Quote: “There is always a place in the world for the Jesus that people want; there’s just not always a place for the Jesus who is.” – John MacArthur. Both mainstream and online “social” media confirm that statement. The Jesus that people want to fulfill their carnal desires and dreams of financial prosperity etc, there’s a large place for him. But the Jesus who is, the biblical Jesus who came to attack one’s sin, self-righteousness and false concepts of Him, the same Jesus who came offering a gracious gift of forgiveness and salvation through faith in His name for such things, there is almost no place for Him presently.
Why do I say “presently”? Do I think people’s hearts will change and they will turn to the Jesus who is? The Book of Revelation says many will, but it seems they’ll do so during the great tribulation rather than this Church Age, the Age of Grace. In other words, after the Jesus who is removes the Church off the earth, the wrath of God comes upon the world. So severe will His judgments be then, many will turn from their wickedness and receive His mercy; but most will be slaughtered for doing so. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,…. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God….. and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:9-10.
Not all Christians agree the above Scriptures refer to the time of the great tribulation. In fact the different opinions and explanations among them have always been vast and varied. My approach however, is to follow a literalistic, futuristic, sequential, premillennial, pretribulational, interpretation of the Book of Revelation, deeming this the most natural way to understand it. Having stated such, I respect those who have followed a different course. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:13-14.
Whilst there are Christians who believe those who hear the gospel message of the Jesus who is, but knowingly reject it now in this Age of Grace will be given another chance to respond to it after the church is gone, I am not among them. The apostle Paul speaks of people during this period, who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. It’s one thing for Satan the devil to delude people but it is quite another when God sends them strong delusion. I believe there is no coming back from that, now or then!
When the Church is removed off the earth, the majority of people left behind will be gospel deniers, disputers, rejectors, contradicters, blasphemers and unbelievers, just like they are presently and always have been. The many apostate “churches” of that time will consist of the same people. So intense will the suffering be upon such a Christ-hating world at that time, it’s easy to think billions would repent of their wickedness; but no, the opposite will happen: they blasphemed the name of God; they blasphemed the God of heaven; men blasphemed God Revelation 16:9, 11, 21. So who then, are the people who will turn from their wickedness during the great tribulation? It will be those who had never heard or properly understood the gospel message of the Jesus who is.
Some examples of the Jesus that people want: He loves everybody just the way they are and judges no-one. There’s no need for practicing hypocrites, liars, thieves, swindlers, criminals, sex deviants and perverts, druggies and alcoholics to change their ways. He’s everybody’s buddy! There’s no need for repentance, obedience, holiness, righteousness and godliness. Messengers and preachers of the Jesus that people want tell them it’s only Bible fundamentalists who say otherwise. They tell them Bible fundamentalists are a loveless, joyless, non-compassionate, judgmental people. The Jesus that people want is focused not on “their outdated Bible” but on equal rights, social justice, discrimination, sexual orientation, gender identity, the environment, climate change and open borders.
Unlike the Jesus who is, the Jesus that people want loves the world. So much does he love it he brings it into the church. His leaders and congregants dress like the worldly crowd – ear rings, nose rings, tattoos, cool clothes, ripped jeans, untucked shirts (to hide fat stomachs too!) the latest in hair cuts and styles, plus the cool language and speech of the world. As for the music, well, they’re not going to be outdone there either! Whatever is out there in the world they’ll bring it into the church too. First-time church visitors are impressed with this Jesus and his crowd – especially so, the young people. No, they will hear nothing about holiness, but they will hear lots about happiness! They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them John 4:5.
The Jesus that people want can certainly be their savior, but only from harm, danger and trouble. Why would they need a savior beyond these since sin and its consequence is nothing more than a Bible fundamentalist’s guilt-trip he seeks to impose upon them? I read recently of an aircraft that lost power in one of it’s two engines. There were a few bangs, the plane dropped altitude quickly and the comment from one of them went something like, “Boy, were we scared! Some panicked and one or two prayed. We were all relieved when it landed safely. I never want to go through that again.” Did anyone pray to the Jesus who is? Since safety from harm, danger and trouble were the key points of their prayer, and that many have shared similar with me in the past, it would seem doubtful.
They have now passed on but quite a few World War 2 soldiers, sailors and airmen told me years ago they often prayed for safety from harm, danger and trouble. My response was usually, “Well your prayers were always answered. You’re back home safely and have been for 45-55-plus years. What have you done with the Lord since then? Have you given your life to Him?” One or two answered in the affirmative but the others simply laughed. Some of those who laughed even blamed God for allowing war in the first place. In war there are always people who will pray to the Jesus who is, but the majority will pray to the Jesus that people want. Truly, this only have I found; that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes Ecclesiastes 7:29.
There is a ton of room for heaven in the theology of the Jesus that people want, but there’s no room for the theology of hell. The Jesus who is, speaks of hell, but we see people don’t go there primarily because they’re practicing hypocrites, liars, thieves, etc. These are sins, yes, but they are the fruits of sin, not the root of sin. What is the root of sin? Pride, unbelief and lawlessness towards God, His Creation and His Word Romans 1:18-32. That’s what puts one into hell. This is the dead spiritual condition of us all until we submit to the Jesus who is, the one and only Savior and Redeemer for all. That’s why He said we must be born again John 3:3, 5, 7. Note: It is not really God who sends people to hell though; non-repentant, prideful, unbelieving, lawless people send themselves there.
The Jesus who is, has never bowed to the Jesus that people want and never will! Had He done so when He was here He would never have been crucified. The manipulators and intimidators would have won the day just like they’re winning the day presently with most (not all) of the leaders in the institutional church system. It’s not difficult to find a puppet among these people but it’s extremely difficult to find a prophet – one who will boldly proclaim the word of God with all authority under the Holy Spirit’s anointing. That is the primary reason why so many church people who say they are Christians but are not, will not be removed from the earth when the Jesus who is comes for the Church, but rather, they will go into the great tribulation.
In reading this post, if you’ve discovered the Jesus you want lines up with the Jesus that people want, the Jesus who is, is saying to you you’re going the wrong way. The Jesus who is, is telling you, I am the way John 14:6. “I am THE way, I am not A way; there is No other way!” Any other way but the way of the Jesus who is, will take you into the great tribulation if you live that long and into hell if you don’t. Should you survive the great tribulation, you will come face to face with the Jesus who is. I don’t recommend you go through that experience if you’re not on His side because you will be facing a Judge, not a Savior! Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it Matthew 7:13-14.