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What Revelation 3:16 Really Means

Meaning Of Revelation 3:16

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16

This is a powerful image that carries with it a stark warning that we shouldn’t ignore. Revelation 3:16 reveals to us the purpose that God has for his followers and challenges us to not be lukewarm Christians.

I think this passage is one that is much needed in the church today. Many have fallen away from the calling that God has given them thus becoming lukewarm. This verse will help us see how we can get back on track. 

The Context Of Revelation 3:16

To help us better understand Revelation 3:16 we first need to understand who this passage was addressed to. 

In the first few chapters of Revelation, John (the author) records a message from God to seven churches. These are real churches that existed in John’s day, however, the messages are not exclusive to these churches. They stand as representations of all churches. 

In Revelation 3:14-22 we see John addressing the Laodicean church. This church was struggling; they had largely abandoned their faith and were relying on their own strength to get by.

This church was positioned in a heavily resourced area. As a result they lived comfortable lives and were prideful in their ability to provide for themselves. So much so that when an earthquake destroyed their city in 60 AD they refused help from the Roman Empire and insisted on paying for the rebuild themselves. 

This attitude of self-sufficiency spilled over into the church. They thought they could do it all themselves, and they neglected to rely on God. Revelation 3:16 is a harsh, but spurred from love, reminder where God points out their weakness and tells them this attitude has made them useless. 

It’s important to understand this isn’t a salvation issue but a usefulness issue. This church has abandoned its mission and had become ineffective, useless, and lukewarm. 

This passage is about how we as believers can become lukewarm and feel like we are self-sufficient. In doing so we push Jesus out and compromise our God-given calling in life. That’s what the church in Laodicea had done, and what many Christians today do as well. 

Later in this passage is another famous image that we often get wrong, Jesus knocking on the door. You can read about that here: What Revelation 3:20 Really Means 

What Revelation 3:16 Means

This verse is full of some powerful imagery that helps drive home the point of this verse. But we often miss the meaning of Revelation 3:16 because we don’t know all the details of the church it was written to. To help you better understand, I’ve broken this verse down into two sections. 

Because You Are Lukewarm Neither Hot Nor Cold

This image of lukewarm water would have caused a powerful reaction from the Laodicean church. It’s not a mistake or happenstance that the title this church is given is one of being lukewarm water. Drinks are better when they are hot or cold. But all that this city had access to was lukewarm water.

The neighboring city of Hierapolis had a hot spring that was valuable for its medicinal effects. But by the time the water made its way to Laodicea through aqueducts, it had lost its heat. It was lukewarm. 

Another nearby city of Colosse had cool, refreshing, life-giving water that was the perfect refreshing beverage. But by the time the cool and refreshing water reached Laodicea, it was no longer cold. It was lukewarm.

Hot water is soothing and cold water is refreshing, but lukewarm water is not so useful. 

What God is telling this church is that they are not useful to him. They’ve become stagnant, lifeless, all about themselves… lukewarm. 

I Am About To Spit You Out Of My Mouth

Because this church is not soothing or refreshing God says, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”An image that the church would be very familiar with when they sipped their water supply. 

I like what Tom Constable says about this: “The Lord’s spitting His people out of His mouth does not mean they would lose their salvation. This anthropomorphism simply indicates His intense disgust. He did not mean that He would rather we be spiritually cold than that we be spiritually lukewarm either. He did mean that He would rather we be spiritually refreshing or healthful, as cold or hot water, rather than that we be spiritually bland, as lukewarm water. This explanation seems more likely than the one that identifies the Laodiceans as unbelievers.”

The Bible challenges us to remain on mission for God. He has given each of us a purpose and a role. The church in Laodicea had become stagnant in their faith and abandoned their mission. They were lukewarm Christians. 

How Revelation 3:16 Applies To Your Life

There are a lot of similarities between the Laodicean church and the Western church today. We’ve largely lost our purpose and abandoned our God-given mission. We rarely rely on God and instead seek to provide for ourselves. 

Revelation 3:16 calls us to snap out of this attitude. To not be lukewarm and to instead be hot or cold. Soothing or refreshing. Useful for God and beneficial for those around us. 

