Which Jesus Are We Following?

The recent controversy surrounding Pastor Tony Spell has exposed something far greater than the conduct of one man.

It has exposed a question that every professing Christian must eventually answer.

Which Jesus are we following?

The issue is not whether Pastor Tony Spell acted wisely. Nor is it whether his critics acted wisely. The issue is whether the conduct being defended resembles the Lord whom Christians confess to follow.

The reaction has been revealing.

Thousands of professing Christians have defended violence as though it were plainly taught by Christ. Others have condemned it simply because they dislike the man involved. Yet remarkably few have paused to ask the only question that ultimately matters:

What did Jesus actually command His disciples to do?

Every discussion must begin there.

Our opinions cannot answer that question.

Political convictions cannot answer it.

Military history cannot answer it.

Our instinct for self-preservation cannot answer it.

Church tradition cannot answer it.

Only Jesus can answer it.

Jesus said,

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples." (John 8:31)

A disciple is not merely someone who admires Jesus.

A disciple is someone who submits to Him.

His words become our authority.

His life becomes our example.

His commands become our rule.

Everything else must bow before Him.

This is where I believe much of modern Christianity has quietly drifted.

Many sincere believers have inherited conclusions about violence before ever carefully examining the explicit teaching of Christ. Those conclusions often come from patriotism, culture, political philosophy, military tradition, family upbringing, or respected teachers. None of those things are evil in themselves. But every one of them must eventually stand beneath the searching authority of the words of Jesus.

The Christian life is not defined by what seems reasonable to fallen men.

It is defined by what Jesus commands His disciples to do.

That principle changes everything.

Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount with these words:

"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock... But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand." (Matthew 7:24–27)

Notice what Jesus did not say.

He did not divide mankind into conservatives and liberals.

He did not divide them into patriotic and unpatriotic.

He did not divide them into courageous and cowardly.

He divided them into only two groups.

Those who hear His words and obey them.

Those who hear His words and do not.

One is wise.

The other is foolish.

Everything therefore depends upon one question:

What are "these words" that Jesus says determine whether our house stands or falls?

Among them are these:

"Love your enemies."

"Bless those who curse you."

"Do good to those who hate you."

"Pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you."

Those words are neither obscure nor difficult to understand.

They are difficult to obey because they strike directly at the fallen heart.

Everything within us desires self-preservation.

Everything within us wants retaliation.

Everything within us naturally believes violence deserves violence.

Yet Christ commands something entirely different.

Notice what He never says.

He never says,

"Love your enemies until they become dangerous."

He never says,

"Pray for those who persecute you unless your life is threatened."

He never says,

"Do good to those who hate you until they attempt to hurt you."

Those exceptions exist nowhere in His teaching.

Many immediately reply,

"But Jesus told His disciples to buy swords."

Indeed He did.

The question is not whether Jesus spoke those words.

The question is why He spoke them.

Jesus Himself answers the question.

He tells His disciples to obtain a money bag.

A travel bag.

And a sword.

Then He immediately explains why.

"So that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'He was numbered with the transgressors.'"

Then Peter demonstrates exactly how many Christians interpret those words today.

He draws his sword.

He strikes.

He wounds.

And Jesus immediately stops him.

He heals the enemy Peter had wounded.

The disciple who believed the sword was to be used was corrected by the Master who commanded its purchase.

That should give every disciple pause.

Years later Peter understood what he failed to understand that night.

He no longer points believers to the sword.

He points them to Christ.

He writes:

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. When He was insulted, He did not insult in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." (1 Peter 2:21–23)

Notice Peter's words carefully.

Christ did not merely give us a doctrine to believe.

He left us an example to imitate.

Peter does not point us to what Jesus could have done.

He points us to what Jesus actually did.

The disciple who once believed the sword was the answer now tells every generation of Christians that the pattern for following Christ is found in His willingness to suffer without retaliation, to endure without threatening, and to entrust Himself to the righteous judgment of His Father.

That is the pattern Peter leaves the Church.

Others appeal to Paul's words about providing for one's household.

But Paul is discussing the care of widows, not violent self-defense.

Others appeal to Paul's command to "act like men."

But Paul immediately defines Christian courage by saying,

"Let everything you do be done in love."

Still others appeal to Romans 13.

Yet Romans 13 never says Christians are to wield the government's sword.

