With a title like that, I doubt this will be one of my most popular posts.
But I’ve thought a lot about Jesus lately, which is probably something you’d encourage your pastor to do.
So here goes: Do you ever wonder what Jesus would think of Christianity in 2015? Specifically, what He would think of American Christianity in 2015?
Well the answer to that question would depend on many factors including Bible knowledge, background, travel experience, age, etc. And obviously, I can’t adequately treat all those factors in a simple blog post.
But I can orient your thinking to Jesus. Consider these five things about Jesus as you consider your relationship to Him (if you’re a believer) and what you think about Him (if you don’t believe).
1. Jesus died to forgive. Are you able to forgive yourself? What about others? Do you seek to lead people to God’s forgiveness? This means sin fills us, which needs forgiveness only God can give. Is your sin a problem only God can solve?
2. Jesus is truly just. Do you find yourself taking His place as judge? Do you forget sometimes that He is more qualified to judge than you are?
3. Jesus taught about hell. Hell is not a joke, a punch line, a cuss word, a threat, or any other thing our feeble minds make up. Jesus talked about it as a real place where unbelievers will spend eternity. Does this influence your attitude about sin?
4. Fakers made Jesus really angry. People who sought spiritual control, leaders who led for themselves, and those who in general played religion like junior high self-esteem building experiment drew Jesus’ anger the most. Do you have real, vibrant, relationships with believers? Does your path of growth include learning how to work together past faults, overcoming sin, increasing in honesty and vulnerability?
5. Jesus IS God. We should seek to be like Jesus because Jesus was completely and fully God. It’s a challenging filter in a Christian climate that blurs so easily due to structures, organizations, and moral dilemmas of the day.
Think. In what ways does Jesus get lost in your Christianity?
Act. Reading the Gospel accounts on a regular basis will keep us in close contact with Jesus’ character and desires for our lives.