Publication
CHURCH WEEKLY
Biblical Jesus vs Modern Jesus
Dear Members in Christ,
Biblical Jesus vs Modern Jesus
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
Churches often use Matthew 7:21-23 to warn believers not to assume salvation simply because of their outward works or emotional faith. The challenge is whether they are following the true Jesus of the Bible or a modern version created by the world?
All Christians have the responsibility to ensure that they believe in the biblical Jesus:
- It is indeed sad if Christians hear Jesus say “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” when Christians meet Him face to face.
- In fact, Christians should look forward to the day of rejoicing when Jesus say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21).
Thus, the intent of this exhortation is to urge Christians to examine themselves whether they are of the biblical faith and following the Jesus of the Bible. It is a call to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Christians should take time and seriously examine the “Modern Jesus” (a version of Jesus often presented in popular culture or watered-down theology) and the “biblical Jesus” (as revealed in the Bible). Modern churches mould Jesus into a figure to fit personal comfort and worldly values, rather than submitting to the actual teachings and person of Jesus as revealed in the Scripture.
This contrast must be made known. It is crucial because a false view of Jesus will lead to a false gospel, which ultimately lead people away from salvation (2 Corinthians 11:4, Galatians 1:6-9) and disaster. Below are some highlights, though not exhaustive, of the contrast between the “Modern Jesus” and the “Biblical Jesus”. For those who are true believers and spiritually discerned (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14) will know the Word of God and will be able to add many more to the list.
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Modern Jesus |
Biblical Jesus |
KJV Bible Verses |
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1 |
Preaches only about love. |
Preaches love without compromising God’s righteousness and truth. |
John 16:8 “… he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” |
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2 |
Promises health and wealth. |
Calls for repentance, holiness, and obedience to God’s Word. |
1 Peter 1:16 “because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” |
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3 |
Avoids talking about sin or hell. |
Warns of sin, judgement and hell. |
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” |
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4 |
Preaches tolerance and unity at the expense of standing for the truth. |
Not afraid of speaking for the truth though rejected and despised by the world. |
John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
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5 |
Situational ethics. Obey only when convenient. |
Submits fully to God’s will. |
John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” |
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6 |
Tolerant of sin, promotes comfort over conviction. Avoids offending people. |
Declares God’s Word without fear or favour. |
Luke 9:26 “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.” |
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7 |
Compromises, interprets and twists the Truth to fit culture and feelings. |
Boldly preaches and defends sound doctrines. |
Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able to exhort with sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers.” |
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8 |
Promises comfort without sacrifice. |
Calls to take up the cross. |
Luke 9:23 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” |
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9 |
Popular and accepted. |
Rejected and mocked. |
Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” |
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10 |
Changes with culture and time. |
Immutable and eternal. |
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” |
Come out and be separated: Knowing the error of being taught the “Modern Jesus”, which is “of another gospel” (cf. Galatians 1:6-9), how should an individual respond? He should have nothing to do with it and “… come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord …” 2 Corinthians 6:17. If you are reading this, and have friends who are not aware of the evil of the perverted teachings, do sound the alarm with love. Speak the truth so that they too may not be deceived and come to the light of the biblical Jesus.
Conclusion: Every Christian must personally ensure that their faith is rooted and grounded in the biblical Jesus. It will be too late for regret when the Lord Jesus Christ says “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. Let us therefore, seek, follow and obey the biblical Jesus – the One who is “the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
In Christ,
Eld. Choe Tong Seng