Why does it seem, in God's opinion, worse to be "lukewarm" than hot or cold (Rev 3:16)? Part 1

Being hot definitely isn't doing one's best to obey the law and be godly (be like God) by human strength aka arm of flesh.The Pharisees that hated Christ must have been pretty hot? No one alive can match them in their observance of the commands of the Law. Christ called them “white-washed tombs.”

Cold and Hot are two extremes. The interpretation of being "hot" as Christians doing their best to keep the Law and doing good things in order to be right with God or please Him would mean that being “cold” is having a total disregard for God's law and living a hedonistic life.

Christ said “I could wish you were cold or hot.” Why would Christ wish for us to have a total disregard for the law and just live recklessly? He came to fulfill (the righteous requirements of) the very same Law for us! That is how holy, upright and unbending the Law is. Romans 5:9 says of how God sees all who believe in Him (Jesus):

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

It takes only the blood of the Son of God - our Saviour Jesus Christ - to make us right with God and save us from God's wrath - the consequences of disobedience to the Law: death, preceded by its symptoms of curses, sickness, lack, anxiety, oppression, stress, etc. Our works, no matter how many, cannot.

Believers, the lukewarm church is the church that is neither under fully under Law nor fully under Grace; neither cold nor hot. Trying to obey the Law to get right with God and merit His freely-given blessings yet claiming to be for Christ (Grace-personified) who suffered and died to fulfill the demands of the Law for us. One leg on Mount Sinai and the other on Mount Zion. Calling Christ "Saviour" but not believing that He accomplished all that He did for us at the cross- He has made all who believe forever righteous in God's sight and forever free from God's wrath. Sin has dominion over such-

“For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under Law but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

Trying to obey the law in order to be godly (like God) while professing Christ has dire consequences-

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.” Galatians 5:4.

No Christ as Saviour from sins in the lives of such who depend on their human strength to obey the law in order to be godly (be like God) or to earn a smidgen of righteousness/goodwill from God. Such are not a new creation in Christ. They still have the old/sinner nature that was inherited from Adam. Recall Romans 5:19-

“By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”

All who have Christ as their righteousness and are no longer striving to be right with God through obeying the law are a new creation in Christ. The one with the old/sinner nature strives to be godly (be like God) through human strength at keeping the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil like a certain tree. See the forbidden fruit as a picture of the Law that many churchgoers are striving to obey in order to be godly in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG-)

“Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me…”

The law that many churchgoers are being seduced into trying to obey in order to be godly (be like God) arouses sinful passions that cause them to sin profusely. We see this in Romans 7:5-

"When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."

The law was not given for us to obey in order to notch up points of righteousness before God or show God that we are doing our best to be good like Him (be like God.) This is why the Law was given: to show us all up as guilty and cause us to see how sinful we are. See Romans 3-

“19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[i] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

The letter (law) kills but the Spirit gives life" is a very popular Bible verse. With the Spirit of the Lord, it is neither by (human) might nor by power. It is impossible for doers of works of the Law to deceive themselves in this matter: if you knew and believed that it is Christ in you doing the works and not your own might and power, it would be difficult for you to point accusing fingers at others who are still struggling with sin and threaten them with judgment/God's wrath if they don't “change.” Rather, you would see how helpless man is to overcome sins and produce good works by his arm of flesh (human strength) and point such to Christ who saves from sins and transforms the sinner who truly believes to live right as He is doing for you.

The Law was given to bring us to the end of our “human strength at obedience/being godly” tether; to cause us to see our utter need for God's saving Grace who is Christ Himself our Saviour from sin and death.

So to answer the question:

Christ said "I could wish you were cold or hot." Better to be totally under Grace, where we get to “live in triumph over sin and death” (Romans 5:17) and enjoy the full benefits of our Lord's goodness that leads to repentance, or totally under Law where we get to see the folly of trusting in human strength at being godly; we get to see that we can never be right with God by human effort (arm of flesh) at obedience and thus be driven to see our utter need for God's Grace, just like Peter who boasted in his strength to keep the 9th Commandment (You shall not bear false witness…) but fell flat on his face three times and so saw his utter need for God's saving Grace - Christ Himself. Titus 2:14 says of Him:

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Antichrist churchgoers teach dependence on human strength at attaining godliness as Satan did to Eve. Such describe the truth of Grace as license to sin and preach that man can be godly by human effort at doing stuff, thus expressing their unbelief in Christ who came to free us from every kind of sin and cause us to live right. But God's word says differently-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.

Only by forsaking our own (self)righteousnesses and believing Jesus (having Him as our sole and utter Source of righteousness and strength ) do we get to live in triumph over sin and death.

There's a more detailed answer in the comments section….