Back in the day, the “What Would Jesus Do?” movement created a huge presence in marketing (WWJD). It was meant to challenge Christians to make choices in life that would pattern themselves after Jesus. Fast forward to today, people have answered that question, and created a slew of other “slogans” about Jesus and Christianity:
He would love first
Love God and love people
Love the sinner, hate the sin
Come as you are
Christians should be known by what they’re for, not what they’re against
There are so many floating out there, these are but a few examples—some of which really irk me.
First, we need to understand that God, Jesus, and Christianity cannot and should not be condensed into catchy slogans. When we do this, we easily misrepresent the attributes of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second, we must understand that society has so severely misconstrued what true, Christian love is, God’s love, that many people no longer understand what it really means. This is where judging also comes into play, which I’ve written about here. Jesus, God in the flesh, was loving, indeed, but He was also Truth. He was blunt, bold, and confrontational. Not exactly words that shout “tolerance,” huh? Because that’s how most people view love today, as tolerant, passive, and even silent. The first time Jesus came, He came in peace as the Lamb of God. The second time He comes, He will come in wrath as a conquering King in flaming fire to judge the world in righteousness (Revelation 19:11–16). When we meet Jesus again, He’ll be here in a very different manner. He was about bringing the Kingdom of Heaven near—something He said Himself many times. All in all, if He was just about love—the way modern society defines it, people wouldn’t have hated Him, mocked Him, and crucified Him.
Finally, as I’ve said before, anyone can love. Atheists love. Anyone can be kind and giving and nice. I see a great deal of unbelievers that exhibit these actions. If we try to reduce Christianity to a simple “love” slogan, without the full Gospel of Jesus Christ and the justice of God, we are nothing more than a decent person—like anyone else. We are commanded to make disciples by baptizing and teaching to obey everything commanded all with the clear Gospel of Jesus. Anyone who is not saved is an enemy of God, separated from Him permanently and will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Wouldn’t true love want to save people from that?
So let us be careful about applying slogans to our witness as ambassadors of Christ. Instead, let’s present the Gospel of Christ in full to everyone everywhere.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved…“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
1 Corinthians 15 (The Gospel in sum)
References
All Scripture (unless otherwise noted): English Standard Version Bible. 2021. BibleHub.com and
English Standard Version Bible. 2016. Crossway