Jesus' Tough Love
The whole world is saying to the typical fundamentalist Christian, "You are not showing the same kind of love Jesus is showing." Well here's what - this Valentine's month, it's time to present that Jesus showed the real kind of love, not the twisted concept of love.
How loving is Jesus? Here are some things you've got to realize:
1.) He loves people ENOUGH to tell them the truth about sin and remind them of their sins!
Just as said, love does not rejoice in falsehood but rather rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). A good example of Jesus' tough love was that in John 4:18, Jesus reminded the woman of the well that she was living in adultery. Can you imagine that? Sadly many preachers today hardly bring up sins that many sinful people consider as to be "nothing wrong with it". Jesus kept speaking about sin and He loves the sinner so much that He will not sugar coat the truth as to tell them the truth about sin. The soulwinning videos of Pastor Ray Comfort namely "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and "True and False Conversions" revealed this sad truth that because of there is no preaching against sin, no use of the Law in preaching is a big reason why that people don't get a genuine conversion and false conversions are increasing.
2.) He was loving enough NEVER to hide the truth about false religion and its painful realities.
Jesus in fact was not all compassion. Charles Spurgeon said, "I could never believe in the Jesus Christ of some people, for the Christ in whom they believe is simply full of affectionateness and gentleness, whereas I believe there was never was a more splendid specimen of manhood, even its sternness, than the Saviour; and the very lips which declared that He would not break a bruised reed uttered the most terrible anathemas upon the Pharisees." How true. Amen to that! One has to realize that Jesus attacked the Pharisees' doctrine so much. In fact in Matthew 23, he threw his biggest revelation against the RELIGION of the Pharisees rooted in self-righteousness, not dependent on God's grace. Truth is many people go to Hell because of religion. If the issue of false religion is not tackled and the person told that only Jesus saves, that cannot be real love. That's just the world's concept of love- a love that does not reveal the PAINFUL reality. Truth is, if He were physically still around today, He would spend His time blasting EVERY type of Pharisee available whether it'd be a Rabbi of Judaism, a priest of Catholicism, an Imam of Islam, a SDA pastor, etc. for their Pharisaical doctrine! Attacking false religion is not an act of hatred compared to leaving people in a system where they perish or, doing activities mean to provoke them or harm them rather than win them to Jesus.
3.) He was loving enough to show the PAINFUL reality of Hell being FOREVER
Whoever says that Jesus didn't say, "Believe in me or you will burn in Hell." needs to reexamine the Bible. Jesus warned in John 3:36 of condemnation, many times He warned that Hell is real and is prepared for all who refuse Him. Jesus preached the message of salvation and the reality of Hell. He warned of the reality that there are MANY more people going to Hell than there are going to Heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). He warned in Matthew 7:21-23 that many people will try to have their religion and works work their way into Heaven but will fall short. The video "The Burning Hell" with Estus Pirkle has been one of the most meaningful videos ever- unless the reality of Hell is presented, nobody will see the need for salvation.