Redefining Jesus?

Redefining Jesus?:

The Biblical Jesus Versus Counterfeits

Chris Lawson

More than any other time in history, the world today is filled with false ideas and concepts of who Jesus Christ really is. What Paul the Apostle called "another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel" is plaguing the world with full force as people on all six continents and every walk of life have “re-defined Jesus”.

FALSE IDEAS ABOUT JESUS
For example, the polytheistic cult of Mormonism has ‘another Jesus’ that is supposedly ‘the spirit brother of Lucifer’ and one who ‘attained godhood’. The Mormon Church teaches that all male Mormons can become gods, just like the Mormon Jesus supposedly did. Every Mormon missionary we have asked in the last 15 years has agreed to this. Hinduism, a runner-up to Mormonism’s pantheon of little gods, apparently has some 330 million gods. The Jesus of Hinduism is just one more ‘avatar’ among many. Countless variations of theHinduJesusarebecomingmorepopular thanever inthe Western nations. The mystical Hindu Jesus even promotes “Christian Hinduism”, “Christian Yoga” and “Christian visualization”. Talk show host and promoter of New Age authors and books, Oprah Winfrey also has her take on re-defining Jesus. However, Oprah televises it publicly for millions uponmillions of viewers. Oprah has boldly declared on national television, “There couldn’t possibly be just one way [to God]”. In direct defiance of Scripture, Oprah claims that Jesus Christ “cannot be the only way to God”. Oprah’s own words are diametrically opposed to the Christ of Scripture who claimed:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."(John14:6)

Contrary to every cult, guru and world religion, the New Testament is very clear that salvation isthrough the Biblical Jesus Christ alone, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The Apostles of Scripture did not worship, follow or write about anyother Jesus than the one that theScriptures foretold as the Jewish Messiah whom Moses spoke of (Deut. 18:15-19). As we shall see, there is only one real Christ [Messiah]. He is the historical Jesus of Nazareth who rose bodily from the dead. He is the LORD God of the universe.

WORSHIPPING FALSE IDEAS ABOUT JESUS
Far too many people today ignorantly receive and worship ‘another Jesus’ — a counterfeit Christ who cannot save sinners from sin, the power of Satan, or hell. Preferring to recognize Jesus as ‘just another prophet for our own age’, people everywhere are saying the wrong things about Jesus. In fact, the late Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat considered Jesus to be a non-Jewish Palestinian. This lie has now grown into Jesus being a “Palestinian Messiah”. Many people involved with Witchcraft will tell you that Jesus was ‘a super witch’. Eastern gurus say Jesus is a master guru who has been ‘enlightened’. Christian Science teaches that Jesus was a man in tune with the Divine consciousness, that He was not the Christ, but a Divine idea. Jehovah’s Witnesses go so far as to teach that Michael the Archangel became Jesus and that "The man Jesus is dead, forever dead.” [1] According to the Roman Catholic Church, ‘Jesus’ has been mystically transformed countless millions of times through transubstantiation. In the sacrifice of the mass Jesus becomes a tiny breadwafer to be adored, eaten and ingested. According to the Quran, the Jesus of Islam is a ‘Prophet’ but not God’s Son, not theSavior of the world, andn ot God manifest in human flesh [God Incarnate]. To spirit mediums [necromancers], Jesus is ‘an advanced medium in the sixth sphere’. The list goes on and on. Even Dan Brown, author of the ‘fiction-called-fact’ DaVinci Code thriller has blasphemously cast Jesus of Nazareth as one who had sexual relations with Mary Magdalene. Dan Brown’s ‘DaVinci Code Jesus’ is not the New Testament Jesus of Nazareth but a Gnostic gospel counterfeit– a fantasy ‘Jesus’ that is a blasphemous perversion of the Jesus of Scripture. All these false Christ’s are simply “re-definitions” of the true Jesus–they are spiritual frauds.

ANOTHER JESUS, ANOTHER SPIRIT AND ANOTHER GOSPEL?
In Paul’s letter to the believers at Corinth, God the Holy Spirit led the Apostle [under divine inspiration] to warn:

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Cor.11:3-4)

Apparently there were Christians in the church at Corinth who were putting up with the false apostles who were preaching ‘another Jesus, another spirit andanother gospel’. It must be noted that those who bring a counterfeit Jesus also bring ‘another spirit’ and ‘another gospel’. These Satanic counterfeit church leaders were not from God the HolySpirit and they did not bring or preach God’s gospel (Rom.1:1-5). The same is true today of all false teachers and false prophets.

