Jesus Wasn't Always "Nice" (repost)
There's a disturbing trend going around, even on "Christian" blogs. People are using Jesus' name to condone sin.
"Jesus was nice to everyone and never said anything mean to anyone" is being used - even by other Christians, not just the world - to silence Christians from speaking up about sin. It's being used to defend everyone's choices and lifestyles because "Jesus never scolded anyone or judged anyone. Because He was all about loving others."
Using Jesus' love to support things that Jesus never supported.
Very clever!
Very evil!
Basically, what they're saying is that "being nice like Jesus" means never calling anything "sin" or telling anyone to change their lifestyles or saying anything negative to anyone ever. That Jesus never said anything against anyone else, so neither should we.
Okay, I need to ask ... What Bible are you reading!?!
Jesus called people "hypocrites" (Matthew 6:5,16). He called people "wolves" (Matthew 7:15). In Matthew 23, He called those who lead others astray "sons of hell, hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, snakes, and brood of vipers."
As an illustration, He referred to people who refuse to hear truth and who attack those who share truth "dogs" and "pigs" (Matthew 7:6), saying that it's pointless to share "pearls of wisdom" with those who don't want to hear it and who will only tear it to shreds. Dogs and pigs don't deserve those pearls of wisdom, of truth.
He called people "evildoers" and said that not everyone will get into heaven, not even some who thought they would because of the good things they did (Matthew 7:21-23).
He called a whole generation of people "wicked and adulterous" (Matthew 12:39) and refused to give them the miraculous signs they wanted because they wouldn't believe in Him no matter how much He did for them.
He overturned tables and used homemade whips to drive out the people who turned the temple into a place of business (John 2 and Matthew 21).
He used the word hypocrites again (Matthew 15:7) to describe those who claimed they knew Him and His truth but who taught the opposite. Sounds a lot like those who are using God's name and Jesus' name to promote evil, to spread the exact opposite of what the Bible says - things such as "all roads lead to heaven" and "we are all God's children so we'll all get to heaven" and "God is pure love, so if you love everyone and say nothing bad to anyone then you're doing what God wants you to do" and "it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere" and "it doesn't matter how you live as long as you're happy because God just wants you to be happy" and "Jesus never said anything about hell" and "The Bible never said anything against homosexuality," etc.
There are so many "Christians" saying these kinds of things. They are choosing to please man over God. And I think there will be a heavy price to pay for using God, the Bible, and Jesus to lead people astray. A heavy, eternal price!
Unlike many of these "Christians" nowadays, Jesus never comforted or encouraged those who sinned by telling them "It's okay, whatever you want to do or believe is fine with Me. I just love you all so much and will never punish anyone for anything. Because that would be mean. And I am a nice God."
No!
He was gentle and kind with sinners who knew they needed help and who wanted to change, who were sorry about what they had done and who knew they needed a Savior. But He was not kind and gentle with those who were proud of their sins and who led others into ungodliness or falsehood. He condemned those people: the religious snobs and the hard-hearted sinners who were proud of it, who were happy in their sins like pigs in slop.
Unlike many "Christians" nowadays, Jesus never excused people's sin or encouraged people to continue in their sins.
In John 8, Jesus was compassionate toward the woman caught in adultery. He stopped people from stoning her.
BUT ... He didn't excuse her bad choices or encourage her to continue doing whatever she wanted. He told her to leave her life of sin.
While Jesus was always compassionate towards sinners who knew they needed to change, He was never soft on sin.
After all ... our sin cost Him His life.
Jesus didn't "didn't judge anyone."
Far from never judging anyone and from only saying positive things, He judged the attitudes of the heart and the choices people made. He told people to change their ways, like the adulterous woman. He warned them that there would be consequences for wrong thinking and wrong behavior:
"... anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...." (Matthew 5:22)
"... anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
"... anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced women commits adultery." (Matthew 5:32)
When He says "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2), He wasn't saying to not call sin "sin" or to not stand up for His Truth.
He was saying to not unfairly condemn others, to not look down on them as if you are better than them or as if you don't have your own sins. Because the very next thing He says is to take the plank out of your own eye before helping your brother get the speck out of his.
