SPIRITUAL AUTOPSY ON ELIJAH

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I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV)

When God’s fire goes out of a believer’s soul, he does not instantly become cold, but he may remain warm for a period neither cold nor hot. Although the fire has left his soul, the smoke of his past burnings or exploits for God may still linger on, engulfing him.

That is a very deceptive and dangerous spiritual state!

The Lord Jesus warns the church of the Laodiceans about the danger of lukewarmness.

Revelation 3:15-16 – NKJV

 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

 16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

It is possible for servants of God to lose God’s fire in their souls but continue basking in the ashes or glories of their past burnings or exploits for God.

The Elijah portrayed in 1 Kings Chapters 17 and 18 was, without doubt, a fire-brand prophet. He was aflame with God’s love, a man with a passion for righteousness and an intense desire to restore the backslidden nation of Israel. He was fearless, fully yielded to God, fervent in prayer, and full of faith.

Even when Elijah thought he was the only prophet of God left in Israel, he challenged, confronted, and defeated four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. His bold action resulted in a national revival, and the hearts of many people were turned to God (1 Kings 18:39).

However, Elijah, portrayed in Chapter 19, was entirely different. That Elijah was a burned-out prophet. He was a man without any more fire, zeal, or passion in his soul. He was a lukewarm, fearful, fainting, and frustrated man.

What happened to the fire-brand Elijah?

How did a lively Elijah become a passive Elijah?

How did a fiery Elijah become a lukewarm Elijah?

How did a fearless Elijah become a fearful Elijah?

We need to perform a spiritual autopsy on Elijah to truly understand what quenched the fire of God in his soul. It is, therefore, wisdom for us to carefully examine his remains—what was left of Elijah after God’s fire had departed from his soul.

For a proper spiritual autopsy on Elijah, we must put aside all the ashes of his past burnings or exploits for God and clear off the smoke lingering after losing the fire. This is not to demean this highly esteemed prophet of God but to accurately and adequately examine ourselves to ascertain whether we are still on fire for God or have become lukewarm—neither cold nor hot (1 Cor. 10:11-12).

It is wisdom to constantly examine our souls to know whether we are still aflame with God’s love. Paul admonishes us to “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? –unless indeed you are disqualified.” (2 Cor. 13:5 NKJV).

First, his spiritual eyesight became dimmed or impaired when the fire departed from Elijah’s soul.

Losing God’s fire, Elijah’s vision of God’s love, glory, and power became blurry. He could no longer see or discern God’s love, plans, and purposes for his life and the nation of Israel. All Elijah could see was Jezebel’s might, threat, plot, or plan. That was why he fled during the national revival he labored in prayer to ignite or bring about (1 Kings 19:2-3).

Like Elijah, when God’s fire or love goes out of your soul, your mind or focus will be shifted from God to yourself or your enemy. You will become preoccupied only with what the devil can do to you or what he is doing against you, but not with what God has done for you, or what God is doing now in you, or what He can still do for you and through you.

  When Elijah was on fire for God, no one could put him to flight. He boldly rebuked Ahab the King, and he alone fearlessly challenged four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to contest on Mount Carmel and defeated them.

Elijah’s boldness and courage stemmed from his clear vision of God’s holiness, purpose, power, glory, and sovereignty. However, when Elijah lost the fire and became lukewarm, his vision of God became blurry, and thus, his boldness and confidence in God waned. That was why he could fret, be shaken, frightened, and put to flight by Jezebel’s empty threat.

When you also become lukewarm, your spiritual sight will become dimmed or blurry, so you will begin to see, view, judge, or react to people and situations as any natural man will. Consequently, your faith, confidence, or conviction in God’s promises will shake and wane.

Your soul will also become dominated and ruled by fear, doubt, anger, worry, or anxiety, and like Elijah, you will fret, be shaken, troubled, and put to flight by the threats, plots, or plans of your enemies.

Second, when the fire had departed from Elijah’s soul, his love or affection became set on himself.

His love and affection were set only on God when Elijah was on fire for God. Elijah’s burning love, passion, and zeal for God were challenging and contagious. He laid his life on God’s altar with all abandonment.

Elijah was completely sold out to God when he was on fire for God. He was willing to face and suffer persecution for the sake of God. Elijah alone stood against all the false prophets in Israel. He did not care about himself but God’s glory and the restoration of the backslidden nation of Israel to God.

But when the fire had gone out of Elijah, he became only self-loving, self-defensive, and self-centered (1 Kings 19:3-4). Similarly, when the fire of God’s love wanes or goes out of your soul, your love, attention, and affection will become focused or centered on yourself. You will become preoccupied only with your personal needs and challenges, selfish desires, dreams, goals, or ambitions.

  Becoming self-centered, self-obsessed, self-willed, self-defensive, self-driven, or self-dependent indicates that the fire of God’s love has gone out of your soul.

   When your heart is no longer panting for God, the fire has left your soul. When you have no more real hunger, thirst, or passion for God’s Word and can no longer tarry in the place of prayer, you have lost the fire of God in your soul.

    When you no longer have or take any delight in knowing, pursuing, and fulfilling God’s will, plans, and purposes for your life, the fire of God’s love in your soul has waned. When you no longer have any interest in fellowshipping with other believers, in evangelism, or soul-winning, it is a real sign that you have become spiritually lukewarm or completely cold.

  Lastly, when the fire had gone out of Elijah’s heart, he was willing to quit the race set before him before reaching the finishing line.

Although Elijah had not fulfilled God’s purposes for his life and ministry, he succumbed to discouragement and despair. He thus passionately prayed that he might die, screaming, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 King 19:4 NKJV).

Like Elijah, when the fire of God’s love goes out of your soul, you will easily succumb or give in to discouragement, doubt, depression, or despair.

When you lose God’s fire in your soul, you will become spiritually lazy, seeking to quit without finishing your race or fulfilling your divine calling. You will also be unwilling to endure affliction, tribulation, or persecution for the sake of Christ.

   It takes God’s love burning in your heart and soul increasingly for you to press forward toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, regardless of the threat or opposition from the devil.

Beloved, don’t stay too long in this lukewarm spiritual state. Arise now and get back to God’s altar for fresh fire!

How do you rekindle and sustain God’s fire in your soul?

Find out in the following piece!

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, set my soul ablaze afresh with Christ’s love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Preserving the Faith of the Apostolic Generation 

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

AWH, Blogs.

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