SATAN’S JOY—MIXING LIES AND TRUTH
It is nothing less than the genius of Satan that is behind this mass perverting and counterfeiting of the real Jesus. It is the Devil who seeks to innoculate people against the real Jesus and it is the Devil that is behind all false teachers and false prophets. These people, like the Devil, mix lies with the truth. Jesus Himself said that Satan is the Father of lies. Jesus declared:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John8:44)

As such, Satan seeks to delude people by promoting any type of misunderstanding of whom and what Jesus Christ really is. Satan knows this will lead people to a perverted view of God, a perverted understanding of who Jesus really is, and aperverted view of salvation.

PERSONAL FANCY OR SATANIC DELUSION?
Like some in the first century church, many people throughout history have accepted and put up with what is contrary to the clear teachings of Scripture. No doubt, this has led to countless millions of people being led away from the clear teaching of the Biblical Jesus to a Jesus that fits their personal fancy and cannot save. This Satanically infused mass deception ‘in the name of Christ’ has carried people away from the real Jesus unto eternal damnation. Jesus, who was always led by the[Holy] Spirit of God, [who is the Spirit of Truth] (Jn14:17;15:26; 16:13) said:

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:for if ye believe not that I am[He], ye shall die in your sins." (Jn8:24)

Jesus not only claimed to be I AM[Yahweh—The LORD God], but said if people do not believe in Him [as ‘I AM’], they will die in their sins.

FOR MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME
It was Jesus Himself who clearly warned that before His return at the end of the age, many would come in His name and ‘deceive many’. This includes false teachers, false prophets, false apostles and false Christ’s who profess to be Christians. Jesus answered his disciples and said unto them:

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many...Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold,he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” (Matt. 24:4, 5, 23-26)

Should we not pay more attention to what Jesus said the first sign of the end of the age and of His coming would be—spiritual deception in the name of Christ? Instead of being wide awake and discerning the times, many who profess to be Christian are part of the sleeping apostate Church—including “unsaved ministers”! Jesus’ very own words about false Christ’s and false prophets in the latter days are being fulfilled today. Only the ignorant and blind are failing to see this.

A DIFFERENT CHRIST FOR EVERYBODY?
Consider Benjamin Crème, New Age leader and founder of Share International [and the Tara Centre]. Crème, a spirit medium, claims to be the ‘forerunner’ of Maitreya, the New Age Christ. This New Age Christ is recognized by occultists, Freemasons, Buddhists, etc. all over the world. The Share International website for Maitreya boldly declares:

"Many now expect the return of their awaited Teacher, whether they call him the Christ, Messiah, the fifth Buddha, Krishna, or the Imam Mahdi. Millions now know that the Teacher who fulfills all these expectations is already living among us." [2]

There is an endless list of spiritual leaders, celebrities, occultists, so-called Christian ‘prophets’, etc., who redefine the Jesus of Scripture and invent new Jesus’ to fit their own brand of theology and lifestyle. These people have done nothing but malign the real Jesus, destroy the Biblical message of salvation by grace alone, produce false Christians and false spirituality. It is amazing to think that the prophetic warnings of a Jew called Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be God and was worshipped as Christ and God, would have staggering fulfillment in the 21st century...two thousand years after He spoke them!

THE REAL JESUS — CHRIST OF SCRIPTURE
False prophets, false Christ’s, self-proclaimed god-men, and supposedly reincarnated “enlightened ones” have come and gone; they have all died in their sins. Unlike all of them, the historical Jesus of Scripture, the prophesied Messiah of Israel, is the Savior of the world. He is able to save Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus, the Eternal God, came[was incarnated] into this world as a sinless baby around 4BC. His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection are the crowning "turning points" in world history. It was Jesus Christ’s incarnation in human flesh that separated B.C. from A.D. The ‘birth date’ of every human being is even a testimony to the fact that Christ the Savior of the world has come. Jesus, who is called Immanuel [God with us] (Matt. 1:23), and whom His earthly mother Mary called “God my Savior” (Lk. 1:47), has come.

It is a well known fact that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled over 300 prophecies concerning His birth, life, resurrection, person, and purpose (Is. 7:14; Mic. 5:2; Ps.22; Zech. 11:12-13;13:7; Is. 9:6-7; 53; Ps. 16:10). No other person in human history has done this or can ever do this. For 2000 years the Jesus Christ of Scripture has been known by true believers in Christ to be God Incarnate – that is, Jehovah God manifest in human flesh, Second Person of the divine Triune Godhead. The Jesus of the Bible is 100% fully God and 100%fully man.

