Rev 3:15-16
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. Oh, that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spew you out of My mouth.

It is a very difficult thing to confront our brothers and sisters who are living a lukewarm Torah life. So very difficult…

Is it possible for those who are ‘Torah Observant’ to need correction?  Yes, it is. Not just for our brothers and sisters, but for ourselves as well. Not only should we be willing to correct others, but we should welcome correction also.
None of this is about legalism or criticism, but a simple love for the truth.

Here are a few reasons in scripture why this is important:

Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

1John 2:3-6
³ Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.

John 3:36
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Luke 13:24-30
Then Yeshua said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the Master of the household gets up and shuts the door, and you’re standing outside and begin knocking on the door, saying, ‘Master, open up for us,’ then He will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will start to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your company, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Get away from Me, all of you evildoers!’” ²⁸ “There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south, and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed, some are last who shall be first, and some are first who shall be last.”

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Revelation 22:14-15
¹⁴ How fortunate are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

John 14:24
He who does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 

Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— ²⁷ the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you today, ²⁸ but the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God, but turn from the way I am commanding you today, to go after other gods you have not known.

I could go on and on, but that is enough.
We are given many warnings in scripture that obedience out of love for Yeshua is extremely important.
These warnings are not my thoughts and ideas, but are the inspired word of Yehova. These warnings are truth.  A harsh truth, maybe, but truth none-the-less.

What if people we care about have a lukewarm attitude towards the Word?
What if people we care about don’t care to do the things of Torah?
What are we to do?  Is it loving to allow them to continue in rebellion to the Word?

Jude 1:22 tells us to have mercy for our faltering brothers and sisters:
“And have mercy on those who are wavering—“

So we are to forgive, and tolerate their lukewarm behavior.
We are to smile and give them hugs and allow them to rebel against the Word.
Ummm, wait, I only showed you verse 22. Verse 23 is critical to this idea.  Here is the whole thing:

“And have mercy on those who are wavering— ²³ save them by snatching them out of the fire”

Wow, that gives it a different context altogether.
How do we snatch them out of the fire?

Matthew 18:15-17
“Now if your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault while you’re with him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.’ ¹⁷ But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to Messiah’s community. And if he refuses to listen even to Messiah’s community, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

1 Timothy 5:20
Correct those who continue sinning in the presence of everyone, so that the rest also may fear.

Galatians 6:1
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught doing something wrong, you who are directed by the Ruach, restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness—looking closely at yourself so you are not tempted also. 

James 5:19-20
My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Luke 17:3
“Keep yourselves alert! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15
¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our message in this letter, take special note of him and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. ¹⁵ Yet do not consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Again, I could keep quoting scripture, but that is enough.
We are to correct our brothers and sisters, so that we might help them onto the narrow path that leads to life. And we are to accept correction for the same reason.

Love is not tolerating rebellion to the word, allowing our friends to remain contrary to Torah. Tolerance and acceptance of their behavior are the easiest things, but we are not called to do easy things.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up—just as you in fact are doing.
¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who work hard among you and are over you in the Lord and correct you, ¹³ and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Keep shalom among yourselves.
¹⁴ We urge you, brothers and sisters, correct the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

My friend Matthew pointed out that we are to build each other up.  Sometimes, the process of building requires the use of a hammer. Building something is not always quiet and easy.
Sometimes it is noisy and requires some pounding…

It is not my intent to “hammer” anyone, as I do not want to be a clanging cymbal, without love.
But it is my intent to snatch my brothers and sisters from the fire, thus showing mercy, just as we are instructed to do by Jude.
This is not legalism or criticism.
This is simply reading the Word and believing it.
If I believe these warnings, then my love for others requires me to share them.
Not to condemn, but to help.
Even if people don’t welcome these warnings.

If you see me being lukewarm, please bring it to my attention immediately.
If you see your brothers and sisters being lukewarm, confront them in love and mercy (scriptural definitions, not man’s definition).
If you are lukewarm in your behavior, please take the warnings in scripture seriously, and do not rebel against your brother who is trying to help you.