What Would Jesus Not Do! Part #4,

Jesus Would Not Believe Everything He Heard, 1 Jno. 4:1; Heb. 13:9

By Warren E. Berkley

Some people who talk about Jesus and claim to believe in Him may not have an accurate view of who He was. We may be tempted to adopt such a soft, sentimental view of Jesus, we are blind to His firm moral courage and conviction. We may enjoy the thought that Jesus accepted everything, never spoke against anything and just tolerated any form of contemporary religion.

Let there be no question about this: Jesus loved everybody He came in contact with! He loved His disciples, His family, little children, strangers and sinners. He loved His enemies, and always conducted Himself with integrity, fairness and compassion. But this love He taught and lived did not obstruct or hinder a firm and clear communication of the truth of God's Word. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, "But I say unto you" (Matt. 5). This phrase introduced distinctive and plain teaching about hypocrisy, adultery, divorce and integrity. When Jesus stood before the scribes and Pharisees (in Matthew 23 for example), He told them specifically what they were guilty of and called them "hypocrites." Jesus loved His Father and He loved all men - and it was because of that love that He spoke so plainly while He was here. He came to free sinners and He said, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free," (Jno. 8:32).

If Jesus were here today, He would not just believe everything that is preached and taught in religion. He would not embrace and endorse every religion. He would not tell us to "join the church of our choice." He would do today as He did then. He would speak the truth of God's word, obey the truth of God's Word and He would find it necessary to say to many today: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men," (Matt. 15:8,9).

Jesus would not just believe everything and everybody. He tells us, through John, to "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world," (1 Jno. 4:1). If you decide to take this seriously, that's a decision to NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR! Many people today languish in religious confusion and paralysis precisely because they do not study the Bible and discern between truth and error; they believe everything (in disobedience of 1 Jno. 4:1). What would Jesus do? In this case, WHAT WOULD JESUS NOT DO. He would not believe everything. In regard to morals, religion, relationships, marriage and family and everything else, Jesus would not be gullible. He would never believe or accept anything contrary to the Word of His Father. Are you careful about this? Are you following His example in this regard?

"Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace ," (Heb. 13:9).

Interesting; just before this the writer says: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

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