THE REAL JESUS — ETERNAL LIVING GOD
     The Gospel of John is full of Christ's claims of deity while on earth(Jn. 8:58; 10:30; 14:9; 15:26; 20:28, 29). Those who reject this truth are rejecting sound biblical scholarship. Jesus alone is the Redeemer of man kind and His purpose in coming into our space time domain was to deal with sin, save sinners and glorify God. He was the blood-atoning sacrifice for sinners who died on the cross as a Substitute in our place. He alone is the One that satisfied the due penalty against sin that divine justice demanded. He suffered and paid the penalty for our sin so that we might be declared righteous before all Holy God. The “chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53). His shed blood on our behalf was the redemption price forman kind. He alone is "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). He rose bodily from the dead, conquering sin and death and He alone is the one who triumphed over Satan and the powers of darkness(Col. 2:14-15). This is the true Jesus that true Christians believe in. The real Messiah is not a user friendly, post-modern positivist who never addresses sin and never warns about Satan, hell and eternal damnation. No, the real Jesus dealt with all these issues and clearly told people, “I tell you no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

TRUSTING CHRIST OR DELUDING SELF
     Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures. He is Messiah[Christ] and as such He is the [true] Light of the world, not a false inner light or some New Age angelic messenger. Eye witness accounts of His life have been recorded and the Biblical text is proof of it. We do not need more ‘Christ’s’. Neither do we need to try to become ‘a Christ’ or listen to people who tell us that “we need to remember that we are “little Christ’s”, or “gods” or “God” or that “we are each Christ and have a spark of divinity in us, but simply forgot”. Those who say so are liars, spiritual frauds, deceivers and antichrists. Inventing new Christ’s and saying that humans are ‘gods’ is a delusion just as surely as saying that we are all airplanes and can fly but have simply forgotten that we really are. Mankind is sinful, fallen, and can never become “gods” or “divine”; but we can be forgiven of our sins and redeemed by the blood of Christ.

ONLY ONE GENUINE MESSIAH
     To further clarify who the real Jesus Christ is, the Scripture speaks of only one true genuine Messiah who is the Savior of the world. There is only one Messiah[Christ] -not one for each age. Both the Hebrew word Messiach [Messiah] and the Greek word christos [Christ] mean the same thing- “the anointed one”. Both apply to Jesus as God’s Anointed One. Jesus did warn of false Christ’s that arise, but it is He alone, the historical Jesus of Nazareth who is the Only Unique Savior. He is the Son of God who alone is God the Son(Ps.2:7, 11-12; Jn1:1, 14; Lk1:35; Rom. 1:1-4; Heb. 1). He is eternal...both past and future(Jn1:1-3, 14; 8:58). Again, He alone is the One “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). He satisfied the wrath of divine justice so we could be totally justified in God’s sight, forgiven of our sins, and saved from God’s wrath (Is. 53; Matt. 1:21; Jn 1:29; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Cor. 15:1-3). Jesus, ‘The Christ’, is the only Way to the Father(Jn14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). The Bible is very clear that there is no other Savior or way of salvation. All spiritual paths do not lead to God! Jesus alone had power over His own death and the ability to take back His life again(Jn2:19; 10:17-18). The resurrection of Jesus Christ was not an “illusion” one as some teach, but was physical (Lk24:39). He rose bodily from the dead, never to die again. His gospel is the only one that saves.

IN THE VOLUME OF THE BOOK
The New Testament also clearly distinguishes Jesus as the Jewish descendant of David(Rom. 1:1-5). He is the King of the Jews(Matt. 2:2). He came the first time as the suffering Servant and Redeemer (Isaiah 53) and at His second coming He will set up His Kingdom which will never end. Jesus accepted worship, is equal with the Father (Jn 20:28-29; Phil. 2:6), and is to be honored with God the Father (Jn 5:23). Furthermore, the New Testament is clear that all others, whether Jesus’ disciples or angelic beings are to reject worship of men and angels (Acts 10:25-26; Acts 14:14-15; Matt. 4:10; Rev. 19:10; 22:9). Worship is to be directed to God alone (Matt. 4; Lk4).