Instead, Paul surrounds that passage with commands directed to believers:

"Bless those who persecute you."

"Repay no one evil for evil."

"Never avenge yourselves."

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him."

"Overcome evil with good."

Then after describing the role of civil government he returns immediately to the believer's responsibility:

"Owe no one anything except to love one another... Love does no harm to a neighbor."

Paul's argument never changes.

Christians are forbidden to avenge themselves.

God has ordained civil government.

Christians are commanded to continue loving.

Whether a Christian may personally occupy the office that bears the sword is another discussion entirely.

Romans 13 never answers it.

What it unquestionably does is leave untouched every command Jesus gave His disciples about loving their enemies.

This is why I find the cumulative testimony of the New Testament so compelling.

One passage may be misunderstood.

Two passages may be debated.

But when Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, John, and the rest of the apostles repeatedly command believers to bless persecutors, forgive enemies, refuse retaliation, overcome evil with good, and follow the example of Christ who suffered without threatening, the weight of evidence becomes extraordinarily difficult to escape.

The question therefore is not whether violence sometimes appears effective.

The question is not whether it feels reasonable.

The question is not even what Christians have believed throughout history.

The question is whether our Lord has spoken.

Once He has spoken, every disciple has only one remaining question:

Will I obey Him?

Perhaps everything would have unfolded very differently if Pastor Tony Spell, his wife, and the congregation had crossed the street, not burning with anger but filled with the love of Christ.

Imagine them carrying groceries.

Offering to help pay bills.

Asking the very man who had threatened them how they might serve him.

Imagine that headline.

Millions would not have witnessed another confrontation.

They would have witnessed the Gospel.

They would have seen disciples believing that Christ actually meant what He said.

Many will call such thinking foolish.

That should not surprise us.

Paul wrote,

"The foolishness of God is wiser than men."

The wisdom of God has never appeared wise to the natural man.

Neither did a crucified Messiah.

If you believe I am wrong, I ask only one thing.

Correct me from the explicit teachings of Jesus and His apostles.

Do not ask me to surrender Christ's commands to political philosophy.

Do not ask me to exchange His words for military tradition.

Do not ask me to place human instinct above divine instruction.

Show me where my Lord teaches His disciples to return violence for violence.

If He does, I will gladly change my mind.

If He does not, I dare not explain away the words of the One who purchased me with His own blood.

Some may wonder whether these convictions come from someone who has never faced danger.

They do not.

I have been threatened with death.

My wife has been harassed.

I have been thrown to the ground.

I have been struck.

But none of that proves anything.

The issue has never been what happened to me.

The issue has always been what Christ commanded me.

If I were to see a woman or child being attacked, I would not stand by in indifference.

I would go toward the danger.

I would plead.

I would preach.

I would command the aggressor to stop.

If necessary, I would restrain him so the innocent could escape.

And if I were beaten in the process, I would count it an honor to suffer while protecting another without abandoning the way of Christ.

I have seen fights end through nothing more than courageous intervention, pleading, and truth spoken with compassion.

Sometimes I walked away unhurt.

Sometimes I did not.

Either way, Christ did not lose.

The kingdom of God did not suffer defeat.

Faithfulness is never measured by whether we avoid suffering.

It is measured by whether we remain like Christ when suffering finds us.

This is not ultimately a debate about self-defense.

It is a question of discipleship.

Someday every one of us will stand before Jesus Christ.

We will not be asked whether our political philosophy was correct.

We will not be asked whether our instincts proved practical.

We will not be asked whether our favorite preacher agreed with us.

We will stand before the One who said,

"Love your enemies."

The question on that day will not be whether those words were difficult.

The question will be whether we believed they were meant to be obeyed.

As for me, I would rather be thought a fool for believing Jesus than be found wise for explaining Him away.

 

𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐎𝐃

The difference between fearing the Gospel may be true and believing the Gospel is true is the difference between darkness and light.

A man may tremble beneath the thought of judgment. He may fear hell. He may fear eternity. He may fear that Christ truly is Lord. Yet fear alone is not faith.

For many live caught in a cycle that never dies.

They love sin for a season.
Then comes conviction.
Then reform.
Then collapse.
Then another attempt.
Then another retreat into darkness.

𝐖𝐡𝐲?

Because they are not convinced.

