Decaf Doctrine or Lukewarm Living?

Growing Daily

Decaf Doctrine or Lukewarm Living?

At a recent church retreat, we faced a full-blown coffee crisis.  Our two percolators were purchased sometime around 1950. That’s great for the church budget—but relying on them to make coffee is an act of faith.  One percolator malfunctioned, producing a frightening brown swill we couldn’t even pretend was coffee.  The other made real coffee, but the heating element wavered, leaving a lukewarm disappointment.  Neither option satisfied.  Both felt more like a dare than a drink.

It struck me how often Christians fall into one or the other of these errors.  Sometimes we drift from Scripture and end up offering something that looks a little like the gospel but lacks its true substance.  Paul warned the Galatians about this: “You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all” (Galatians 1:6–7).  A distorted gospel may resemble the real thing, but it cannot give life.

Other times, we get our doctrine right, but our hearts grow lukewarm.  The truth we speak is technically “correct,” but we have lost our fire, joy, and power.  Jesus spoke sharply to this danger: “Since you are like lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I will spit you out of my mouth!”  (Revelation 3:16).

The world is thirsty for the real gospel—rich, hot, and full of life.  Let’s return to the Word, stay close to Jesus, and let the Spirit keep our message true and our hearts warm. 


– Catherine Reid