It is clear that the Jesus of Scripture has the power to give life to whom He will (Jn 5:21) and that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son(Jn5:22). The Eternal Son, Jesus, was with the Father and directly involved in the creation of the universe. It is by His hand that all things are held together (Jn1:1-3; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:8-10; Col. 1:17). Jesus, is our Creator (John 1:1; 8:58) and will also rule the world at the end of this present age(Heb. 1:8; Is. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:35, 44; Rev. 19:11-16). He alone was born of a virgin, and His full human body was conceived by the Holy Spirit —with God being His Father (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:20-23; Lk1:30-35). No self-proclaimed ‘Christ’, ‘prophet’ or so-called ‘god-man’ in history has done what the Jesus of Scripture has done. Unlike all other religious leaders ever, Jesus alone demonstrated that He has the attributes of God. He forgave sins and healed the sick(Matt. 9:1-7); He calmed the wind and waves (Mark 4:37-41; Ps. 89:8-9); He knows us and is acquainted with us(Ps. 139; Jn1:46-50; 2:23-25) ; and He can and did raise the dead(Jn11; Lk7:12-15; 8:41-55), including Himself (Jn2:19; 10:17-18). The clear testimony of Scripture points to Jesus as God. This is why the Bible points to Him over and over again. “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me[Jesus]), to do thy will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

RECEIVING OR REJECTING FALSE CHRIST'S
Based on the teachings of the Bible then, it is totally appropriate to reject all self- proclaimed ‘Christ’s’ and all promoters and endorsers of false Christ’s and counterfeit Jesus’. Accepting false Christ’s and their teachings is one of the most damnable sins mankind can commit. Even more wicked is when professing Christian pastors accept false teachers and say nothing to warn God’s flock about them. For to do so is to clearly reject the genuine Biblical Christ who said He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6-7). Those who accept and believe in false Christ’s have the wrong Jesus. Jesus Himself said:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt.7:13,14)

It must never be forgotten that the New Testament Scriptures warn about deception, counterfeit Christ’s, and false teachers [Matt. 24; Mk 13; Acts 20:28-33; Rom. 16:17-19; 1 Cor. 14; 2 Cor. 11:1-4, 12-15, 19-20; Gal. 1:6-9; 6:11-13; Eph. 6:10-20; Phil. 3:17-21; Col. 2:8-10, 18-19; 1 Thes. 5:19-22; 2 Thes. 2; 1 Tim. 1:3; 4:1-5; 6:3-10; 2 Tim. 1:15; 2:17; 3:1-9; 4:14-16; Titus 1:10-16; etc]. God commands His church to discern properly and reject false teaching and false teachers. Discernment is not an option for the Christian, it is a divine command. To do otherwise is sin.

JAMMING DOWN THE TRUTH
How great is the depravity of mankind! When Jesus came as God manifest inhuman flesh, even the religious leaders of His day rejected Him as a blaspheming counterfeit. Today, 2000 years later, much of ‘Christendom’ accepts false teaching from false teachers and false prophets– from “unsaved ministers” who are “re-defining Jesus”. This is the genius of satanic counterfeits paving the way for the coming Antichrist. One day, the apostate church and the unbelieving world will together bow down to the son of perdition[who will be possessed by the Devil] and worship him as divine. All who reject the Biblical Jesus will be given over to a lie–they will worship the ultimate counterfeit Christ who masquerades as Messiah and brings false peace to the world. Paul spoke to the believers in Thessalonica about this:

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2Thes. 2:8-12)

BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
The question that every individual must answer is the question that Jesus asked his own disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15; Lk 9:18) Every human being will be held responsible for what they believe about Jesus Christ. In order for one not to be deceived by the world’s lies about Jesus, the real Jesus Christ of Scripture must be sought and obeyed. Every person’s eternal destiny hinges upon what they do with the Christ of Scripture.

THE ULTIMATE PRIVILEGE
It is our God-given privilege as created human beings to humbly respond to our Loving Maker and bow to Him, personally declaring Jesus Christ as Lord, God and Savior (Jn 20:28). Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords offers the opportunity to be ‘born anew’ [born again, regenerated, made alive in Christ] by the Spirit of the Living God (John 3:3-5). Let us then wholeheartedly reject every false teaching and unbiblical misconception of Jesus and let us yield our hearts, minds and wills in surrender and worship to Him who alone is the risen, living Christ. For it was Jesus who, “...being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-9).

Notes:
1. CharlesT. Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 5, 454
2 . http://www.share-international.org/