It’s important that we understand that this isn’t a salvation issue; we are saved by placing our faith in God and not our works. Revelation 3:16 is a warning to not lose our purpose. God has called each of us to something of significance. He’s given each of us skills, gifts, talents, resources, and relationships. We are to use all those things to tell others about what he has done. 

Revelation 3:16 is inviting us to step back into the calling God has given us. It’s an invitation to once again become useful, refreshing, and life-giving to the world. Like a glass of cold water on a hot day or a cup of hot tea on a sore throat, Jesus is offering to redeem us from our lukewarm existence. 

The choice is yours, will you stay lukewarm? Or will you allow God to use you in ways you can’t even imagine? 

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13 Comments

  1. After being raised by someone unstable and drawn into cults time and again, keeping my siblings and I on the edge of fear and inducing pyscosis and paranoia in two of us, this verse that tormented me when they spoke of returned to mind in gentleness. The true meaning is hot and soothing to me. Thank you pastor.

  2. That is not at all what that means. It is a passage about devotion. All is the will of God when you know that you free yourself from bondage and you hasten your return unto the One. If you don’t believe in something, if you cannot devote yourself FULLY in mind body and spirit to SOMETHING. Then you have rendered yourself useless. God can only use those who are passionate, passion assures that when Jesus utters IT IS DONE that all steps to make that so are completed.

  3. It’s good for a lukewarm believer to have a chance to redeem himself but if they die in a lukewarm state I’m sure they go to hell…Is this a “loosing salvation example?”

    1. Nowhere does it indicate in this passage that’s it’s a salvation issue. But God’s the judge, not us. He will do what is just, fair, and loving on the day of judgment.

  4. What a great read!! Thank you for explaining Revelation 3…….this exactly what I needed to read and see. I started pointing and looking at me in the mirror. How is my body temperature? Do I want a glass of cold water, cup of hot tea or lukewarm drink??

  5. Hey, thank you so much for explaining this so week and through too. I think we read the Bible with Borden that we miss understand the things that we should understand because it concerns God big time. And we sometimes think that God is happy when we just read the Bible for the sake of reading it, but when our hearts are not in it, then we doing nothing for ourselves, and that’s being lukewarm in its definition.
    So, thank you so much for writing this.. I think I needed to read this and so does many other people too..

  6. Not only did I wouldn’t be too quick to say it’s not about people who are saved or unsaved I’ll leave that for God. Bible says don’t love the world nor the things in the world read it in context obviously we’re going to love things in the world but what’s more important. Put that in context with the wide road and arrow road many Christians around the wide road think about it we tell them hey just receive Christ and you’re saved and God will keep you cuz he’s the one who holds us. What could separate me from God’s love not even myself. But only an hour road Christians get to heaven and few people find it which means they’re looking for it. How many people receive the word only to be on shallow stoney soil get choked out and were never saved. How about the man who was given one talent hit Jesus said you wicked serving the part for me. That we’ve been grafted into the tree when we become lukewarm and stop producing fruit again we’re cut off and thrown into the fire. No I’m not going to say you’re right or wrong again I’m going to leave that for God. I’d rather error on the side of having no friends but Jesus than having a bunch of friends that are more concerned about the things of the world. I can go on with a bunch of these verses but I hope you get the idea. I’ll leave you at one last verse Jesus said to Peter who the man said that I am and Peter said you are the Christ the son of the living God. Only God can reveal those who are predestins those who are dead that he had to open their eyes to choose Christ. and yes I do believe God will keep them and nothing will separate them but I also believe that he doesn’t allow them to stay lukewarm.
    In my life it’s love God love everyone not an option always forgive, I do all the good I came to all the people I can all the time I can at least I try, everything’s by prayer do everything without complaining and arguing and and everything give thanks. Everything I have and own is God’s including every breath I take.
    Sorry if there’s any mistakes I spoke this into Google’s email.
    May the Lord continue to bless you and use you for others to see His Glory.

  7. Jeffery, this verse has been haunting me for the past week. I thought it was about salvation and I questioned if I was in the lukewarm category. I was so surprised to see this pin on Pinterest. Thank you so much for this article! You’re refreshing!

  8. Great article. Context is everything. These scriptures have been used for salvation messages for no telling how long. Thank you!

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