Lie #4: God May Spit You Out if You're Not on Fire for Him

So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

We’ve just seen that God will never blot us out of the Book of Life. But what if, through our lack of commitment or consistency, we “lose our warmth” or even grow cold in our spiritual walk? Can we end up being spewed out of God’s mouth?

Is this what Revelation 3:14–22 is saying? No. First, note in this passage that the problem is being lukewarm instead of cold or hot. Yes, either cold or hot will do. So this passage is not really about the dangers of being cold. Here, being cold (or hot) is a good thing!

Ice-cold water is what we crave on a hot summer day. We reach for that cold beverage because coldness serves an important purpose—to hydrate, to cool off, or to refresh. Similarly, when it’s cold out, we reach for a coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.

Here in Revelation 3, the goal is to serve a purpose, whether cold or hot. After all, what purpose does lukewarm water really serve? It neither cools you off when it’s hot outside nor does it soothe you when it’s freezing out.

So this passage is not about staying “hot” or “on fire” for the Lord, as some claim. Neither is it about losing our salvation. Instead, it’s about finding purpose and focus in Christ. It’s about seeking something worthwhile in life. What a waste it is for us to have Christ living in us for decades on end without the display of His life and love being our purpose and our meaning.

Geography Matters!

The meaning of this passage was crystal clear to the people of Laodicea, a city in a very specific geographic location. Just to their north were the hot springs of Hieropolis. To their south were the cold springs of Colossae. But Laodicea had no springs. In fact, Laodicea had hardly any water supply at all, so they had to have it piped in. Sure, the water might have started out hot in Hieropolis but by the time it reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Conversely, the water in Colossae might have started out cold, but by the time it was piped into Laodicea, it too was lukewarm. 

God used this geographic imagery to show the church at Laodicea that they had a serious lack of focus. They were neither hot nor cold, as they were not serving the purpose to which God had called them as saints.

So, because they were neither hot like Hieropolis’s water nor cold like Colossae’s water, God would spit them out of His mouth? God is saying they serve no purpose and should be spit out just as we’d spit out lukewarm water ourselves. Still, there’s no Scripture indicating that we believers are all “in God’s mouth.” In other words, there’s no passage where salvation is equated with being in God’s mouth. So there’s no precedent for thinking that being spit out is synonymous with loss of salvation. This passage is simply about loss of purpose, not loss of salvation.

And Many Were Unbelievers!

Many of the Laodiceans didn’t even know Jesus Christ as Savior, even though they were hanging out with the church. This is why God calls some of them “wretched,” “miserable,” “poor,” “blind,” and “naked” (v.17). This is why He says they need to invest in the spiritual riches Jesus has to offer (v.18). This is why He tells them “clothe yourselves” and “that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed” (v.18).

Those of us who are in Christ are not spiritually poor, blind, or naked. We have spiritual riches in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3, 18). We have already clothed ourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). However, many of these Laodiceans were spiritually poor, spiritually blind, and spiritually naked. They had not been clothed in the righteousness of Christ. This is why the passage continues, saying:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

This passage is often used today as an evangelistic appeal, and rightly so. In its context, it was intended to warn the “lukewarm” Laodiceans because many hadn’t yet opened the door of their hearts to Christ to be saved. So we should not lose sight of the evangelistic side of this passage aimed at unbelievers.

As for us as believers, God will never revoke our salvation. Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). And we are safe in the arms of our Heavenly Father forever.

Reflector: What does it mean to you that you’re spiritually rich in Christ and clothed with Him?

*Untangle more lies and discover the liberating truth in Twisted Scripture by Andrew Farley.