May 18, 2025 • 38 mins
Ever noticed how Jesus gets presented these days? Gentle, affirming, and never challenging—a comforting figure who makes us feel good but rarely asks anything of us. This cultural reshaping of Christ deserves our honest attention, because what's at stake isn't just theology—it's transformation itself.
In this deeply reflective episode, we peel back layers of modern interpretations to examine who Jesus truly is beyond Instagram quotes and bumper sticker theology. When Jesus declared "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," he wasn't offering a gentle suggestion. The early church didn't face persecution for following someone with lovely ideas about kindness—they gave their lives because they encountered the risen Son of God who demanded everything.
Progressive Christianity often presents what we might call a "soft gospel"—highlighting inclusion while minimizing sin, repentance, and transformation. But the authentic gospel isn't just about affirming where we are; it's about setting us free through truth that sometimes wounds before it heals. Similarly, biblical love isn't merely affirmation without boundaries. When Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you... go and sin no more," he demonstrated perfect balance between grace and truth.
Perhaps most critically, we've begun elevating personal experience above biblical authority. Scripture becomes something to manage rather than submit to—selecting comfortable passages while avoiding challenging ones. This subtly transforms us from students into editors, from followers into critics. But the Word wasn't given to reflect our preferences; it was given to reshape us into Christ's image.
Are you following the real Jesus or a comfortable echo of yourself? Join us as we explore how to reclaim authentic faith—one that embraces both comfort and challenge, both grace and truth. Because a Jesus who never questions us isn't the Jesus who saves us.
I would love to hear from you!
For listeners looking to deepen their engagement with the topics discussed, visit our website or check out our devotionals and poetry on Amazon, with all proceeds supporting The New York School of The Bible at Calvary Baptist Church. Stay connected and enriched on your spiritual path with us!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Compass Chronicles podcast.
Where faith meets fandom, lifegets real and every step of your
journey reveals a deeperpurpose.
I'm your host, javier, and, asalways, I'm so glad you're here
Now.
Today's episode is one I'vebeen praying about and sitting
with for a while, because whatwe're going to talk about isn't
just a passing trend.
It's something that's genuinelystirring hearts, raising
questions and, in many ways,shifting the way people
(00:20):
understand their faith.
It's been showing up inchurches, book clubs and social
media threads.
Today, we're taking a closerlook at progressive Christianity
.
It's often praised for beingcompassionate, hopeful and
inclusive and there's beauty inthat but sometimes it paints a
picture of Jesus that feels morelike a gentle symbol than the
powerful, life-transformingSavior he really is.
He's shown as someone who makesus feel good but rarely asks
(00:41):
anything of us, someone whocomforts but doesn't call us to
change.
We're not here to blame orscare anyone.
We're pausing to ask the tough,honest question Are we still
following the Jesus who claimedto be the only path to the
Father, or have we settled forsomething far more comfortable?
Today, we're going to explorethat question deeply.
We'll open the Bible, we'lllook at history, we'll examine
some modern theology and, mostimportantly, we'll talk about
(01:02):
how to stay rooted in truth whenthe world around us keeps
shifting.
So if you're ready for a realconversation, the kind that
challenges but also encourages,then let's dive in.
You know, before we can talkabout what's missing, we've got
to talk about who Jesus reallyis.
It sounds like an easy question, right?
Something we all probablyassume we're on the same page
about, but ask a dozen people todefine Jesus and you might get
a dozen very different answers.
(01:23):
So let's peel back the layers,the Instagram quotes, the pop
theology reels, the bumperstickers, even the Jesus is my
homeboy t-shirts and ask thedeeper question who is Jesus?
Because at the heart of all ofthis, at the core of what causes
any belief system to drift, isa quiet, subtle shift in how we
view Christ.
That's where it begins andthat's why it matters so much.
You know, in many progressiveChristian circles, jesus gets
(01:45):
cast as a wise moral guide, apeaceful revolutionary, a fierce
advocate for inclusion or agentle mentor who just wants
everyone to be kind, and youknow what that compassion is
real?
He healed the brokenhearted,confronted religious hypocrisy,
welcomed outsiders and upendedcultural norms wherever he went.
All of that is absolutely true.
Consider John, chapter 14,verse 6, where Jesus states
(02:07):
without hesitation I am the way,the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.
This isn't a gentle option,it's a firm boundary.
And, let's be honest, that kindof absolute clarity can feel
jarring today, especially in aculture that elevates tolerance
as the highest virtue and viewsany exclusion as unforgivable.
