Worldview Matters: Reinventing Jesus

Ours is a culture that seeks to reinvent Jesus. Ours is a day that longs for a Jesus who is more like us. A Jesus that will conform to our image and accept us at all cost. In our culture we don’t want the Jesus of the Bible – that old book that is often viewed as irrelevant and contradictory. We want a domesticated Jesus; a Jesus that keeps His distance and doesn’t impose too much on our lives. We don’t want the Jesus of love that cares enough about us to confront us like a loving Father, no, not that Jesus. We prefer a Jesus who agrees with me, understands me, and conforms to… me.

Reinventing Jesus is to disown the Son of God. Jesus, who came as both forgiver of sins and judge of those who reject Him. The Jesus of “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” Sadly, culture has no room for that Jesus and quickly rejects this Jesus of the Bible. Culture says, “that is a Jesus who is far too intolerant, far to judgmental, and far…far to exclusive. We need a better Jesus – a Jesus who undestands us and allows us to go our own way and do our own thing. A Jesus who is there for us when beckoned but He doesn’t impose when He’s not needed. A Jesus who let’s me live the way I want to live, for the most part ignoring Him in my life and in the end, a Jesus who will excuse all of that.”

This worldview says, “Don’t misunderstand me… I like the Jesus of the Bible, but I can’t say that I love Him. I even believe in Him. I just don’t believe everything the Bible says about Him. I know that I need Him, I just don’t need him that much. I don’t see any good reason to submit my ways to His. Actually, If I was to be honest… I think He ought to submit His ways to mine. I need a better Jesus than the one found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that He died on the cross and all that He suffered but, I don’t think He really expects me to change my life and orient it around Him.”

Culture continues… “Will you join me and perhaps we can reinvent Jesus together. Perhaps we can shift His words and change their meanings to fit our lusts and desires, certainly that is what my Jesus would want me to do. Right? Yes, reinvent Jesus with me! Let’s make our Jesus less salty, tone down that which offends us, and let’s have him to be much more open-minded to how we want to live. Jesus can still be a good moral teacher and maybe even a prophet, but Savior of the world, no… that is far to reaching for our Jesus. We don’t want a Saving Jesus, for that makes us out to be sinners which is uncomfortable and our Jesus doesn’t want us uncomfortable. Our Jesus only tells us how good we are doing.

Will you help me, will you reshape Jesus with me? A Jesus who ignores my sin rather than saves me from it? If you join with me in my venture to recreate Jesus, perhaps we can make for us a better Jesus…”

Question… How about you? I am sure there is something in all of us that wants to reinvent Jesus and make Him to conform a bit to our image. But, the true Jesus offers us a better Jesus, He offers us the only Jesus. He is not the kind of Savior we at first might have thought we needed. Nor is He the kind of Lord we might expect Him to be but, He is Jesus.

Friends, rather than reinventing Jesus, I invite you to receive Him. Accept the Jesus of the Bible. I believe you will find Him to be a far better Jesus than the one of your own making.

Jesus, Savior, Redeemer, and forgiver of sinners, offered Himself to you by dying on the cross for your sins. You can’t improve Him, but you can accept Him… as He is – He is Jesus!

Have you registered yet for Worldview Weekend? You can register here: Worldview Weekend