Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught?

Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught? They probably do. At least they can probably pull out some words here and there to support their beliefs. Maybe the real question is, do Christian nationalists understand what Jesus taught? In that case, I have to say the answer is a resounding “No!”

 Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught? Hearing isn't always understanding.

Sure, Christian Nationalists probably are familiar with at least some, if not many, passages in the Bible.

They’ve probably heard a lot too. But hearing begs the question, heard from who? From a pastor or priest who actually gives the true message from Jesus that’s in the Bible? Or is it from anyone, pastor, priest, friend, politician, giving a slanted view of what they think the Bible says? Maybe even what they hope it says? Or want it to say?

The person in the image indicated hearing. However, hearing doesn’t always mean knowing. And especially when it comes to the Bible, knowing doesn’t always mean understanding.

Those are important distinctions. They’re important on at least two counts.

  1. Those of us who truly want to try to follow Jesus must know and understand what Jesus taught. If not, we’ll never be able to stay on that narrow path He spoke of.
  2. But non-Christians also need to know that when we fail to live up to what Jesus taught, we are not living a Christian life. Otherwise, they’ll be turned off to Christianity because of us. Not because Jesus isn’t worth following, because He is. But they get turned off because we’re not worth following if we don’t live as Jesus taught.

Maybe part of the problem is that too many who call themselves Christians think all we need to do is say the right words, and voila, we’re Christian and saved. However, that’s not what Jesus taught. We have to get beyond the surface words, learn the context, the culture of His time, and even something of what His words meant – as opposed to what our watered-down Bible often appears to say when we pull out a verse or two here and there.

We need to not just “believe”, but believe to the point where our lives change because of Jesus. That’s how we become followers of Jesus.

Are Christian Nationalists really living as Christians?

In order to look at the issue of “Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught?”, we have to understand the difference between claiming to be Christian, as opposed to actually living as a Christian. We can only live as Jesus taught if we know what Jesus said, understand what Jesus said, and only then can we even begin to try to live as a true Christian follower of Jesus.

So let’s look at that first.

What did Jesus say about hearing, knowing, understanding?

This whole article is kind of a waste unless I can show that Jesus spoke to the issue of just hearing His words as opposed to actually understanding them. So let’s start right there.

ears to hear

Jesus often said something along the lines of “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” One of those is in Mark’s recording of the Parable of the Sower. In Matthew’s Gospel, he puts it a bit differently, but the end result is the same. Let’s take a look at Matthew, since it better describes the intent of what Jesus said.

The Parable of the Sower – Matthew

13:1-15 pp — Mk 4:1-12; Lk 8:4-10
13:16, 17 pp — Lk 10:23, 24
13:18-23 pp — Mk 4:13-20; Lk 8:11-15

Mt 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Mt 13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

Mt 13:11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Mt 13:14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

Mt 13:15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Mt 13:18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

It’s not my intent here to give a detailed explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Jesus’ explanation is good enough for today’s topic. The point is – while many people hear His words, only some will understand. That conclusion is succinctly stated in verse 16, although it runs throughout the parable, since that’s exactly what this parable is about.

Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

But let’s not just stop here. Let’s look at a few other Commentaries to see their statements on this idea. They’re from Luke 4:9, which is my first reference point – “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

First – The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text

9 This formula is not part of the parable itself, but a sort of refrain (echoing Je. 5:21; Ezk. 12:2) which is appropriate to the conclusion of any parabolic saying (cf v. 23; [7:16;] Mt. 11:15; 13:43; Lk. 14:35; Rev. 2:7, etc.; cf. also Mk. 8:18), which leaves its hearers with the responsibility of discerning and applying its meaning. It implies, as vv. 10–12 will explicitly state, that not everyone has ears to hear, so that not all who have listened to the parable will benefit from it.  [1]France, R. T. (2002). The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 193). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes we need to go beyond the relatively simple English words. In this case, it’s the Greek words from Mark.