A claim that there's only onepath.
It's a hard truth for apostmodern mindset to accept.
So what do we do with thatdiscomfort?
(02:28):
In progressive theology, theanswer often looks like this we
sand off the rough edges, wereshape Jesus into someone
easier to digest, we make him asymbol instead of a savior.
But the early church didn't givetheir lives for a symbol.
The apostles didn't facebeatings, imprisonment and death
because Jesus had some lovelyideas about being kind to others
.
They were willing to sufferbecause they had seen and walked
(02:49):
with the risen Christ, the Sonof the living God.
Fully God, fully man.
Crucified, resurrected,ascended.
That's not a soft idea.
That's a dangerous truth, oneworth living and dying for.
And the early church fathers?
They knew exactly how high thestakes were.
Let's go back a few centuriesBack, when the church was still
finding its footing, stilldefining its core truths.
(03:09):
The world around them wasfilled with confusion, heresies
and persecution.
One of the most pressingdangers at the time was
Gnosticism, a belief system thatdownplayed or outright denied
the physical incarnation andresurrection of Jesus.
Gnostics pushed the idea thatJesus was more of a mystical
spirit or divine idea than anactual man who walked among us
and bled for our sins.
Sound familiar it should.
(03:29):
There are far too many strainsof progressive theology today
that treat Christ as a vaguecosmic force rather than the
crucified king he truly is.
But church leaders likeAthanasius stood their ground.
In his landmark treatise on theincarnation.
He argued that our savior hadto be both fully human and fully
divine to bridge the gaps sincreated.
As Athanasius famously put it,he became what we are, that we
(03:50):
might become what he is.
That insight still carriestremendous weight today.
These early defenders of thefaith didn't have podcasts,
youtube channels or massiveconference platforms.
What they had was conviction.
They understood that if wecompromise on the identity of
Christ, even just a little,everything else begins to
unravel.
Now fast forward to our modernmoment.
Today, in many progressivecircles there's a trend called
(04:11):
deconstruction and listen, I'mnot here to bash that Asking
questions isn't wrong.
In fact honest wrestling can bepart of a healthy growing faith
.
But the problem is,deconstruction often doesn't
lead to reconstruction.
It stops at doubt.
It leaves believers adrift withnothing solid to rebuild on.
A perfect example is the growinginfluence of theologians like
Richard Rohrer.
He's widely respected inprogressive Christian spaces and
(04:32):
talks a lot about the universalChrist.
That idea stretches Christbeyond the historical Jesus into
a kind of cosmic force, morespiritual than personal.
And while there's a kernel oftruth in recognizing Christ's
eternal nature, the danger isthat this version of Jesus loses
the blood, the cross, thebodily resurrection.
It's no longer the Jesus whosays I am the door, but more of
a mystical fog that says you'llfind your way eventually.
(04:54):
Compare that to someone like CSLewis.
In mere Christianity, lewislays it out plainly.
You must make your choiceEither this man was and is the
son of God, or else a madman orsomething worse.
But let us not come with anypatronizing nonsense about his
being a great human teacher.
Lewis isn't having it.
He reminds us that Jesus didn'tgive us the option of neutral
admiration.
His claims are too wild, toodisruptive, too divine, and it's
(05:18):
no wonder that culture prefersthe soft version.
Our world wants a Jesus who fits, who affirms, who never calls
anyone out.
We want a Jesus who fits, whoaffirms, who never calls anyone
out.
We want a Jesus who heals butnever rebukes, a Jesus who joins
us at the table but never flipsit over.
But the Jesus we meet in theGospels he holds both grace and
truth in perfect balance.
When he faced a woman caught inadultery, he said with
compassion neither do I condemnyou.
(05:39):
But he didn't stop there.
He added go and from now on sinno more.
That's from John, chapter 8,verse 11.
That's the real Jesus, full ofmercy and truth, not one or the
other, both.
And in a world that loves topick sides, jesus keeps calling
us to a faith that embracestension.
He's the Lamb and the Lion, theServant and the King, the
(05:59):
Savior and the Judge.
But when we start reshaping himto fit into cultural
preferences, we end up with aJesus who might be recognizable
but who can't change hearts,heal wounds or save souls.
So what do we do we recenter?
We return to the real Jesus.
We re-anchor our hearts andminds in his word, his character
and his authority.