He's saying that we cannot point fingers at others while ignoring our sins. In order to best help others overcome their sins and problem areas, we have to first deal with ours. We have to first get right with the Lord before we can help others do it. So technically, Jesus is actually judging two people here, the one with the plank and the one with the speck, both of whom need to acknowledge and repent of their sinful conditions.
But nowhere does it say to overlook sin or to support everyone's right to do whatever they want. Nowhere does it say to keep quiet about immorality and to always "be nice" above all, to never say anything against what anyone else does. Nowhere does it say to make everyone feel happy and feel good about themselves and to never give them the bad news about where their choices are leading them.
Jesus Himself warned them that their sin would lead them to hell.
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them in the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:40-42)
Bad news.
But truth.
Jesus spoke often of sin and hell and who wouldn't make it to heaven and the need to repent. "Being nice" wasn't His goal or reason for coming. It was leading people to repentance, to eternal life. That's the reason He came.
"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 1:17)
Not "I just want you to be happy, so do whatever feels good."
Not "It doesn't matter what you do as long as you treat everyone nicely."
But "Repent! Repent of your sins. Change your lifestyle. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If you love Me, you'll obey Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."
This is far different from the "Jesus never said anything against anyone" crap that we are hearing nowadays. The nonsense that makes people feel cozy and comfortable in their sins, on their way to hell, deluded and ignorant about where they are headed. (Satan's best trick is to use God against God, the Bible against the Bible. To make things sound just godly enough and good enough that people think they've got it right, but without it actually being the full Truth.)
Jesus didn't speak kindly to or about those who spread falsehood, who misrepresented Him, or who were hard-hearted in their sins. He denounced those who didn't repent.
"Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent." (Matthew 11:20)
He wasn't "nice" to the religious elite who taught things contrary to what He taught, who led others away from Him. And He wasn't "nice" to those who were happily entrenched in their sins and who encouraged others in their rebellion. He pronounced judgment on them and warned them of hell.
But He was kind and gentle and compassionate with those who knew they were sinners in need of help, those who sought Him, who wanted Truth.
So ... which one are you?
And to "Christians" out there who are spreading falsehood, who are using Jesus against Jesus and the Bible against the Bible ...
You are choosing man over God. The world over eternity. Lies over Truth. Temporary pleasures over heavenly treasures.
And I would be very afraid if I were you.
For in the end, you will get what you chose!
"Jesus was nice to everyone and never said anything mean to anyone" is being used - even by other Christians, not just the world - to silence Christians from speaking up about sin. It's being used to defend everyone's choices and lifestyles because "Jesus never scolded anyone or judged anyone. Because He was all about loving others."
Using Jesus' love to support things that Jesus never supported.
Very clever!
Very evil!
Basically, what they're saying is that "being nice like Jesus" means never calling anything "sin" or telling anyone to change their lifestyles or saying anything negative to anyone ever. That Jesus never said anything against anyone else, so neither should we.
Okay, I need to ask ... What Bible are you reading!?!
Jesus called people "hypocrites" (Matthew 6:5,16). He called people "wolves" (Matthew 7:15). In Matthew 23, He called those who lead others astray "sons of hell, hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, snakes, and brood of vipers."
As an illustration, He referred to people who refuse to hear truth and who attack those who share truth "dogs" and "pigs" (Matthew 7:6), saying that it's pointless to share "pearls of wisdom" with those who don't want to hear it and who will only tear it to shreds. Dogs and pigs don't deserve those pearls of wisdom, of truth.
He called people "evildoers" and said that not everyone will get into heaven, not even some who thought they would because of the good things they did (Matthew 7:21-23).
He called a whole generation of people "wicked and adulterous" (Matthew 12:39) and refused to give them the miraculous signs they wanted because they wouldn't believe in Him no matter how much He did for them.
He overturned tables and used homemade whips to drive out the people who turned the temple into a place of business (John 2 and Matthew 21).
He used the word hypocrites again (Matthew 15:7) to describe those who claimed they knew Him and His truth but who taught the opposite. Sounds a lot like those who are using God's name and Jesus' name to promote evil, to spread the exact opposite of what the Bible says - things such as "all roads lead to heaven" and "we are all God's children so we'll all get to heaven" and "God is pure love, so if you love everyone and say nothing bad to anyone then you're doing what God wants you to do" and "it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere" and "it doesn't matter how you live as long as you're happy because God just wants you to be happy" and "Jesus never said anything about hell" and "The Bible never said anything against homosexuality," etc.
