Cheat Sheet #27

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.

My article called Cheat Sheet #05 shows that throughout the New Testament we're told numerous times to continue growing and maturing in faith and in the knowledge of God, and we're also told that lukewarm Christians make Jesus sick to His stomach (wanting to vomit).

In the parables shown in my article called Cheat Sheet #10, two types of Christians are described. One type seems to have a fire inside to find out what God wants us to do, and obey Him. The second type has no fire to find out what God wants us to do and obey Him, so they're lukewarm. They're comfortable with what they believe and with the way they're living their lives and satisfied with hearing a sermon once a week (and occasionally reading a little bit in the Bible). Pastors often refer to them as complacent or lukewarm Christians (look up those terms online). The type of Christian we are is based entirely on our own choice and priority. We can choose to make it a priority to be completely obedient to our Master and be told "Well done, my good servant!" or we can choose to have our priorities revolve around our own lives and worldly issues and be rebuked and disciplined (perhaps severely) for being negligent and lazy servants (the painful consequences for our disobedience are described in my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13).

My article called Cheat Sheet #15 shows that this life is a testing ground for Christians because we're meant to become more and more like Jesus. We are periodically tested and then evaluated to see who will have obedient faith (doing what God tells us to do as His servants), not just complacent or lukewarm faith (believing in Jesus but living our lives the way that we want to). God is watching to see who will do what He says, in faith and perseverance, despite the difficulties and obstacles that He puts in our path.

So there's a consistent theme in the New Testament that being comfortable, complacent, or lukewarm in our Christian lives, or being worldly, negligent, or lazy in our Christian lives, or not continuing to grow and mature in faith and in the knowledge of God, these things are disobedience to God and will be disciplined (perhaps severely) by Him both in this life and in heaven (see my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13).

With that in mind, notice that we're told not to be spiritually asleep but rather to be awake, be watchful, be alert, and be "clothed" with Jesus:

"Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up [egeiro] from your slumber [hupnos], because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:10-14)

"Wake up [gregoreuo]! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up [gregoreuo], I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:2-6)

In the above passages, the Greek words for "wake up" (egeiro) and "slumber" (hupnos) in Romans 13:10-14, and "wake up" (gregoreuo) in Revelation 3:2-6, mean:

"Metaphorically, to wake up from sluggishness, lethargy (Romans 13:11 [cf. Ephesians 5:14])" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, egeiro)

"Figuratively of spiritual sleep, sloth (Romans 13:11)" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, hupnos)

"a mindfulness of threatening dangers which, with conscious earnestness and an alert mind, keeps it from all drowsiness and all slackening in the energy of faith and conduct...The duty of alertness as opposed to a slack or sleepy spirit is proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 16:13; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 3:2-3; Revelation 16:15." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, gregoreuo)

Here's what various Bible commentaries say about the above passages:

"sleep: Believers are pictured as being asleep or inactive." (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, Romans 13:11)

"It is high time to awake out of sleep. To awake from carelessness and indifference." (The People's New Testament commentary, Romans 13:11-14)

"to awake out of sleep - of stupid, fatal indifference to eternal things." (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Romans 13:11)

"a backwardness to duty, and a slothfulness in the performance of it; in resting in the outward duties of religion; in lukewarmness about the cause of Christ; in an unconcernedness about sins of omission and commission; and in a willingness to continue in such a sluggish frame" (John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, Romans 13:11)

"Be watchful - Ye have lost ground by carelessness and inattention. Awake, and keep awake!" (Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, Revelation 3:2)

"Be watchful - Be wakeful; be attentive and earnest - in contradistinction from the drowsy condition of the church." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, Revelation 3:2)

As the above passages, and the above Bible scholars, point out, many (if not most) Christians have a sluggish, lethargic, drowsy, slack, or sleepy spirit concerning their Christian lives and have a "stupid, fatal indifference to eternal things" (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, above). They are comfortable, complacent, and lukewarm in their Christian lives, and worldly, negligent, and lazy in their Christian lives, and not continuing to grow and mature in faith and in the knowledge of God. These things are disobedience to God and will be disciplined (perhaps severely) by Him both in this life and in heaven as we saw.

Other passages, such as the ones below, also describe the need for us to be awake, alert, watchful, and keeping ourselves clothed with the white robes that represent Jesus' righteousness (as alluded to in some of the above passages and in Revelation 3:17-19, 6:9-11, 7:9, 13-16):

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13 NKJV)

"for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:27)

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6)

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

"Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed." (Revelation 16:15)

In the parables shown in my article called Cheat Sheet #10, two types of Christians are described. The way to be awake, alert, watchful, and keeping ourselves clothed with the white robes that represent Jesus' righteousness is by being the first type of Christian (diligently studying the Bible and obeying God in all things even when you don't want to), not the second type (being comfortable, complacent, and lukewarm in your Christian life).

Are you comfortable, complacent, lukewarm, worldly, negligent, or lazy concerning your Christian life and the things of God? If so, you'll be disciplined (perhaps severely) both in this life and in heaven, and it's no one's fault but your own.