They fear the Gospel may be true, but they have never been seized by the certainty that it is true.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫.

But it is true nonetheless.

Many imagine they believe in Jesus Christ because they think Christianity is probably correct. They confuse intellectual acknowledgment with living faith. Yet thinking something may be true and being inwardly convinced of its reality are not the same thing.

A man may think the bridge will hold him.

But true belief is revealed when he places his full weight upon it.

So too with Christ.

You cannot truly believe without first thinking it true.

But a man may think it true for years while never truly believing at all.

Many have persuaded themselves that they have tested every promise of God. They speak as though they have forsaken all things for Christ and poured themselves out in pursuit of Him. Yet they remain strangers to the new birth.

They cannot look back and say:

“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞—𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞.”

So they regress.

Slowly.
Painfully.
Almost imperceptibly.

They sink deeper into discouragement, deeper into confusion, deeper into inward darkness, while continuing to insist they believe the Gospel.

Yet their lives testify against them.

They remain uncertain whether they will continue following the LORD.

They remain divided within themselves.

One part reaching toward Christ while another still clings to rebellion.

And pride—terrible pride—whispers to them:

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.”

So they make peace with uncertainty while continuing in sin.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

For the man who truly sees Christ as He is does not speak of following Him as though it were merely one path among many. He may stumble. He may weep. He may fight through weakness and trembling. But inwardly he knows:

“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐨?
𝐇𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 6:68)

And here is the proposition I place before every wavering soul:

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝—𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲—𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝.

Now hear this carefully.

How do we know whether the Spirit of God truly dwells within us?

Is it because we prophesy?
Because we speak boldly?
Because we work wonders or experience supernatural things?

𝐍𝐨.

Is it because we hate immorality?
Because we grieve over corruption?
Because we love goodness, defend sound doctrine, and stand against the decay of the age?

These things may indeed accompany the work of God.

But men, even in the flesh, may experience many of these things.

Religious men experience these things.
Deceived men experience these things.
Those who merely believe in Jesus intellectually experience these things.

And yet those who truly possess the Holy Spirit experience them also.

So what then is the difference?

The deepest answer I can give is this:

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬.

Not merely as theory.
Not merely as doctrine.
Not merely as emotional excitement.

𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬.

And if it has never happened, somewhere beneath all the noise and self-justification, he knows that too.

And if the Spirit of God still abides within him, he knows that also.

For the indwelling of God is not merely a concept to be studied.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.

And what then is this believing of which Scripture speaks so continually?

For the Word of God does not speak sparingly concerning belief:

“𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝.” (Acts 16:31)

“𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 3:14–15)

“𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 3:16)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐝.” (John 3:18)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 3:36)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬… 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 5:24)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.” (John 6:35)

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 6:40)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (John 6:47)

“𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.” (John 7:38)

“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞.” (John 11:25)

“𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞.” (John 11:26)

“𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.” (John 12:46)

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭… 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬.” (Romans 1:16)

“𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝.” (1 John 5:1)

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.” (1 John 5:10)

Notice how belief is spoken of as something living.
Something transformative.
Something that passes a man from death into life.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

It is analogous to seeing.

To hearing.

To knowing.

The Samaritans said:

“𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞… 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭.” (John 4:42)

Peter said:

“𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝.” (John 6:69)

Do you see it?

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

Not mere suspicion.
Not fearful possibility.
Not reluctant religious acknowledgment.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲.

Yet Scripture also warns us with terrifying sobriety that there exists a kind of belief that does not endure.

“𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞… 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.” (Luke 8:13)

There are those who appear persuaded for a season.
Those who rejoice temporarily beneath conviction.
Those who walk near truth while remaining strangers to the life of God.

Judas himself walked beside Christ and yet remained in unbelief from the beginning.

“𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞.” (John 6:64)

And why do many remain in this condition?

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.

Scripture says:

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝… 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4)

And again:

“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.” (2 Thessalonians 2:12)

This is why many cannot come fully into the light.

Not because evidence is lacking.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝.

And yet the invitation of Christ still stands:

“𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.” (John 12:36)

This is why the soul in whom God truly dwells cannot remain content merely speaking about Christ while never inwardly knowing Him.

For when the Spirit of God truly opens the eyes of a man, Christ ceases to be a distant religious figure and becomes life itself.

The man no longer merely argues that the Gospel may be true.

𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬.

𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬.

And because he knows, he comes.

And because he comes, he drinks.

And because he drinks, 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 begin flowing from within. (John 7:38)

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗜𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱

If a man can unravel every conspiracy, if he can speak with confidence about the end of days and chart the course of kingdoms yet to rise and fall, but cannot give a seasoned, inwardly tested account of why Paul the Apostle travailed as a woman in labor until Christ was formed within the Church—those saved by grace through faith—then his knowledge is not wisdom, but misordered pursuit. His life has been spent circling shadows while neglecting the substance. His priorities are not merely misplaced; they are inverted.

For this is not a light question, nor a matter for casual doctrine. When Galatians 4:19 speaks of travail until Christ is formed, it does not call for a clever answer—it demands a life that has entered into that burden. It is one thing to speak of formation; it is another to have felt its cost, to have borne its weight in prayer, in anguish, in love that refuses to let souls remain unchanged.

Yes, a man may reach into the storehouse of theology and produce an explanation, polished and precise. But if it does not arise from the inward man—from the depth where his thoughts, affections, and desires are forged—then it is hollow. It is speech without substance, form without life.

Such a one may know about Christ, but he does not yet know Him. For to know Christ is not merely to define Him, but to be conformed to Him—to carry His burden, to share in His longing, to labor until His image is made manifest in others.

Until that reality governs the heart, all other knowledge—no matter how intricate, no matter how impressive—remains a distraction from the one thing needful.

Yet this burden did not visit Paul the Apostle for a moment and depart—it remained, an abiding weight, until his earthly course was sealed in martyrdom. It was not a passing emotion, but a sustained participation in the very longing of Christ for His people.

There is a sober comfort if we can look back and testify that we have truly known this travail—that there was a time when the soul groaned, when the heart burned, when Christ was not merely confessed but inwardly contended for. Yet this comfort becomes a witness against us if that holy burden has faded into memory. For if it is only something we once felt, and no longer bear, then we have not remained—we have drifted.

The drift is subtle, yet deadly. The heart, once alive with divine urgency, becomes overcharged with the cares of this life. The sacred pulse—quiet, living, life-giving—begins to weaken, until at last it is scarcely felt at all. What was once a flame becomes an ember, and what was once an ember risks becoming ash.

“For it is with fear and trembling” that we are commanded to work out our salvation, as written in Philippians 2:12. This trembling is not the terror of the condemned, but the holy sensitivity of a soul that knows what is at stake—the awareness that to drift from God is to drift from life itself.

And if we do not tremble—if we can perceive our distance and yet remain unmoved—then we must not comfort ourselves with false assurances. Such stillness may not be peace, but peril. For there is a drifting so prolonged that the conscience grows quiet, not because it is at rest, but because it has grown dull.

Therefore let the cry rise again, not as mere language, but as necessity: that God would help us, that He would deliver us, that He would save us—not only from judgment, but from ourselves; not only from sin, but from indifference; not only from error, but from coldness of heart.

And more than this—that He would bring us again into His presence, where there is fullness of joy, where the pulse of divine life is restored, and where the soul, awakened once more, finds that it has not merely remembered Him—but has returned.

𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦-𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

What is the LORD teaching you in this present hour? For my own part, I find that His instruction is not always new, but faithful—returning again and again, pressing the same truth upon the heart until it is no longer merely understood, but lived.

One lesson, in particular, has followed me: that healing from the wounds inflicted by this world—and even by brethren—comes not through resistance, nor through vindication, but often in a moment, when I perceive that what is happening to me has already happened to Him.

It is one thing to confess that no servant is greater than his Lord; it is another to be treated as the Lord Himself was treated, and to receive it as He received it—not in agitation, but in quiet strength; not in bitterness, but in a love that does not withdraw; in patience, in meekness, and in that lowliness of mind which does not grasp for its own honor. For in Christ, lowliness is not a man thinking less of Himself, as though truth were diminished, but something altogether different—for He Himself declared that He is lowly, and yet in truth He is higher than the highest heaven. He bore no false humility. There is in Him a strength foreign to the weakness of this world—unyielding, yet without hardness; resolute, yet altogether tender.

We may stand in years, or in places of authority, where others are inclined—or even expected—to regard us with respect. Yet He, who is eternal, through whom all things were made, was regarded as one of no account. He who was before Abraham was treated as though He came after. He who is worthy of all honor was rebuked, scourged, and crucified.

