I have heard it said that Jesus is totally open, accepting, and tolerant of all people, “just like they are.” The reality is that such an idea simply does not square with the Scriptures. While it is true that we cannot change ourselves in order to come to Him for salvation, it is also true that He changes us and makes us into a new creation.
A biblical illustration that is commonly used to portray his “openness” and “acceptance” is the account of the woman caught in adultery. We are told that Jesus accepted her just like she was; but is that really the case? When a sinner comes to Christ, he must come with nothing to offer and simply throw himself “on the mercy of the court.” However, unlike a human hall of justice, Jesus takes the sinner and changes him – permanently and completely. He never accepts us in our sin by leaving us in that condition. He did not say to the woman, “That’s OK, you are forgiven. I know you are doing your best.” Instead, he told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). This incident actually illustrates that Jesus is in the “changing” business, not the “tolerating” business.
The Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear during His earthly ministry that the only acceptable way is His way. He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things. He needs no input from us. I heard an atheist say on a “You Tube” video, “A god who’s afraid of new ideas is certainly no creator.” Such a statement is the height of arrogance and shows a lack of understanding of the nature of God that is total and complete. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became his counselor?” (Romans 11:34, NASB). He needs no input from us, and there is no “wiggle room” to negotiate what He has said.
Jesus made the claim to a group of scribes and Pharisees that He was (and still is, by the way) God. And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:23-24, NASB).
That last section is very profound, but it certainly does not sound open, accepting, and tolerant. “…unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Was Jesus narrow-minded? The answer is obvious.
A biblical illustration that is commonly used to portray his “openness” and “acceptance” is the account of the woman caught in adultery. We are told that Jesus accepted her just like she was; but is that really the case? When a sinner comes to Christ, he must come with nothing to offer and simply throw himself “on the mercy of the court.” However, unlike a human hall of justice, Jesus takes the sinner and changes him – permanently and completely. He never accepts us in our sin by leaving us in that condition. He did not say to the woman, “That’s OK, you are forgiven. I know you are doing your best.” Instead, he told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). This incident actually illustrates that Jesus is in the “changing” business, not the “tolerating” business.
The Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear during His earthly ministry that the only acceptable way is His way. He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things. He needs no input from us. I heard an atheist say on a “You Tube” video, “A god who’s afraid of new ideas is certainly no creator.” Such a statement is the height of arrogance and shows a lack of understanding of the nature of God that is total and complete. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became his counselor?” (Romans 11:34, NASB). He needs no input from us, and there is no “wiggle room” to negotiate what He has said.
Jesus made the claim to a group of scribes and Pharisees that He was (and still is, by the way) God. And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:23-24, NASB).
That last section is very profound, but it certainly does not sound open, accepting, and tolerant. “…unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Was Jesus narrow-minded? The answer is obvious.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I welcome your comments. However, since this is a blog rather than an open forum, I will determine what is and what is not posted. All comments, especially anonymous comments, will be scrutinized carefully. I will not post comments that contain profanity or are negative toward the Scriptures, God, Christianity in general, Christian schools, or the United States of America. I also will not post comments that are nothing more than generally uninformed or absurd opinions. In addition, I will not post comments that are totally irrelevant to the subject being discussed. Finally, I will not post comments that are commercial advertisements or advertisements for religious organizations which are in conflict with my biblical convictions.