How do "moderate" Christians square this meme version of Jesus, that they have made in their own image with the actual Jesus from the bible? I think many worship themselves, and their own made up values rather than what Jesus claims himself to be. The Jesus I see was compassionate yes, but also VERY confrontational. He constantly challenged people to be better, and constantly made people uncomfortable. He flipped over tables, called people dogs, whitewashed tombs, said "get behind me satan". He even showed compassion to a woman caught in adultery. He didn't condemn her, but de did demand that she "go and sin no more".

It amazes me how perfectly balanced Jesus is. Where has our balance gone between mercy, grace, and actually insisting on following the teachings of Jesus? Jesus would not consider it compassionate to tell people they can practice sin in open rebellion to God.

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1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 Jn 3:7 - 10 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

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Do we really love our brother if we allow them to practice sin, and not tell them that if they do that they are in open rebellion to God, and are going down the road to perdition, that leads to hell?

How do you justify ignoring the commandments of your Lord? Do you really love Jesus, or an idol?

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Matt 5:17 - 19 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments

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He was also passionate about the welfare salvation of his people Israel as opposed to those Christians who have oppressed them over the millennia. He also had compassion on the Samaritans of his day against a religious establishment which ostracized them.

Jesus attacked pride, and he showed compassion for suffering. He was not a bully. He didn't go up to poor and yell at them that it was their own fault. He just helped them. He didn't fawn over the powerful and self important. He confronted them.

If you want to be confrontational, go after the powerful, proud, selfish people. Fair warning though, powerful, proud, selfish people don't like being confronted. It's not going to be a fun experience

ramblin_ag02 said:

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Jesus attacked pride, and he showed compassion for suffering. He was not a bully. He didn't go up to poor and yell at them that it was their own fault. He just helped them. He didn't fawn over the powerful and self important. He confronted them.

If you want to be confrontational, go after the powerful, proud, selfish people. Fair warning though, powerful, proud, selfish people don't like being confronted. It's not going to be a fun experience

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I think you are correct. I've often thought, that if you really want to be like Jesus, or John the Baptist, or Stephen, then you'll likely face the same fate. I ask myself often if I really want that. If I really want to be like Christ.

I wonder if we really want to be like Jesus. Because Jesus was both. Both confrontational, and compassionate. If find that most people don't want to be both. They ONLY want to focus on the love. That seems to be missing half of the equation. What about the wrath of God? I get it , leave the vengeance for God, but what about righteous indignation.

It seems to me that Jesus told the same truth no matter the audience. We are the ones who seem to treat people differently based on their status.

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2 Ti 3:1-7 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth

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I find that when you tell the truth about the scriptures, it is the love only types that get the most prideful, and angry, and want to tell me that Jesus was really mostly only nice. They will do anything to justify their sin, and pretend that Jesus would approve despite the fact that His words condemn them. They call me judgmental when I am not condemning anyone, I'm simply sharing with them Jesus' own words. Ironically those who cry judgmental are at least as judgmental of me.

In my experience it is the rich liberal elite(Republicans too) who take this view of Jesus, and the poor working class average person who is demonized for actually wanting to conform to the correct view of Jesus.

I seek for balance, and it seems to me that many do not want to see Jesus for who He was/is, but they want a Jesus who agrees with their progressive worldview. They have made an idol out of their own beliefs.

TxAgPreacher said:

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ramblin_ag02 said:

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Jesus attacked pride, and he showed compassion for suffering. He was not a bully. He didn't go up to poor and yell at them that it was their own fault. He just helped them. He didn't fawn over the powerful and self important. He confronted them.

If you want to be confrontational, go after the powerful, proud, selfish people. Fair warning though, powerful, proud, selfish people don't like being confronted. It's not going to be a fun experience

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I think you are correct. I've often thought, that if you really want to be like Jesus, or John the Baptist, or Stephen, then you'll likely face the same fate. I ask myself often if I really want that. If I really want to be like Christ.

I wonder if we really want to be like Jesus. Because Jesus was both. Both confrontational, and compassionate. If find that most people don't want to be both. They ONLY want to focus on the love. That seems to be missing half of the equation. What about the wrath of God? I get it , leave the vengeance for God, but what about righteous indignation.

It seems to me that Jesus told the same truth no matter the audience. We are the ones who seem to treat people differently based on their status.

Quote:

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2 Ti 3:1-7 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth

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I find that when you tell the truth about the scriptures, it is the love only types that get the most prideful, and angry, and want to tell me that Jesus was really mostly only nice. They will do anything to justify their sin, and pretend that Jesus would approve despite the fact that His words condemn them. They call me judgmental when I am not condemning anyone, I'm simply sharing with them Jesus' own words. Ironically those who cry judgmental are at least as judgmental of me.

In my experience it is the rich liberal elite who take this view of Jesus, and the poor working class average person who is demonized for actually wanting to conform to the correct view of Jesus.

I seek for balance, and it seems to me that many do not want to see Jesus for who He was/is, but they want a Jesus who agrees with their progressive worldview. They have made an idol out of their own beliefs.

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This is such a great answer! Here's an example my pastor uses: TRUTH and LOVE!! Jesus preached truth and love! Take the woman at the well for example….Jesus knew her story, but he didn't come in guns blazing accusing her of sin! He showed her compassion and LOVE first, and yet he eventually confronted her with the TRUTH of her sin! If we are going to reach people for Christ….we must convey both truth and love. It's like riding a bicycle…one pedal is truth, and the other is love. If all you do is show sinners love, and not the truth, you're just using one pedal and going in a circle….vise versa for just truth without love! It takes BOTH!! Jesus ate and hung out with sinners (love), but also preached truth to them! Jesus loves all men, but he spoke truth (talked more about hell than Heaven)….

BonfireNerd04 said:

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UTExan said:

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He was also passionate about the welfare salvation of his people Israel as opposed to those Christians who have oppressed them over the millennia. He also had compassion on the Samaritans of his day against a religious establishment which ostracized them.

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It's weird to see leftists claim that Jesus would have supported aid to Gaza. If Jesus visited Gaza, he'd get murdered for being a Jew.

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Which is different from the historical narrative in what way?