A lukewarm state is a dangerous state. One very
dangerous thing about it is that usually when a person is lukewarm he is
unaware that he is lukewarm. If a man is sick and does not know that he is
sick, he is in great danger of his life, because he is not at all likely
to take the proper care of himself. So the man who is cold and formal but
thinks he is spiritual and full of love is not at all likely to do
anything for the improvement of his spiritual condition. He is very much
like the Irishman's turtle. I hesitate to relate anything so amusing, but
it so well illustrates the state of the lukewarm professor that I think I
am justifiable.
Some Irishmen had caught a large turtle and cut off his head. Then they
waited for him to die, but the turtle scrambled about for some hours.
Desiring an explanation of such a phenomenon, they accosted an Irishman
who was passing by. After watching the turtle for a moment, he remarked,
"He is dead, but he doesn't know it." This is the condition of the
lukewarm professors. They are spiritually dead, but are not aware of it.
The professors of Christianity at Laodicea were lukewarm, but they thought
themselves rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing.
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