Many in professing Christendom believe in a cultural Jesus who is not the Lord of Scripture. This Jesus is a god of love, but he is not the God of biblical love as described and illustrated in the Bible. This is a god of love as defined by the culture.
I heard a song recently entitled Give Me Jesus*. It was very moving and I have found myself singing it in my heart. It is very simple and it sums up my life experiences with the Jesus of Scripture. The lyrics speak of beginning the day with Him. They speak of being alone with Him and they speak of ending life with Him. The chorus speaks of rejecting all that the world offers and embracing Jesus.
The Jesus that I know, I know by way of Scripture. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Bible is the source of just about all the knowledge we have of Him. The Bible tells us what we need to know about Him. He is the Messiah, the Promised One of Israel.
In rebuking the Pharisees, the Lord said to them; they (the Scriptures) are they which testify of me, and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, but somehow they missed the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.
How will he who hears the words; give me Jesus, understand who this is? Will that individual know where to look for the true Jesus? How will he know the difference between Messiah Jesus and a cultural Jesus?
When referring to Jesus, I like to use His title (Messiah Jesus, Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ) along with His name. The title used with His name tells everyone which Jesus is being referred to. The New Testament disciples called Him Master or Lord, and Christ is the Greek title for the Messiah of the Bible.
Most professing Christians today do not put much stock in Scripture and certainly do not recognize it as authoritative in their own lives. Unbelievers in the church cherry pick Scripture to find a Jesus that makes them comfortable with themselves. They are offended at the suggestion that they may not know Christ and are ignorant of the fact that many of their own declarations contradict His very words.
Messiah Jesus speaking: Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39&40
…Give Me Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Scripture…
*Give Me Jesus by Fernando Ortega
Note: This was written to encourage and challenge others to know the Christ of Scripture, and to promote discernment between truth and unbelief. The Lord Himself said that many others would come in His name. Be sure that you can tell the difference. Study the Bible.
…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…