Last week, I mentioned the importance of knowing how to discern what is true. We do this by reading the word of God. As I’m working on a post that discusses a Jesus who doesn’t look like the Jesus in scripture, I realized a cross-reference post might be helpful. So, today, I would like to cover what a worldly Jesus looks like, and in addition, we will be able to discern this only through covering what the authentic Jesus looks like.
Before I begin, I do want to mention there are a lot of attributes I’m not covering. I want to focus on three main things about the worldly Jesus that is running rampant in today’s world.
To define terms. Worldly Jesus relates to a false Christ painted by the world, false religions, including a false Christianity. Authentic by definition means “not false or an imitation.” In other words, the real deal, and the authentic Christ is only found in scripture.
Worldly Jesus Vs. Authentic Jesus
1.) Worldly Jesus- Feelings Over Truth
A worldly Jesus will do what he can to please the masses. He will speak softly and gently because he wishes to please others. He wants people not to feel bad, so He avoids talking about sin.
(NLT) 2 Timothy 4:03, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”
(NLT) Isaiah 30:09-10, “that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the LORD’s instructions. They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.”
Authentic Jesus – Truth Over Feelings
Christ will do and say whatever pleases the Lord. Scripture says if we love the Lord, then we love others. Truth can be bitter to take in, at times, but truth is a bitter medicine that heals. Christ speaks softly and gently to those who need it. Christ speaks harshly to those who need it. Jesus sent us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who pricks our spirit because of the sin we hold onto. Jesus died so that we could be broken from the bondage of sin. He knows the evil of sin and what it does. He warns against sin and tells people to repent. (1 John 4:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, John 16:08-10, Romans 7:06)
(NLT) Luke 5:32, “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
2.) Worldly Jesus- He Is Like Any Other Man
He’s wise. He’s good. We can be just like him. He took care of the poor. He was all for social justice. He adjusts depending on the culture we live in.
(NLT) Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.“ (Notice how this scripture makes Jesus stand out compared to any other man.)
Authentic Jesus- He Is NOT Like Any Other Man
Jesus is good and He is wise, and it is true we are to be Christlike. But we are not good and we are not wise, not on our own. He did not conform to the culture around Him. He obeyed God, Who never changes. He was and is, forevermore, God, one part of the Trinity. Mankind is not god. Mankind rejects God. Mankind is in sin. No man can pay off the debt of sin while a sinner. Which is why Jesus came to set the captive free. Jesus was Man, but He was the God-Man. He had a human nature and He had the God nature. To this day, He still does. No other man can claim these things. No other man is God or sinless. (1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 11:01, Romans 3:10, Romans 12:02, Philippians 2:06-08, Hebrews 13:08, Hebrews 6:17, 1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 5:12, Luke 4:18)
(NLT) Matthew 10:38, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Our worthiness is found only in Christ. If we reject Him, we can’t be found worthy. We need His righteousness imputed to us because we are not righteous on our own. His blood on the cross paid for our sins. All who believe in Him, as their Lord and Savior, believing He died for their sins and rose again, can be justified through Christ.)
3.) Worldly Jesus- Doesn’t Care Who & What You Believe In
The Jesus of the world is a universalist. All paths lead to God. You can believe Christ resurrected or didn’t. It’s okay. You can believe scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit or just written by men, so it’s not always going to be right. You can believe God inspired other men and women to write books, like Joseph Smith and Ellen G. White. You can believe Jesus is a spiritual guide. Worldly Jesus doesn’t care as long as you are nice to one another. Worldly Jesus doesn’t care when belief contradicts because it’s not about beliefs, really.
(NLT) 1 Timothy 4:07, “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.”
Authentic Jesus- Cares Who & What You Believe In
Jesus proclaims He is God, and He is the only way to God. Jesus does not support any other guide or religion. Christ does not allow us to claim He is this hippy Jesus who is all about feelings. Christ cares that we know the truth because the truth sets us free. Any paths that are itching to the ears only lead to destruction. Christ sent the Holy Spirit who inspired men, the apostles, to remember their journey with Christ and the things Jesus said. They are eye-witnesses to Christ, His death, and His resurrection. The Lord cares that we test everything to see if it is true, not what makes us feel good. (John 1:01, John 1:14, John 14:06, John 8:32, Matthew 7:13, John 14:26, Acts 4:33, 1 John 1:02-03, Luke 1:02, Acts 17:11)
(NLT) 1 John 4:01, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”
The real Jesus is not always going to say things we are going to like because it convicts our spirit and pricks us. The real Jesus is the only way to God because He is God. Sin is real and there are consequences for it. Christ doesn’t care how happy a crowd is, but, rather, that everyone follow Him, take up their cross, and deny themselves. Check out this great blog post by Costi Hinn A Seeker Driven Church Would Fire Jesus.
What is an example of a worldly Jesus vs. an authentic Jesus that YOU can come up with? Please share in the comments below.
To learn more about what Jesus did on the cross and why His atonement sacrifice is so needed please see: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?)
If you do not know the Gospel, do not turn away. If you think you know the Gospel, check out these questions and see how prepared you are for the day someone might ask you why you believe: The Gospel Challenge (30 Question Quiz) – Are You Ready To Defend Your Faith?
Monthly Scripture To Memorize/Meditate On – (ESV) Romans 5:08, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Check out my page Recommended Websites For False Teachers/Teaching to learn more.
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