Why We Can't Change the Gospel to Save People's Feelings

Why we can't water down the gospel to save people's feelings| Transformed4More.com

“In the gospel, Jesus called us to love people, and it is not loving to hurt someone’s feelings.”

Since Susan and I run this ministry, we follow a lot of Christian accounts on social media. Over the past few months, I have seen quite a few of them post something similar to the opening statement.

I hope they mean well, because we are not supposed to go around being mean to people and intentionally saying or doing hurtful things. However, loving people in Christian love sometimes includes hurt feelings. Not sure if this is true? Then let’s look to Jesus.

Jesus didn’t “water down” the Gospel for feelings

In Mark 10, there is an encounter with Jesus and a man called “the rich young ruler.” The exchange between them is below and is verses 17-22 (NKJV):

¹⁷Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
¹⁸So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
²⁰And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
²¹Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
²²But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

(As a side note: Jesus is not against rich people. Jesus just knew that this man loved his possessions and you cannot follow Christ and love anything more than Him).

In Christianity, if someone does not repent and accept Jesus, they are destined for Hell. Jesus, not wanting anyone to go to Hell, told this man the truth out of love, even though he ended up going away “sorrowful”…a.k.a. with “hurt feelings.” He didn’t change God’s truth, and neither can we.

Why it is UNLOVING to change the Gospel

When Christians take a firm Biblical stance on cultural issues, we are usually branded as being “unloving”. There is one main reason why watering down the Gospel to fit into culture or to save someone’s feelings is unloving. Why? Because…

They will still go to Hell.

The only thing that can save people is the true gospel. If you present a false gospel, or tell people that something is not a sin that the Bible says it is, you aren’t doing them any favors. You are actually lying and leading them further away from repentance and acceptance of Jesus.

I am not willing to lie to a group of people thus sending them straight through the gates of Hell to save their feelings. That is extremely unloving.

As a side note…

Also, we should not be willing to water down the gospel because one day, we will have to stand before God in judgement. I can’t imagine Him asking me why I risked (or did) sending people to Hell for eternity to save their feelings while on Earth.

Yikes.

When we have people ask us about Jesus or what is sin, we have to tell the truth because it’s loving.

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In Closing

It is my hopes that this blog dispels the myth that it is more loving to not hurt someone’s feelings rather than tell them the truth. The only way people will come to know Jesus is by speaking Biblical truth in love.

Also, in our book God’s Not Gray: Biblical Truth in a Society of Blurred Lines, I discuss the topics of sin, salvation, the Christian mission and more. If you ended up here, it will interest you! Click here or below to learn more!