We all understand that that there are different ways by which one finds Christ. Example: through someone sharing the gospel, association with Christian friends, encountering Jesus through dreams & vision, gospel tracts, getting to read through the New Testament, making investigation of gods and finding Christian faith convincing, healed of their sickness, going through near-death experience. There is also a big group which is born in a Christian family, encountered Christ personally and becoming a follower of Christ. However, if we interview Christians from different countries, contexts and denominations about their faith and belief system we are sure to get diversified answers that contradicts with the core foundation of the Biblical worldview. Everyone assumes they are right in their understanding of who Christ and His mission is.
Paul in the letter to Ephesians states, “There is one body, one spirit - just as you were called to one hope at your calling - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”. Ephesians 4:5-6. Why then there is so much of fragmentation in Christianity? Why there are so much of doctrinal confusion? Why Churches have become institutionalized to an extent that it exists as a religious shrine? Why is Church facility posed as God’s dwelling place? Why attendance to Church on Sundays made to look that it is a qualifier to entering the kingdom of God? Why are offerings and tithes shown as the fulfilment of Christian obligations? Why Pastors and leaders represent as saviors? If you ponder carefully you would find that there are many more “why’s” that are points of contradiction from the Biblical pattern and principle. Most of the “why’s” are still lingering because of its selfish agenda which is turning Church and His mission into an enterprise.
Let me bring to you what Paul addressed to the Corinthians to your attention. “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received or different Gospel which you have not accepted you may well put up with it”. 2 Corinthians 11:4 CSB. Eugene Peterson in his message version puts it this way. “It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot “apostles,” why can’t you put up with simple me? I’m as good as they are. It’s true that I don’t have their voice, haven’t mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I’m talking about. We haven’t kept anything back. We let you in on everything.”. Paul is surprised knowing how they were attracted to the people who spoke about another Jesus. People then, and now are still preaching another Jesus. There are still people falling for it and are comfortable with a compromised gospel that preaches Christ no doubt, but robs and negates a person from being a witness, and obeying the Great Commission. A God who demands from you nothing is just an idol.
Today, we preach Jesus as a bridge to success through philosophies like, name it and claim it, profess it and possess it, blab it and grab it, declare and decree and many such so called unsupported Christian philosophies. We assume we can achieve whatever we want if we exercise the power to claim for oneself. Where is God's sovereign will in all these? Many Churches today have become a life coaching program center teaching them how to live, how to lead a happy life, how to raise kids, how to pray and get things, how to be blessed. Every testimony shared in the Church of their material success is made to look God has made a better progress in their life compared to some who are still struggling in their day-to-day life. I am not sure if the apostles of Jesus would be seen as blessed or stupid losers. Everything revolves in Christendom around commercialization, business deals and sustaining the cash flow. Eventually, people have learned to drag God into it. Don Wilton puts his thoughts so beautifully, “we have become an increasingly idolatrous people. God cannot be pleased. We worship so many of our blessings instead of simply thanking God and enjoying them. We worship sports, celebrities, clothes, money, church buildings, politics, positions, abilities, and capabilities. Idolatry is the worship of anything and anyone other than God.”
The book titled “Third Jesus,” Deepak Chopra talks about transcendental meditation famous in Hindu theology. He states that there is not one Jesus, but three. First, there is the historical Jesus, the man who lived more than two thousand years ago and whose teachings are the foundation of Christian theology and thought. Next there is Jesus the Son of God, who has come to embody an institutional religion with specific dogma, a priesthood, and devout believers. And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in His name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment. Ultimately, Chopra argues, Christianity needs to overcome its tendency to be exclusionary and refocus on being a religion of personal insight and spiritual growth. In this way Jesus can be seen for the universal teacher He truly is – someone whose teachings of compassion, tolerance, and understanding can embrace and be embraced by all of us. People like Him in a tactful way subtly attempt to deconstruct the faith of those many so called Christians whose belief system are on everything other the true essence of what Christ taught and entrusted to all. I wouldn’t blame Deepak Chopra much on this. If in Christendom there are so many who are preaching another Jesus and a different gospel, I am not surprised if people who are not from Christendom take the courage to skew the truth.
Let us not forget even in Jesus’ time there were big majority of people who clung to another Jesus and a different gospel that satisfied their hunger and addressed their need of the physical body. It is stated in the gospel that a large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs He was performing on those who were sick. John 6:2 summarizes the result as follows:
1. They followed Him because of the miracles.
2. They exalted Him because of the meals and,
3. They abandoned Him because of the message.
In John 6:66: As a result of this ("this" = all that Jesus had said to them from John 6:26 through John 6:65) many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. Is this not the same today - both in the church and in the world? Mark what Jesus stated, then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24.
Stop preaching another Jesus and a different gospel. How do you know that you are preaching the right Jesus and the correct gospel? Simple, at least 75% of your believers are witnessing Christ and sharing the gospel on a monthly, weekly and a daily basis. May the Lord help us to find the truth. Let us fight against heresies of all kind.
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