And while we’re doing that, let’s also consider the word “discerning”, as in “leaves its hearers with the responsibility of discerning and applying its meaning”. The word discern is one of many “Christianese” words that we just love to use, but that non-Christians likely don’t understand. When we discern something, it means we include God in our processing of the thing to be discerned. We come to know the true meaning of something through prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit. It’s not something we just kind of “know” or that we can Google to get an understanding.

Second – The IVP Bible background commentary

Next, we see that this concept goes back to the Old Testament.

4:9. “Ears to hear” reflects the motif in the Old Testament prophets that many had ears but were deaf to God’s voice (e.g., Is 6:10; 43:8; 44:18; Ezek 12:2).  [2]Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 4:9). InterVarsity Press.

Third – The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible

The final one is important for a couple of reasons. First off, God does not force any of us to either hear His words, to learn them if we hear them, or even to follow them if we think we understand them. That thought becomes important in a different way in a moment, when we talk about hypocrisy.

God does not force any of us to hear His words or listen to His counsel. He may employ a series of uncomfortable situations to try to get our attention, but whether we choose to hear is entirely up to us.  [3]Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Mk 4:9). Nelson Bibles.

What should Christians do, knowing what Jesus say about hearing, knowing, understanding?

On my other site, God versus religion, I write quite a bit about something called The Great Commission. Here’s what it says:

The Great Commission

Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

While it means a whole lot more than what I’ll get into here, notice this portion especially:

… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

We, Christians, should teach others to obey what Jesus commanded.

However, or should I make it HOWEVER, we must also consider the part we looked at earlier about God not forcing anyone to listen to His words. If God won’t do that, then exactly who do we think we are to force someone else to actually obey His words?

Furthermore, how can we teach someone else to do something that we aren’t even willing to do? In order to teach what Jesus taught, we must hear/read, know, and understand with the help of the Holy Spirit, what those words actually meant to Jesus. Only then can we begin to actually teach others.

Christians really ought to read, know, and understand something James wrote about teachers. Something I think about all the time when I write and lead a class.

Taming the Tongue

Jas 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

Jas 3:3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Jas 3:7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Jas 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

So, of course, we aren’t perfect. But there’s a huge difference between someone who tries to be “discerning”, who tries to allow the Holy Spirit to work in/through them, as opposed to someone who doesn’t care/doesn’t try.

Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught?

OK, that took a while. But I believe the background is critical. As I mentioned, it’s critical to both Christians and non-Christians alike. And on this site, I often write more to non-Christians than to Christians, although I hope everyone reads it. The thing is, a big part of what I try to do here, especially lately, is to try to let non-Christians know that you shouldn’t abandon or give up on God just because some who claim to be Christians don’t actually follow what Jesus taught.

What does all this Christian Nationalist background lead to?

So, where am I going with all this? Here’s one of many recent headlines about Christian Nationalism:

Texas pastor openly calls on ‘Christian nationalists’ to ‘impose their values on society’ [4]https://www.rawstory.com/robert-jeffress-christian-nationalists/

With the previous background on the importance of Christians knowing, understanding, and living the things Jesus taught, let’s look at that headline in light of something Jesus taught. In fact, a command Jesus gave the very first time he sent His own group, the original twelve disciples, out on their first mission.

While the passage below is Jesus speaking to the original twelve disciples, we Christians must be cognizant of the reality that we are Jesus’ disciples today.

Except for the command in verse 5, it applies to us today as well. At the time, Jesus told them to only go to the Jewish people. Of course now, based on the Great Commission, we are to go all the people.

In any case, the most important verse for today’s topic is the one underlined below, verse 14.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

10:2-4 pp — Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-16; Ac 1:13
10:9-15 pp — Mk 6:8-11; Lk 9:3-5; 10:4-12
10:19-22 pp — Mk 13:11-13; Lk 21:12-17
10:26-33 pp — Lk 12:2-9
10:34, 35 pp — Lk 12:51-53

Mt 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Mt 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

Mt 10:11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Mt 10:17 “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Mt 10:21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Mt 10:24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

Mt 10:26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Mt 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Mt 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
Mt 10:36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Mt 10:37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Mt 10:40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

If people don’t want to listen to Jesus’ message, then we are told, by none other than Jesus, to walk away.

