Hollywood Jesus

May 30, 2019

It is interesting (and scary) how our celebrities and wannabe celebrities interpret Jesus. What’s even more frightening and disheartening is that a large part of the Christian world has said “amen” and adopted it. Here’s a startling example to me. Let me make a disclaimer here. I do not watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. I consider both to glorify and dress up degenerate behavior and infidelity, behaviors we would detest if we were treated in that way, or would enrage us if our children were treated that way. In fact, the way the exalted “bachelor or bachelorette” is chosen brings back to me too much resemblance to the sex-slave buyers purchasing processes in the Liam Neeson movie, Taken.

The newest Bachelorette made headlines recently. The 24-year-old Bachelorette made headlines with her post-premiere promo, where she defends her sexuality to one of her contestants and cries about him "judging" her. Entertainment Tonight reported that she says she's had a “complex relationship with Christianity” since losing her virginity before marriage, and balancing her faith while getting intimate with men in the fantasy suites was a "struggle" for her.

She declared in regards to the fantasy suites, "I have had sex, and Jesus still loves me!" and says she is very happy to give a new look to religion on the series but admitted that she's glad to shine a new light on religion through the series. She said she was very pleased that the show chose to air her prayer before she headed into the mansion on night one.

“I’m not ashamed." she explained. "Regardless of anything I've done that people might think, 'Oh, well, that deserved a scarlet letter,' that's not how it works. I can do whatever. I sin daily, and Jesus still loves me. It's all washed, and if the Lord doesn't judge me and it's all forgiven, then no other man, woman, animal -- anything, I don't know -- can judge me!"

Not what Jesus said. She got a couple big things confused.

1. It is true that Jesus loves us no matter what. He doesn't love us because of our behavior, He loves us because of His character. Her choices speak about the character and quality of her love for Jesus, not His love for her.

True, none of us are perfect, but if there is no desire to follow Christ and obey Him, no regret when you have disobeyed, there is a strong likelihood that you don't know Him at all. You are “religious,” but not a Jesus-follower. That’s not an opinion, that’s straight from God’s Word.

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child. 1 John 3:9-10

If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 1 John 2:4

2. It is a perversion of faith and true relationship with Jesus to believe that you can be forgiven but it doesn’t matter then how you live.

Wherever there is sin, it leads to death. God said that. That means when I sin it will ultimately lead to things dying in my life:

· Trust will die.
· Relationships will die.
· Marriages will die.

The list goes on. The Bachelorette is not helping her future. She will find that there will be a day when these decisions have cost her things she didn’t want to lose. When God says “No,” He is a loving Father, trying to protect us.

God doesn't want us not to sin so He can love us more; there is nothing you and I can do to get Him to love us more. He calls us not to sin because it ALWAYS brings death.

The first lie in the Garden was from Satan. He said, “You will not die.” When you believe today that the death of something precious is not the result of sinful choices, you are being duped by the Deceiver. Sin always brings death.

Jesus told a story about two houses: one built on sand and one built on the rock. Sand was the shifting foundation a disobedient and foolish person who “followed his heart” and culture built upon. Rock was the solid foundation of God’s truth. In the story, storms came to each house. The house on the rock stood firm. The house on the sand, as could only be expected, was destroyed in a great crash. Then Jesus said, “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

You got ears? I hope you hear.