Not a Carebear
I have already addressed this topic, some years ago, in another post. However, it strikes me again and again how pervasive the “gospel of nice” is in the modern church.
In this belief, which has deeply infiltrated the church, there is a counterfeit Jesus who, rather than being the Lord of Lords and worthy of all honor, is just a nice guy who came to make sure people are always friendly toward each other.
As I covered in the other post, the theology of this view depends upon very little of scripture. Jesus, as the good shepherd, took much time binding up those of the flock who were wounded and correcting those who had strayed with gentleness. These, taken without understanding the broader context of the rest of divine revelation, is what many use to paint the “Jesus as a Carebear” caricature.
However, knowing that the history found in scripture includes a good deal of judgement and wrath, adherents attempt to push that all onto the Old Testament. God used to judge, but now we’re supposed to believe that Jesus changed all that and there’s no longer any need to address evil; that it will all work itself out if we just focus on not upsetting anyone.
Jesus isn’t the Carebear caricature, he’s of one being with that “Old Testament God” who judged both individuals and nations as well as the specific person who will come again and judge the world.
Bloody Robes
There is a promised world without conflict or suffering. Those who trust in Christ for their salvation from sin will live forever in a world without it. However, this eternal peace is not brought to the world through everyone becoming superficial enough that we ignore any differences or disagreements and “just getting along”. Jesus returns to bring it about as a warrior, king, and judge.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
Revelation 19:11-13
After conquering the nations, his reign will be no more libertine.
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Revelation 19:15
Nice vs. the Gospel
God is loving. In fact, without knowing God, a person cannot fully understand what love is. His wrath is not a contradiction to this love, but rather a necessary aspect of it. To love the world, one must be opposed to the sin which corrupts it.
If the gospel of nice were correct, sin would no longer be a problem when we become apathetic to it. We can focus on happy things and ignore the sin, and eventually the problems will resolve themselves.
On the other hand, the gospel of Christ is that he suffered greatly, even to the point of a cruel death intended for the worst criminals, to address the problem of sin for his people. When he returns, it will be to judge the world and destroy sin entirely.
These two views are as far apart as sin and righteousness themselves! While kindness will have us responding to sin as gently as we are able, niceness is a type of flattery which imagines that sin can simply be ignored. If it can just be ignored, than the good news of Christ would be unnecessary! Some even make such a claim, calling substitutionary atonement a doctrine of “cosmic child abuse”.
The Jesus of scripture is one who humbled himself to defeat the foe of sin that we could never defeat in our own power so that through sacrifice, judgement, and the tearing down of all that is evil his kingdom would be free.
If the Jesus you follow is one of simply politeness and flattery, now is the time to follow the true savior, before he returns in wrath against all workers of lawlessness.