Hopefully, you can see that there’s a conflict between the two statements below”

  • Texas pastor openly calls on ‘Christian nationalists’ to ‘impose their values on society’
  • If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

We cannot have it both ways!

So, when it comes to the issue of imposing our Christian values on society, that clearly is not walking away from people who don’t want to hear, let alone live, the things Jesus taught.

Therefore, we Christians have a decision to make. A choice. Who is our leader? The Texas pastor? Or Jesus?

If we’re not quite sure, and especially if we think it’s the Texas Pastor, we must remember something else Jesus said. In the passage below, The Jewish leaders were trying to force Jesus into making a controversial, if not outright wrong, choice.

The Greatest Commandment – Matthew

22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31

Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So let’s analyze what Jesus said. But instead of Caesar or God, let’s look at the Texas pastor and God. While we’re at it, realize that the Texas pastor is only one example of the many people, both political and religious, that try to force us into controversial/wrong choices between people and God. Who want us to compromise our faith and our allegiance to Jesus.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This goes all the way back to the Ten Commandments. Yes, it really does, remember that Jesus said, All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. So, for those who think the Old Testament, the old commandments, are dead – sorry, but they are not. The dietary restrictions were explicitly removed by Jesus, but everything that wasn’t specifically removed is still intact.

If reminders are needed, here are the original ten commandments.

The Ten Commandments – Exodus

20:1-17 pp — Dt 5:6-21

Ex 20:1 And God spoke all these words:

Ex 20:2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Ex 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Ex 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Ex 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Ex 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Ex 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Ex 20:13 “You shall not murder.

Ex 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Ex 20:15 “You shall not steal.

Ex 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Ex 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Ex 20:18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

Ex 20:20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

Ex 20:21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Therefore, consider:

  • the evidence in the Ten Commandments,
  • Jesus’ statement, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,
  • Jesus’ command, If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

then, consider:

  • the pastor telling Christians to impose their values on society,
  • or any other case where someone tells us to violate Jesus’ teaching, statements, commands.

How can we go along with someone who wants us to break from what Jesus taught? Who is our “god”? The God of the Bible? Or any person?

The answer should be obvious. It should, must, be God!

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

There is a problem with one thing Jesus said in response to the challenge of which is the greatest commandment. Just as a reminder, here’s what Jesus said:

And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Here’s the problem. When Jesus said that, there was an implicit condition in the statement. Today, lots of people know what we call The Golden Rule. Here are a couple views on this that we should look into, pray about, and live out.

22:39 The second commandment was not requested by the scribe but it does show that a balance between believers’ love for God and their love for their fellow man must be maintained. It is impossible to love God and hate people (cf. 1 Jn. 2:9, 11; 3:15; 4:20). This is a quote from Lev. 19:18.  [5]Utley, R. J. (2000). The First Christian Primer: Matthew: Vol. Volume 9 (p. 186). Bible Lessons International.

This one gets into a balance between our love for God and our love for other people. But let’s get real here. It’s not a balance where there are two kinds of love. It’s not saying it’s OK to love God, but only show love for certain people. So keep that in mind as we look at the second excerpt.

22:39, 40 Then Jesus added that man’s second responsibility is to love his neighbor as himself. Barnes says, “Love to God and man comprehends the whole of religion: and to produce this has been the design of Moses, the prophets, the Savior, and the apostles.” We should frequently ponder the words, “love your neighbor as yourself.” We should think of how very much we do love ourselves, of how much of our activity centers around the care and comfort of self. Then we should try to imagine what it would be like if we showered that love on our neighbors. Then we should do it. Such behavior is not natural; it is supernatural. Only those who have been born again can do it, and then only by allowing Christ to do it through them.  [6]MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 1288). Thomas Nelson.

