To my brothers and sisters who are “in good health, as it goes well with your soul[s]” (3 John 1:2, ESV), grace and peace to you.
I’ve been pondering the meaning of a sub-healthy state for Christians. It’s not about falling into blatant sin or abandoning fundamental beliefs. It doesn’t seem to impact our rebirth and salvation directly. We still attend church, participate in Bible studies, and offer our tithes. We maintain a stable church life and even engage in some forms of service. Yet, the fire of the Holy Spirit doesn’t burn within our hearts, while the allure of the world remains unextinguished. We are distant from others, lukewarm towards the Lord, and ambivalent about the world, merely enduring our days in the church.
Initially, I perceived this “spiritual sub-health” as a minor symptom of stagnant spiritual growth—something to be addressed through mutual encouragement, early intervention, and timely correction. However, upon rereading the book of Revelation, I realized that Christ views this “sub-healthy state” as a “critical condition.” He declares, “I wish you were either cold or hot.” We tend to console ourselves, thinking that lukewarm Christians are still Christians, aren’t they? Yet, Christ’s final warning is strikingly severe: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16, ESV).
Chapters 1-3 of Revelation are “terminal prognosis reports” issued by the returning Christ through the apostle John to seven churches in Asia. Reflecting on my own pitiful state and the church entrusted to me, I’ve come to understand, and I pray you do too, that sub-health in faith is unhealthy; a sign of impending spiritual death.
1. Do you tend to believe that a morally upright non-believer is “better” than a struggling Christian? Is it possible for a decent “Genitle” man to be a superior partner? An excellent “Gentile” teacher might be a better mentor? Do you hesitate, thinking that non-believers might have happier Marriages, more successful approaches to education, or more profound philosophies? If so, you may confront a crisis of faith, teetering on the brink of the Gospel. (Although, I do believe non-believers can make tastier dumplings and sturdier buildings.) You might need to revisit a foundational Gospel course offered by the church to rediscover the true meaning of a Christ-centered faith.
2. Without referring to a hymnal, can you sing more than ten hymns from memory? Or, among the ten songs you can easily hum, how many are hymns of praise? If you struggle to recall hymns after being baptized for some time, you may be a Christian who praises God only among fellow believers. (I confess, after becoming a Christian, the
song that once spontaneously came to my lips was “I Love Beijing Tiananmen”. [TN: This is a propaganda song written during the Cultural Revolution, intended to be a part of the next generation’s civic education.]) You might only glorify Christ within the confines of the church and rarely engage in personal worship. In my experience, having a Bible at home doesn’t necessarily signify a true believer, but having a hymnal usually does. While a Christian without a Bible seems unimaginable, a Christian without a hymnal is spiritually unwell. (A gentle reminder: our church bookstore offers photocopies of “Worship and Praise” and “Selected Hymns.” This is not an advertisement, I assure you.)
3. Has it been almost a year since you last shared your testimony? I once encountered a church member transferring from another congregation who, while filling out the registration form, exclaimed, “Oh dear, I can’t recall when I was baptized!” I told them that forgetting one’s baptism date usually stems from a lack of experience in sharing the Gospel. Or you might be the kind of Christian whose testimony begins and ends with their baptism. You’ve attended an evangelism class but haven’t actively evangelized. Your baptism seems like a distant event with no bearing on your daily life. We are baptized only once, but the power of that baptism should resonate throughout our lives as we share the Gospel. A Christian who doesn’t evangelize will probably forget their baptism. Even if they remember, it’s more like a funeral than a birthday. Similarly, a church that doesn’t evangelize, a church that hasn’t held a baptism in a long time, will eventually forget its own baptism.
4. When facing a dilemma or crucial decision, your pastor, fellow laborers in Christ, or church members may offer guidance. They might quote Scripture, doctrine, or the Westminster catechism (such as “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”). Do you find their counsel “impractical,” idealistic, or lacking real-world applications?
5. Has it been ages since you last prayed privately for more than ten minutes? It’s been ages since I last did more than ten consecutive push-ups. During Sunday service, do you often feel drowsy, hoping to doze off in Christ’s presence, just like how I fall asleep almost instantly upon hitting the pillow? Do you find yourself unable to focus on Scripture for more than an hour, much like how I can’t run continuously for more than ten minutes? If you’re serving in the church, do you have the contact information of over a hundred church members saved on your phone? Do you have more than three Bibles or commentaries on your bookshelf? How often do you send messages of blessing, greetings, or encouragement to your brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you developed the habit of taking sermon notes or keeping a spiritual journal? Is your social media feed filled with content that contradicts your faith? How many months has it been since you last attended a church prayer meeting?
My dear family, please pray for my physical health as I pray for the well-being of your souls. May the Lord remember us.
Yours in the love of Christ, which surpasses the love of this world,
Wang Yi September 20, 2012