Some speak as though His suffering were merely functional—necessary only for redemption—and in so doing, they overlook the long path of His humiliation. What then shall be said of those thirty hidden years? What shall be said of the quiet, daily condescension of the Eternal, who walked among men without recognition, bearing the weight of misunderstanding long before He bore the cross?

And so the soul is brought low, not in despair, but in clarity: if my Lord received injustice with a love that neither resisted nor retaliated, who am I to be offended when I am treated with less than I believe I deserve? Jesus did not walk through this world wounded by offense, for He knew who He was and remained ever conscious of it. Yet I find that I am offended precisely when I forget whose I am. And in the remembering, offense loses its power.

Herein lies the mystery of Divine love. Offense is born when the eyes are fixed upon men—upon what they do, or fail to do; what they say, or withhold. But healing is given when the gaze is lifted to Him. For in beholding Him, the soul is not merely comforted—it is conformed.

 

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗬𝗘

The ruin of a soul does not begin with the outward act but with the inward consent. The mind—created to behold the beauty of God—becomes darkened when it willingly entertains what it knows to be unclean. When a person nourishes sexual fantasies, lingers over corrupt desires, or delights in sinful curiosities, the heart is not merely wandering; it is training itself to love the shadows.

Darkness rarely announces itself as darkness. It often arrives clothed in fascination, curiosity, or private indulgence. Yet every entertained corruption leaves a residue upon the mind, dimming the spiritual sight that was meant to behold the light of Christ. The conscience grows quieter, the will grows weaker, and the soul—once made for communion with God—begins to grow accustomed to the night.

Scripture warns that “everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). The danger is not merely that sinful thoughts appear—temptation itself is common to all—but that the heart chooses to dwell there, to rehearse the corruption, to savor what God has forbidden. In that moment the mind ceases to be a sanctuary and becomes a theater for darkness.

If this pattern is cherished and unrepented, the result is not trivial. The soul that trains itself to prefer darkness will one day find that darkness its dwelling. For the eternal ruin of a person is not an arbitrary sentence imposed from without; it is the final flowering of a life that has refused the light.

Yet the gospel also declares that no darkness is too deep for the light of Christ to penetrate. The same Lord who exposes the shadows also calls sinners into the radiance of His mercy. When the mind turns again toward Him—rejecting the fantasies, resisting the curiosity, fleeing the corruption—the light returns. And where the light of Christ reigns, the darkness cannot remain.

Therefore guard the inner chamber of the mind. For within that unseen sanctuary the destiny of the soul is quietly being shaped—either toward the everlasting dawn of God’s presence, or toward the night that has no morning.

Affection that heaven recognizes

As I consider how deeply I treasure affection from those I love, and remember that I am created in the image of God, a weightier truth continues to unfold: our affection for God is precious to Him. It is not peripheral to devotion; it is its living core.

Obedience, devotion, and pursuit offered without affection ring hollow in His heart. They may impress men, satisfy systems, and preserve appearances, but they do not satisfy God. For the sacrifice of the Lamb was a sweet-smelling aroma not merely because it was costly, but because it was love—pure, infinite affection poured out without reserve.

We are called to follow Him in this way (Ephesians 5:1-2). Yet affection cannot be manufactured, demanded, or produced by self-effort. It is not coerced by fear nor sustained by discipline alone. Affection is born in the heart that beholds God as He truly is—and having seen Him, can no longer remain indifferent.

When The Fear Of God Is Lost

One of the clearest signs that a soul has grown self-righteous, drifted from God, or quietly fallen away is this: it no longer trembles at the word of God.

The holy fear—the inward trembling wrought by the Spirit in hearts freshly washed in the blood of the Lamb—has vanished. What remains is familiarity without awe, language without weight, doctrine without fire.

There are others who have been raised in church—often in very conservative churches—who outwardly adhere to the Sermon on the Mount with strict seriousness, yet have never once trembled before the word of God. They have never seen their own wretchedness because they have never truly known God as He is. They were reared inside a dead religion, one that prides itself on being unlike the world and superior to the worldly church. Their assurance rests not in the fear of the LORD, but in comparison. They remain confident because they still believe the Sermon on the Mount must be kept—and indeed, it must. But obedience divorced from awe easily becomes a pedestal for pride rather than a posture of humility.