Now we have love of God, love of other people, and love of ourselves.

What can go wrong with love of God, love for others, and love of ourselves?

Plenty can go wrong.

  1. We can say we love God, but do we know and understand what God is looking for when it comes to our love for Him?
  2. Do we love others, as in everyone, the same way? And does that way align with what God tells us?
  3. Is our love for ourselves aligned with our love for God? Or are we narcissistic? Or on the opposite end of the spectrum, do we even love ourselves at all?
  4. If these don’t align, all of them, then we are not living out Jesus’ intended meaning of Love your neighbor as yourself.

Conclusion – Do Christian Nationalists know what Jesus taught?

If/when we don’t live out all that stuff above in the manner Jesus intended, then we can very easily slip into a mindset where Christian Nationalism is something to be forced on others.

The thing is, when we fail to align God’s kind of love across all aspects of our lives, we are actually telling God that He’s not number one in our lives. That’s clearly in opposition to the first part of Jesus’ answer to the Greatest Commandment question. Beyond that, when we follow something like this call to enforce our values on society, we’re actually putting God in position three, at best. Maybe even lower. Here’s why.

  • Our own decision to violate some very basic commands from God, in this example forcing our view of Christianity on society, puts us above God.
    • We are telling God that He’s wrong – that we should force our views on others,
    • and we’re not presenting or representing God as He told us to.
    • Either way, or both, how can we call ourselves Christians if/when we don’t follow Jesus Christ?
  • We are also putting the person we follow, in this case, the Texas Pastor, above God.
    • When we listen to someone who tells us to do something contrary to God’s desires, commands, commandments, and will, we are clearly putting that person above God as well.

People who claim to be Christians but do put others above God, including themselves, should do some serious soul searching. Are we really Christians when our leader isn’t Christ?

But there’s more. Increasingly, I feel that it’s important to let non-Christians know that way too much of what we see, hear, and read of things being done in the name of Christianity – they are anything but Christian.

Why is it important to present this to non-Christians? Well, remember the Great Commission, where we are supposed to reach out to everyone. It’s part of loving everyone the way God loves everyone.

And remember, or read for the first time, a verse that many non-Christians are at least somewhat aware of.

John 3:16

Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. … 

Yes – it’s about your souls. About eternity. It’s important.

As Christians, we’re supposed to be God’s representatives on earth. However, too many of us are anything but that. There are too many people, too much news, and too much attention, presenting views of God that aren’t even close to what God Himself told us. How can anyone believe in Jesus and have eternal life with Him when all they hear is misinformation about Jesus? About Christianity?

And beyond that, why would people even want to believe in the view of Christianity that’s espoused by people like the Christian Nationalists?

The birth of Jesus was supposed to be good news for everyone. And it was especially good news for the poor, the oppressed, the outcasts, and others that society tends to ignore and hate. But people like the Christian Nationalists are using a false view of Christianity to take advantage of the very people who should/were most interested in what Jesus said, taught, and promised.

The end result is that those same people who were originally overjoyed to hear the good news of the Gospel are now the very ones who are being turned off to Christianity – because what they’re experiencing isn’t Christianity the way its namesake, Jesus Christ, presented it.

And that’s just wrong. Depressing. And eternally fatal. So if this is you – please don’t judge God by people who don’t even truly follow God. Check Jesus out for yourselves. He truly is worth following.


Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay


References

References
1 France, R. T. (2002). The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 193). W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
2 Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 4:9). InterVarsity Press.
3 Stanley, C. F. (2005). The Charles F. Stanley life principles Bible: New King James Version (Mk 4:9). Nelson Bibles.
4 https://www.rawstory.com/robert-jeffress-christian-nationalists/
5 Utley, R. J. (2000). The First Christian Primer: Matthew: Vol. Volume 9 (p. 186). Bible Lessons International.
6 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 1288). Thomas Nelson.

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