Some people think the Pharisees were the only people who opposed Christ, but that's not true. The majority of people who followed Jesus did so for what they could get from Him (healing or a free lunch), and they rejected Him when He said things they didn't like, which He did often.(1)
Numerous Bible passages confirm that most people hated Christ (John 3:19; John 7:7; John 15:24-25; John 17:14). And Christ warned us:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18.
Because we understand the wonderful love of Christ, we sometimes think it's our job to make Him popular with the world at large. That's why so many churches have backed away from preaching the unpopular parts of the gospel and why so many people are trying to present Christ as "cool" and "likable" in books and entertainment.
However, if Christ Himself in the flesh was not popular with the world, the only way we will make Him popular is by misrepresenting His character and purposes.
Any time we present Christ, we must do so with careful attention to His character and His words as presented in Scripture. He offered love and grace, but He also condemned sin, called for repentance, and warned people of Hell.(2)
-------------------
(1) John 6 makes this perfectly clear. See also When the Good News Reveals the Bad News.
(2) See What Jesus Said About Hell and If Jesus Talked About Hell, Why Are We Ashamed to Talk About It?
You may also want to read:
I also encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" or "read sample" on Lifeway or Amazon. To find out where you can order it in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the Philippines, see It's Not for the Money.
Bible Love Notes
No comments:
Post a Comment