Loving the Real Jesus More Than Life

Jesus is gentle, kind, patient, and He is looking for faith in who He is, not vain striving to save life. Unless I believe in Him, I cannot be saved. Not believe He existed... Even the demons believe that. Believe in His character, what He loves and what He hates... Believe He is a way to live, not a life raft for anyone who wants "saving."

Luke 23:39 NKJV — Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

That was blasphemy, not faith!

On the same day Jesus taught the parable of the sower, He tested the faith of His disciples and demonstrated His own faith to them. It was the same thing... Testing their faith and displaying His own.

Mark 4:35-41 NKJV — On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Jesus trusted the Father. He was confident that no matter what happened to Him, He would be ok.

We are expected to live the same way.

Jesus never worried about saving Israel. He never compromised how God felt about sinners.... He demonstrated that His Father... the One He believed in... was gentle, kind, showing the way of love to sinners... And He never compromised this mission to save an earthly reality.

Most "believers" aren't believers in Jesus at all. They don't actually love what He loves and hate what he hates. They hate some ideal that isn't His and they love some ideal that isn't His.

It isn't complicated. It's plain.

-Jesus hates people trying to save their own lives, families, country, faith... Because it isn't true to who HE is. It's a false witness. We are suppose to be witnesses that GOD saves even when it appears the boat is sinking and we are in it.

-He hates when people that claim to trust Him give in to fear of circumstances, people, wind, waves, adversity, lack... He literally hates conspiracy thinking. He hates it when His people speak poorly about other people because they are afraid. It isn't a true representation of who HE is.

Everything I believe about Jesus should bow the knee to what Jesus believes about Jesus. If I can't reconcile what I think I know and who Jesus actually is, then what I think I know HAS to yield... It needs to wait... It needs to be put aside so what I can plainly know about Jesus can shine, even unto death.

It would be better to die than misrepresent Jesus. That's a basic tenet of the true gospel.

He will explain over time, but me letting fear and arrogance conspire against Him is not ok. It's a wickedness called "unbelief."

All of the hatred in the church right now is not ok. Bigotry is not ok with Jesus. **Hatred of bigots is even less ok, because if I have the Holy Spirit in me, I'm held to a HIGHER standard of love towards those who do not know God.

I'm supposed to be different.

All my reasons for hate fall short at His feet. All of my fear of a different culture, whether it be the Jewish culture, the Muslim culture, the Hindu culture... It all falls short at the feet of who Jesus actually is.

On the day He taught the parable of the sower, and all the things that steal the seed, He took His disciples out on the lake. The storm rose up. They were in peril, according to Luke. They were literally about to die. The boat was sinking, but it was sinking that the disciples might elevate who Jesus is.

Most believers in our generation would literally throw who Jesus is overboard to save their own little lives.

He requires a LOVE of enemies. Love isn't complicated. It's clear. It doesn't parade itself at someone else's expense, doesn't demand its own way. It's patient. It's kind. It believes the best, not the worst... About enemies. If I don't "like that" I don't like the gospel. I was Jesus' enemy. He only saves former enemies.

Colossians 1:19-22 NKJV — For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

Love.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil because they in vain think they can save a sinking ship. Better to sink and let Jesus save me than compromise who He really is to save myself in His name. That is a false witness and a ravenous wolf.

Woe.

Matthew 5:38-48 NKJV — “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 16:24-27 NKJV — Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.