QuantumAsianQuartzMid-high school to college years mark the period in most people’s lives when minds fall significantly into and become primarily driven by one of three states: either (i) they wake up to seeing the invisible reality of the existence of the faith world and they act with absolute zeal upon it; (ii) they get hypnotized into the servitude of fulfilling selfish ambitions and earthly dreams as if these were life’s ultimate goals; or (iii) they get caught up into the apparently doubly beneficial and seemingly safe choice of meddling in the middle, equilibrium condition characteristic of the Laodicean, lukewarm, compromising state.
Of the three, it is most easy to fall into the Laodicean sort. In fact, it is the “natural” behavior of things to get to the point of equilibrium with the state of environment they are in. Paul should have been so well acquainted with this almost inescapable problem of conformity and compromise that he has warned all to “be not conformed to this world” (Rom 12:2). The natural, equilibrium state is such an easy, default course in this world that, even thermodynamically speaking, it should require a continued supply of Spiritual energy to maintain the fiery zeal of the faithful (Gal 5:16, Rom 8:26, Acts 11:24), while a persistent suppression of obvious truth is needed to maintain the coldness of the unbelieving (Rom 1:18).
What point, then, is this whole talk pinning?
Jesus Himself has bidden that we should only be either “cold or hot” (Rev 3:15). But—you ask—why would He rather have you “cold” than “lukewarm”? The answer is if you are cold because you absolutely know and will stand on what you believe is right, then it would only take one pivotal point in your lifetime for God to convert all your misapplied zeal to His cause, as in the case of Christ-hater Saul who at conversion became Christ-like Paul. On the other hand, if you are a compromising lukewarm, you may get all the spiritual privileges you want and yet never become truly spiritually filled and fruitful, because all the while you were mixing truth with error until there comes such a time you would no longer know the difference and any additional light would no longer even be recognizable.
Isn’t this too tough? The fact, is, if you truly trust the truth, you take the risk, but eventually you’ll reap the freedom. If you greed for the default, apparently safe, compromising choice, it just means you did not trust the truth that much, after all.
This article was first published in the “Pinpoint” Opinion Section of The Epistle, Vol.1, Issue 1, June 2012. The title is later added.