There are so many "Christians" saying these kinds of things. They are choosing to please man over God. And I think there will be a heavy price to pay for using God, the Bible, and Jesus to lead people astray. A heavy, eternal price!
Unlike many of these "Christians" nowadays, Jesus never comforted or encouraged those who sinned by telling them "It's okay, whatever you want to do or believe is fine with Me. I just love you all so much and will never punish anyone for anything. Because that would be mean. And I am a nice God."
No!
He was gentle and kind with sinners who knew they needed help and who wanted to change, who were sorry about what they had done and who knew they needed a Savior. But He was not kind and gentle with those who were proud of their sins and who led others into ungodliness or falsehood. He condemned those people: the religious snobs and the hard-hearted sinners who were proud of it, who were happy in their sins like pigs in slop.
Unlike many "Christians" nowadays, Jesus never excused people's sin or encouraged people to continue in their sins.
In John 8, Jesus was compassionate toward the woman caught in adultery. He stopped people from stoning her.
BUT ... He didn't excuse her bad choices or encourage her to continue doing whatever she wanted. He told her to leave her life of sin.
While Jesus was always compassionate towards sinners who knew they needed to change, He was never soft on sin.
After all ... our sin cost Him His life.
Jesus didn't "didn't judge anyone."
Far from never judging anyone and from only saying positive things, He judged the attitudes of the heart and the choices people made. He told people to change their ways, like the adulterous woman. He warned them that there would be consequences for wrong thinking and wrong behavior:
"... anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...." (Matthew 5:22)
"... anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
"... anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced women commits adultery." (Matthew 5:32)
When He says "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2), He wasn't saying to not call sin "sin" or to not stand up for His Truth.
He was saying to not unfairly condemn others, to not look down on them as if you are better than them or as if you don't have your own sins. Because the very next thing He says is to take the plank out of your own eye before helping your brother get the speck out of his.
He's saying that we cannot point fingers at others while ignoring our sins. In order to best help others overcome their sins and problem areas, we have to first deal with ours. We have to first get right with the Lord before we can help others do it. So technically, Jesus is actually judging two people here, the one with the plank and the one with the speck, both of whom need to acknowledge and repent of their sinful conditions.
But nowhere does it say to overlook sin or to support everyone's right to do whatever they want. Nowhere does it say to keep quiet about immorality and to always "be nice" above all, to never say anything against what anyone else does. Nowhere does it say to make everyone feel happy and feel good about themselves and to never give them the bad news about where their choices are leading them.
Jesus Himself warned them that their sin would lead them to hell.
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them in the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:40-42)
Bad news.
But truth.
Jesus spoke often of sin and hell and who wouldn't make it to heaven and the need to repent. "Being nice" wasn't His goal or reason for coming. It was leading people to repentance, to eternal life. That's the reason He came.
"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 1:17)
Not "I just want you to be happy, so do whatever feels good."
Not "It doesn't matter what you do as long as you treat everyone nicely."
But "Repent! Repent of your sins. Change your lifestyle. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If you love Me, you'll obey Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."
This is far different from the "Jesus never said anything against anyone" crap that we are hearing nowadays. The nonsense that makes people feel cozy and comfortable in their sins, on their way to hell, deluded and ignorant about where they are headed. (Satan's best trick is to use God against God, the Bible against the Bible. To make things sound just godly enough and good enough that people think they've got it right, but without it actually being the full Truth.)
Jesus didn't speak kindly to or about those who spread falsehood, who misrepresented Him, or who were hard-hearted in their sins. He denounced those who didn't repent.
"Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent." (Matthew 11:20)
He wasn't "nice" to the religious elite who taught things contrary to what He taught, who led others away from Him. And He wasn't "nice" to those who were happily entrenched in their sins and who encouraged others in their rebellion. He pronounced judgment on them and warned them of hell.
But He was kind and gentle and compassionate with those who knew they were sinners in need of help, those who sought Him, who wanted Truth.
So ... which one are you?
And to "Christians" out there who are spreading falsehood, who are using Jesus against Jesus and the Bible against the Bible ...
You are choosing man over God. The world over eternity. Lies over Truth. Temporary pleasures over heavenly treasures.
And I would be very afraid if I were you.
For in the end, you will get what you chose!
