Debunking "Christian" Bumper Stickers - Episode 1
I'm going to start something new on this blog. I would like to dispell all the false ideas that "Christian" bumper stickers communicate to the unbelieving world. Today, we're going to start with the most popular one...
Jesus Loves You!
You may be thinking, "But Kevin! Jesus does love people! What about John 3:16?!" While this is true, it only tells one small piece of the gospel. This is dangerous. Cults use small pieces of the Bible. Who is Jesus to unbelievers? A good teacher? A great man? A wonderful physician? Dead? Why would they care if Jesus loves them? They have their treasured possessions, families, relationships, etc. to make them feel loved. Why do they need Jesus? Why do they need some "good teaching physician" that's dead to love them? This bumper sticker means almost nothing to many people.
Let's find out what the Bible says about how God feels about sinners...
Psalm 5:5 -- "The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity."
Psalm 11:5 -- "The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates."
According to the above verse, God not only hates the sin, but he also hates the sinner. Note that it does NOT say, "You love all who do iniquity, and You hate the iniquity." Nor does it say, "The one who loves violence His soul loves, and He hates the violence."
Romans 2:5 -- "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."
The longer one continues in unbelief and unrepentance, the more wrath he stores up for himself.
We must not preach the second half of the gospel and not the first half (Law then Grace). If we only preach salvation, and not what people need to be saved from, and if we preach only the forgiveness of God and not what people need to be forgiven of, we are actually being unloving towards them. I am guilty of not preaching the gospel to people as well. However, I must learn to preach about sin, death, and hell before I share Christ's redeeming power through His sacrifice.
Some may think that this bumper sticker means that Jesus loves them, including the "way they are." But this is not so. God HATES sin. Sin is the very reason Jesus died. If someone had something in them that cost you your son, and you wanted to bring that person into your family, would you just accept that thing in the other person into your family? No. Sin always brings about death. And death is not annihilation -- it is separation.
You may want to check this out as well.
(THIS POST MAY BE EDITED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. CHECK BACK!)
Jesus Loves You!
You may be thinking, "But Kevin! Jesus does love people! What about John 3:16?!" While this is true, it only tells one small piece of the gospel. This is dangerous. Cults use small pieces of the Bible. Who is Jesus to unbelievers? A good teacher? A great man? A wonderful physician? Dead? Why would they care if Jesus loves them? They have their treasured possessions, families, relationships, etc. to make them feel loved. Why do they need Jesus? Why do they need some "good teaching physician" that's dead to love them? This bumper sticker means almost nothing to many people.
Let's find out what the Bible says about how God feels about sinners...
Psalm 5:5 -- "The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity."
Psalm 11:5 -- "The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates."
According to the above verse, God not only hates the sin, but he also hates the sinner. Note that it does NOT say, "You love all who do iniquity, and You hate the iniquity." Nor does it say, "The one who loves violence His soul loves, and He hates the violence."
Romans 2:5 -- "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."
The longer one continues in unbelief and unrepentance, the more wrath he stores up for himself.
We must not preach the second half of the gospel and not the first half (Law then Grace). If we only preach salvation, and not what people need to be saved from, and if we preach only the forgiveness of God and not what people need to be forgiven of, we are actually being unloving towards them. I am guilty of not preaching the gospel to people as well. However, I must learn to preach about sin, death, and hell before I share Christ's redeeming power through His sacrifice.
Some may think that this bumper sticker means that Jesus loves them, including the "way they are." But this is not so. God HATES sin. Sin is the very reason Jesus died. If someone had something in them that cost you your son, and you wanted to bring that person into your family, would you just accept that thing in the other person into your family? No. Sin always brings about death. And death is not annihilation -- it is separation.
You may want to check this out as well.
(THIS POST MAY BE EDITED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. CHECK BACK!)
posted by Katharsis at
1/27/2006 10:28:00 AM
1 Comments:
A few years ago, I would have agreed completely with what you and others say about a Law presentation and the grace.
But a fair reading of Joh 4 reveals that Jesus FIRST told the woman at the well that salvation would be hers IF she knew who He was (is) and simply asked Him for eternal life.
A person could get on the Ark and be safe with Noah without realizing the extent of the flood.
Many want sinners to have a theological degree before they get saved, yet this example shows how Jesus saved this sinner.
I believe many sinners, like this woman, know they are out of snyc with God and simply need someone to show them the all-sfficient Savior.
God bless and keep on with God, brother.
Dennis
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Anonymous, at September 27, 2008 5:15 PM
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