deafening silence! God will judge you harshly for this negligence. If you do not believe me, please read Matthew 25:41–46. Let me quote verses 44–46 to show you the gravity of this matter:

“Then they will also answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

So please, I urge you, dear friend, look for that ONE person who is in need and help him out as a witness for you in the day of judgment! The ball is in your court.

Dare to be different in a world where selfishness dominates the scene.

5. Preach the word.

Another practical way to stop being a lukewarm Christian is by preaching the word of God to non-believers.

By actively involving yourself in evangelism, you are, in essence, fulfilling what Jesus commanded His disciples to do in Mark 16:15–16. The scripture says:

“And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’”

It is through evangelism that you get a first-hand encounter with the signs and wonders that Jesus promised His disciples in Mark 16:17–18, which says:

“And these signs will follow those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

In other words, it is during evangelism that you get to see the real action in terms of praying for the sick and seeing them recover, as well as casting out demons and seeing them flee.

As a Christian, you simply can’t be a witness to all these signs and remain lukewarm; no, it doesn’t work that way!

This is why the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to continue preaching the word, both in season and out of season, as recorded in 2 Timothy 4:2, 5. The scriptures say:

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching…

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.”

6. Fellowship with the brethren

For you to stop being a lukewarm Christian, you must join a fellowship of the brethren in your local community. This is in accordance with the word of God recorded in Hebrews 10:24–25, which says:

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”

The reason for fellowship is so that you may stir up one another in love and good works.

The Bible teaches that when two or more individuals meet together in a fellowship, the LORD is there in their midst, and everything they agree on shall be accomplished for them. This is recorded in Matthew 18:19–20, which says:

Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The tradition of fellowship was observed by the apostles during the days of the early church, as recorded in Acts 2:42. The scripture says:

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

So, that shows you the importance of meeting with others in a fellowship.

In addition, when you meet like-minded brethren in a fellowship, you get to sharpen one another through the sharing of the word and testimonies. This is in accordance with Proverbs 27:17, which says:

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

7. Self-denial

If you want to stop being a lukewarm Christian, self-denial is not an option. In other words, you must learn to denounce yourself on a daily basis in pursuit of holiness.

Jesus taught that everyone who desires to be His disciple must denounce himself, carry his own cross, and follow Him. These words are recorded in the book of Matthew 16:24 as follows:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.’”

This implies giving up all the pleasures of sin that the world has to offer in pursuit of righteousness.

Self-denial also means being content with such things as God has provided for you and denouncing all manner of covetousness, which has driven many people into sin and self-destruction. This is recorded in 1 Timothy 6:6–11, which says:

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And with food and clothing, we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts that drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The blind pursuit of riches has caused many believers to compromise their faith by conforming to the patterns and systems of this world.

Therefore, by conforming to the dictates of this world, such believers will remain lukewarm concerning matters of faith.

In order to avoid this path, it is better that you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

8. Be a doer of the word.

Most lukewarm Christians are only hearers and not doers of the word of God. In other words, they do not apply themselves to the word of God in which they have been instructed. Instead, they choose to lead their lives according to the dictates of their hearts.

When you are just a hearer and not a doer of the word of God, the Bible calls you deceived. This is in accordance with James 1:22–25, which says:

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

9. Mix faith with works.

Another way to stop being a lukewarm Christian is to be a believer who mixes faith with works. This is recorded in James 2:14–17, which says:

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed, and filled,’ but you do not give them the things that are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

The implication of this scripture is that you must be a practical Christian.

Therefore, if the Bible teaches that you should not commit adultery, covet, murder, or steal, your walk of faith should match these instructions.

10. Do not conform to the patterns and systems of this world.

If you want to stop being a lukewarm Christian, you should never conform to the patterns and systems of this world. This is according to Romans 12:1-2, which says:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.“

This means that you should always take a firm Bible-based stand regarding some of the thorny issues affecting our daily lives. We will look at a few examples here.

On matters of homosexuality, as a Christian who is tired of being lukewarm, you should state that homosexuality is wrong in the sight of God because the Bible says so. The reference scripture in this case would be 1 Corinthians 6:9, which says:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

This scripture clearly tells us that God is not comfortable with homosexuals and sodomites.

On matters of abortion, as a non-lukewarm Christian, your stand should be that abortion is wrong in the eyes of God. The reference scripture in this case is Exodus 20:13, which says:

“You shall not murder.”

Abortion is ‘the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy’ (Oxford Languages Dictionary).

From this definition, it is clear that abortion is murder, which is in turn contrary to the commandments of God.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, as a serious Christian, your stand should be that the Bible only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman. We see that at the very beginning, when God created Adam and Eve to live together in the Garden of Eden. This is recorded in several scriptures, including the following:

Genesis 1:27

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

This tells us that God’s way of paring humans should be between a male and a female, but not a male with a fellow male or a female with a fellow female!

Genesis 2:21-22

“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib that the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.”

Here, God did not create another man to help Adam, but a woman.

Genesis 2:24

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

According to this scripture, only a man and a woman can be joined to become one flesh. When a man purports to be joined to another man, the union can never lead to ONE FLESH! The same is true when two women purport to be joined together in a marriage arrangement!

In fact, the joining together of man and woman is meant for procreation. So, naturally, when a man joins a woman in a marriage arrangement, the result is children. Now, when a man joins another man or a woman joins another woman in a ‘same-sex marriage arrangement’, what is the expected outcome of such a union?

In short, always make your stand known regarding thorny issues affecting your daily life and never fence-sit. By so doing, you will stop being a lukewarm Christian.

Hope this was helpful. God bless you.

Related Post: How should a Christian live according to the bible

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Prayer to become a born-again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

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In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

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Benediction

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