Yet Scripture will not allow us such illusions. Even Job, whom God Himself called blameless, trembled when he beheld a manifestation of the Almighty. Even Isaiah cried out in terror when he saw the LORD of hosts in His glory. Neither man congratulated himself on his moral seriousness. Neither stood tall in self-confidence. Both collapsed under the weight of divine holiness.

For when God is truly seen, man is truly revealed.

And the first fruit of that revelation is not self-assurance—but trembling.

The Normal Life of Those Who Know God

If people call you extreme because you take obedience to God seriously, it is not because you have gone too far, but because they have not gone far enough. They do not know God as He is. If they did, obedience would not appear radical to them at all—it would appear normal, even inevitable.

To walk carefully before the Holy One will always look excessive to those who have reduced God to an idea, a symbol, or a cultural accessory. But to those who know Him—who have encountered His weight, His authority, and His nearness—obedience is not extremism; it is sanity.

Borrowed Authority

Borrowed authority is the God-delegated right to act and speak on His behalf, sustained only by obedience and humility, and withdrawn the moment it is claimed as personal possession rather than exercised as sacred stewardship.

The concept of borrowed authority is not derived from a single proof-text, but from a unified biblical pattern that runs from Genesis to Revelation: authority belongs to God alone and is only ever exercised by humans through divine delegation, under obedience, and at God’s discretion.

Below are the primary biblical wells from which the doctrine of borrowed authority is drawn:

1. God as the Sole Source of Authority

All authority originates in God and remains His, even when exercised by others.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,

and His kingdom rules over all.”

— Psalm 103:19

This is the root principle: no creature possesses authority intrinsically. Authority is not a human right; it is a divine trust.

2. Delegated Authority in Creation

From the beginning, humanity’s authority is given, not owned.

“Let Us make man… and let them have dominion…”

— Genesis 1:26

Dominion is granted after creation, not embedded within it. Humanity rules under God, not alongside Him. This establishes authority as derivative, not absolute.

3. Prophetic Authority: “Thus Says the LORD”

The prophets embody borrowed authority more clearly than any group.

“The LORD sent me to prophesy…”

— Jeremiah 26:12

“The LORD has not sent these prophets, yet they ran.”

— Jeremiah 23:21

A prophet’s authority exists only while he speaks what God has spoken. The moment he speaks from himself, the authority collapses. This distinction creates the biblical category of false prophets—men who speak without authorization.

4. Kingship Under Covenant (Not Autonomy)

Israel’s kings ruled by permission, not by right.

“When he sits on the throne… he shall read [the Law] all the days of his life,

that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers.”

— Deuteronomy 17:18–20

When Saul disobeyed, his kingship was not overthrown by revolt—it was withdrawn by God:

“The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today.”

— 1 Samuel 15:28

This is borrowed authority revoked.

5. Christ’s Teaching on Delegated Authority

Even Jesus Christ speaks of authority as something given, not assumed.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

— Matthew 28:18

He then delegates that authority:

“As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”

— John 20:21

This establishes a chain: Father → Son → sent ones. Authority flows; it is never self-generated.

6. Christ’s Final Word to Church Leaders

In Revelation, authority is shown to be revocable without overthrow.

“I will remove your lampstand from its place.”

— Revelation 2:5

The church may continue outwardly, but the divine authorization—the lampstand—is removed. This is borrowed authority stripped.

7. Shepherds Accountable to God

The most explicit warning against abused borrowed authority comes in Ezekiel.

“I am against the shepherds…

I will require My sheep at their hand.”

— Ezekiel 34:10

Here, God does not deny that they held authority—He judges how they used what was loaned. The authority is real, but never owned.

A WARNING TO THE SHEPHERDS

Hear the word of the LORD, you who stand behind pulpits, you who wear the language of calling, you who speak often of authority but tremble little before the One who gives it.

Authority in the house of God is not owned. It is loaned. It is breathed, not seized. It rests only where obedience rests. And when obedience departs, authority does not linger out of courtesy.

What many have mistaken for permanence was patience.

THE STRIPPING OF BORROWED AUTHORITY

There is a judgment quieter than fire and sharper than the sword: when God withdraws His endorsement while leaving the structure standing. The building remains. The title remains. The microphone still works. But heaven is no longer listening.

