Am I Religious or Are You Just Lukewarm?

Did you know there are three types of people? There are those who are lukewarm, those who are religious, and those who have a relationship with the Father. Did you also know that those who have a relationship with the Father are often mistaken for being religious?

I was having a conversation with someone regarding an AI baptismal video. This individual told me, “I didn’t find the video funny, and that says a lot because I’m not as religious as you.” I replied, “I’m not religious.” So, let’s understand the three types of people.

Lukewarm “15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic). I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15–16)

To be lukewarm means to have one foot in the world and another foot in the Kingdom. These individuals only want to live righteously when it is convenient for them. However, according to Jesus, you must choose where you will stand. Either you will fully serve the Lord, or you will not. There is no such thing as an in-between.

Religious A religious person goes through the motions and follows man-made traditions, all while God is not truly in their heart. They often come across as “holier than thou,” judging others by standards they themselves do not follow.

“1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: ‘The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law]; 3 so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them. 4 The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter]. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.’” (Matthew 23:1–5 AMP)

Religious people mirror the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees. As Jesus said, they are not to be followed because they are hypocrites. They struggle to build a true relationship with the Lord because they are more concerned with being seen and impressing people.

Relationship (The Saved) A person who has a relationship with the Lord has experienced Him on a personal level. Because they have had—and continue to have—this experience, it is evident in their actions. Since they know who the Lord is to them, they do not desire to intentionally sin against Him.

“Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11 AMP)

They exemplify the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and they choose daily to walk the straight and narrow path (Matthew 7:13–14). In other words, they don’t just talk the talk—they walk the walk.

Why the Confusion? Unfortunately, there are too many people who claim they belong to the Lord, yet all they display are acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21). In the process, they damage their witness either through hypocrisy or by indirectly encouraging others to live any kind of way while still proclaiming Christ.

Then, when those same individuals encounter a true man or woman of God, they immediately label them as “religious.” I’m here to tell you, my friend, that a man or woman of God isn’t religious—they are serious about their salvation and would not think twice about jeopardizing it.

In a world where holiness is a costume, to them, holiness is a way of life.

So I leave you with this question: am I religious, or are you just lukewarm?