IMO, in order to understand what is written here in Rev. 3 and how to apply it to our lives you need to know a little bit about the geographical area of the Laodiceans. Laodicea was located between two cities Hierapolis and Colossae. Colossae was located in a valley that had high mountains over it. It's water supply was refreshing and cold as it came down from the icy streams. Hierapolis in contrast was well known for it's HOT mineral springs and the streams flowed out of the city to the open plains before it entered Laodicea. By the time both streams of hot and cold water reached Laodicea it was lukewarm and awful to drink.
By using these streams, Jesus is actually making a statement regarding the ministry and condition of the church in Laodicea. The Church in Laodicea would have known exactly what Jesus was talking about. The Cold water was good and refreshing, when a person was thirsty, this was the water to give that refreshed the inward condition ofthe parched soul. Thus it was good to be a giver of this type of water. Spiritually speaking, when a man thirsts for God and receives this water, it immediately comforts the inner soul and renews it. The Hot springs in Hierapolis, these hot springs had healing properties and effected the outward man, his body. Both of these are metaphors for a healthy Church and its ministries.
What Jesus is doing here is not judging the Church according to its spiritual temperate, but calling them out on their lack of works. This church was neither refreshing tho those who were spiritually weary or who needed physical healing. Because this church was ineffective, it was distasteful to the Lord. They blended in to the pagan culture just like the cold and hot water blended together that produced lukewarm water, good for nothing. God was calling them out on their lack of witness and works, not their spiritual position in Christ as so many Christians want to mistakenly interpret it.
The application we can draw from this is, once you are born again, it's like being put behind the enemies lines in which we engage spiritual warfare. God wants to be either Very Cold,as in refreshing water to those who are spiritual thirsty, or very Hot to those who suffer from physical conditions. Thus a spiritual application can be made that we are to be concerned with the inner man, spiritual conversion, and the outward man, discipleship--->>>Both lead to a life of Christian transformation and a Christ like/minded person and church as opposed to looking like the environment/culture we find ourselves in.
Very few churches today have a balance of messages that talk about Hell, or sin, or obedience. Most Churches today are all about a feel good, about yourself, hollywood production show to bring in the numbers and money. we need to go to church to get our conscience pricked every now and then to help us stay on the straight and narrow path.
Also, here are two verses in Proverbs 25 that I think fit this passage in Revelation:
[SUP]25 [/SUP]As cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a far country.
[SUP]26 [/SUP]A righteous man who falters before the wicked
Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.