I’ve been reading Revelation and share some thoughts on lukewarmness in this previous post. When people view my original peak performance model, if they don’t carefully follow the instructions, they end up assuming that middle of the road between the two extremes is the desire state. However, that can lead you very far astray if you chose ONE concept rather than the TWO complimentary concepts. I’d like to modify the model eventually so that this is clearer, and I may have stumbled on the mechanism for doing so–hidden in plain sight in Revelation 3. Hot-Lukewarm-Cold is a linear type concept, but nevertheless, Jesus has to make a similar clarification to avoid people misunderstanding how God views this model. It is assumed (by people) that Lukewarm is certainly better than Cold. Jesus clarifies that rather poignantly, using very illustrative language that is actually hard to preach/say. Spitting isn’t something that would normally have a place in the Sunday sermon.
So, when a positive virtue stands on its own, then the peak performance model is misapplied and leads to wrong conclusions. Instead, when one positive (or negative) virtue is being discussed, you should use the Hot-Cold-Lukewarm model. My bell-curve peak performance model isn’t useful for only looking at one concept because it is better to go to Cold from Hot and bypass lukewarmness altogether. Obviously, it is best to stay in Hot, but you get the point. If you try to apply Hot / Cold / Lukewarm to my model, you end up viewing lukewarmness as worse than being Hot, but better than being Cold. However, that is NOT how the Lord describes it!!
Admittedly, I’m having a hard time coming up with a pictorial that works. Hot is the most desired state but Cold is preferred to Lukewarm. Please help me develop an accompanying model! In the mean time, here are some examples that have been stirring in me. See if you can understand why Cold is better than Lukewarm in these examples.
Love for the Lord: Cold, Lukewarm, Hot
Women’s skirts: Mini, Midi, full-length
Recreation: WWF, NFL, Hiking
Music: Rock, CCM, Zion’s Harp
Praying: None, for show, sincere in closet
Woman church leaders: Overt, pulling strings behind the scenes, in submission instead
Charity: None, to be seen of men, don’t let your left hand know what right hand is doing
Language: Vulgar, mixed, pure
Jewelry: All, wedding rings, none
Love our Enemies: Never, Hurt them if in self-defense, Always