The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes Water Down as “to reduce or temper the force or effectiveness of”. People have always tried to “water down” the Gospel. That is a MAJOR problem today in our churches and in the lives of many who claim to be Christians. Many argue, “Oh, well we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or offend anyone, so we make the Gospel a little more palatable, after all Jesus was all about loving others wasn’t He?”
However, quite the contrary. Yes, Jesus was about loving others. He did DIE on the cross for everyone who would ever live. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is. The thing is, He loves everyone and always has, but He STILL DEMANDS that we follow His Word and OBEY His commandments, and when people don’t do that and refuse to believe or obey Him, they face the consequences. Too many people today want a “religion” that they can just agree with and it won’t really cost them much at all. THAT IS NOT CHRISTIANITY.
In Luke 18:18-23, we find the following, “A ruler questioned Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’ And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.”
Jesus’ point was that we have to be willing to give up EVERYTHING to truly follow Him and know Him. And when this rich ruler heard that, He wasn’t willing to go that far, so he left. Now, Jesus didn’t go chasing after him saying, “Okay, okay…maybe you don’t have to give up “everything”, let’s say only 1/4 of what you have…that will be enough.” No, knowing full well what this man’s reaction would be, Jesus didn’t water down His response, He told him what it DOES cost us to follow Him.
In Luke 14:26-27, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” His point was that to TRUTHFULLY FOLLOW Him, HE MUST COME FIRST in our life! NOTHING ELSE can be more important than following Him, and even though our own family members don’t agree with what we do at times, we MUST be willing to do what GOD COMMANDS us to do.
In Matthew 10:34-39, Jesus again speaking, said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
To truly follow Jesus Christ, we MUST transform our lives and stop trying to make Christianity “FIT” with our worldly lifestyles. Many of the decisions and choices we MUST make in our life as a Christian are not easy when we look at them through our fleshly and selfish eyes. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Most people aren’t willing to pay the “cost” of truly following Jesus, so they water it down. They argue and even teach others, “Oh, you don’t have to do this or that. You don’t have to give up your worldly pleasures. You don’t have to make sacrifices…” etc., And, then they wonder why they keep failing and stumbling in their faith.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” That’s the cost of following Jesus. Giving UP everything and allowing HIM to CONTROL our life. This world’s “watered down” Christianity DOES NOT WORK!! Oh, it may excite people for a time and bring about a huge following, all kinds of things do that from time to time, but it’s not lasting. Especially when people don’t have to give up anything to be a part of it. Jesus Christ DIED on the cross for us…we should be WILLING and EAGER to give up our lives to follow Him!!
All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.