This is how false shepherds are stripped—not by mobs, not by rebellion, not by human overthrow, but by divine disengagement. God simply removes His Name from what He never commanded.

“I am against the shepherds,” says the LORD. Not the sheep. Not the bruised. Not the wandering. The shepherds.

When borrowed authority is stripped, the voice loses weight. Words multiply but do not pierce. Warnings sound, yet do not awaken. Prayers are spoken, yet do not ascend. What once stirred conviction now produces fatigue.

This is not accidental. This is judgment.

FALSE SHEPHERDS

False shepherds love authority but do not love the sheep. They speak much of covering but little of conscience. They protect platforms more fiercely than people and call silence “unity.”

They preach peace where repentance is required. They heal wounds lightly and brand it compassion. They confuse attendance for fruit and applause for anointing.

Their authority is borrowed only in appearance. In truth, it is self-assumed. They did not wait to be sent. They ran. They did not stand in the counsel of the LORD. They stood in branding meetings.

And when God strips them, they do not repent—they double down. They tighten control. They silence questions. They accuse discernment of division.

But the sheep begin to hear the difference. And a stranger’s voice loses its hold.

HIRELINGS

The hireling is not wicked in the same way, but he is dangerous in another. He serves God so long as it costs little. He flees when truth threatens his security. He will not lay down his life, only his schedule.

The hireling does not intend to deceive, yet he will not contend. He avoids wolves not because he loves peace, but because he fears loss. His sermons are safe. His convictions are adjustable. His courage has conditions.

When authority is tested, the hireling yields it—not to God, but to fear. And when stripping comes, it comes as exposure: the realization that what guided him was not obedience, but preservation.

TRUE SHEPHERDS

True shepherds do not clamor for authority because they fear God too much to misuse it. They carry weight because they carry tears. They speak with gravity because they have stood in the breach when no one was watching.

They tremble before the Word before they ever preach it. They are slow to strike and quick to repent. They do not heal themselves with excuses. They do not trade truth for growth.

Their authority survives pruning because it was never self-grown. Even when opposed, heaven stands with them. Even when reduced, their voice remains sharp. Even when hidden, their fruit multiplies.

God does not need to prop them up. He guards them.

A FINAL WARNING

To those who shepherd for gain, for image, for control: your authority is already failing if you must constantly defend it. Borrowed authority does not need protection—it needs obedience.

The LORD will not share His glory with charisma. He will not sanctify manipulation. He will not uphold a voice that silences His own.

He is stripping false shepherds in this hour—not to destroy the Church, but to save the sheep. He is removing lampstands while leaving walls intact. He is exposing the difference between voice and echo, between calling and career.

Let the shepherd repent before the sheep scatter.

For the LORD Himself will shepherd His people. And when He speaks, no borrowed authority will stand in His way.

The Betrayal Of Wanting Another Christ

Jesus’s doctrine, His commandments, and His teachings are in the Scriptures for all to read. They are recorded in the Gospels and woven throughout every New Testament letter. Yet when we read the Bible, it is necessary not only that we read what we already believe, but that we also believe everything we read. Whatever we bring to God’s Word that does not come from God’s Word must be recognized, exposed, and demoted as such. The heart must desire to be true only what is actually the truth. To want anything else is the spirit of idolatry, and the apostle’s admonition still stands with undiminished relevance: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

To not want the words of Jesus to be true is like wishing your spouse were more attractive or more skilled—an inward betrayal of the heart. It reveals a desire for something other than the one you claim to love. In the same way, to wish Christ had spoken differently is to wish Christ were different. It is to prefer another Jesus—one fashioned according to our desires rather than the One who actually is.

So let the question be asked: Is there anything Jesus said that you do not want to be true? What happens in you when the words of Jesus confront the words within you? What if, in reading His teachings, you found your heart at variance with what He spoke? Would you walk away from Him—or walk with Him? Would you soften His words, reinterpret them, weaken them, or would you let His words change you?

For the test of true discipleship is not whether His words flatter us, but whether they form us. The issue is never whether His teachings align with our desires, but whether our desires align with His. The question is not whether His words agree with our worldview, but whether our worldview bows to His words. And in the end, every soul must decide: Will I change His words to fit me, or will I be changed by the Word who made me?