That means getting intoscripture, not just snippets we
see online, but really digginginto the gospels, watching how
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Jesus speaks, how he moves, howhe confronts, how he comforts,
asking ourselves do I actuallyknow this Jesus, or have I
settled for a version that justmakes me feel good?
It means learning our spiritualhistory, understanding how
believers before us stood strongin their faith even in times of
confusion and cultural pressure.
The early creeds, like theNicene and Apostles' Creed,
weren't religious fluff.
They were battle-testeddeclarations that kept the
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church grounded in truth.
It also means being spirituallydiscerning.
1 John, chapter 4, verse 1,tells us plainly Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but testthe spirits to see whether they
are from God.
Just because someone quotes theBible doesn't mean their
message is biblical.
Not every sermon that goesviral is rooted in the Word.
We've got to ask is thispointing to the Jesus of
Scripture or to a repackagedfeel-good knockoff?
(07:05):
And we need each other realcommunity, not just online
comment sections, but people inour lives who love us enough to
challenge us, who will pull usback when we start to drift, who
will remind us of truth when weforget.
And here's the truth.
We've got to be okay with notbeing everyone's favorite.
Jesus didn't sugarcoat it whenhe said If the world hates you,
(07:30):
know that it has hated me beforeit hated you.
That's John, chapter 15, verse18.
Following the real Jesus mightnot earn us likes or applause,
but he's worth every step.
Let me be clear if your idea ofJesus never questions you,
never urges you to stretch orchange, and always plays by your
rules, then you might not befollowing him at all.
You could just be cheering onyour own echo.
Now don't get me wrong.
This isn't about gatekeepingthe faith or using theology as a
weapon.
That's not what we're about onthis podcast.
This is about reclaiming thereal Jesus.
(07:50):
The Jesus who isn't just asoft-spoken symbol of love, but
the living embodiment of truth.
The Jesus who isn't justcomforting when we're broken,
but holy when we'd rather staythe same.
The Jesus who doesn't just patus on the back but sometimes
calls us out flips.
The Jesus who doesn't just patus on the back but sometimes
calls us out, flips a few tablesand tells us to go and sin no
more.
Because here's the thing,clarity matters.
The more clearly we see Him,the real Him, the more
faithfully we can follow Him.
(08:11):
And in a world flooded withfilters, fandoms and feel-good
knockoffs, clarity isn't justhelpful.
It's sacred.
Now that we've taken a goodhard look at who Jesus really is
and how progressiveChristianity sometimes reshapes
him, we've got to go deeper.
We've got to talk about themessage Jesus came to bring,
because when you redefine themessenger, eventually you're
going to redefine the message.
So here's a question that mightseem simple on the surface but
(08:33):
actually carries a lot of weightunderneath.
When you hear the word gospel,what comes to mind?
Maybe what comes to mind isforgiveness or grace, or being
accepted just as you are.
Maybe it's the cross, or simplythe comforting thought that God
loves you and all of that isreal.
It's beautiful, it's true, butis that the whole gospel?
That's where we begin to seethe distortion start creeping in
(08:54):
, because what often getspreached in progressive circles
isn't the full gospel.
It's what I'd call a soft gospel.
It's a version of the good newsthat leaves out the bad news,
one that highlights love butskips over sin.
It talks inclusion but notrepentance.
It opens the door and welcomeseveryone to the table, which is
beautiful, but never mentionsthat the table belongs to a king
and that king sets the termsfor fellowship.
(09:14):
This soft gospel it feels good,it's appealing.
It promises inspiration, butrarely transformation.
It's more aboutself-fulfillment than
self-denial.
It fills auditoriums, it sellsbooks, it gets tons of likes
online and, most of all, itdoesn't offend anyone.
Here's the thing.
We're not here to share amessage that just makes people
comfy in their sin.
The gospel isn't aboutaffirming where we're stuck.
(09:36):
It's about pulling us out andsetting us free.
Let's talk for a minute aboutthe real gospel.
The Apostle Paul doesn'tsugarcoat it.
He lays it out clearly in 1Corinthians 15, verses 3-4.
For I deliver to you as offirst importance what I also
received that Christ died forour sins in accordance with the
Scriptures.
That he was buried.
That he was raised on the thirdday in accordance with the
scriptures.
Did you catch that?
(09:58):
Christ died for our sins?
Not just to show us what lovelooks like, not just to make a
moral statement.
He died because sin is real,because we were separated,
because we needed a savior.
And that's the core of thegospel not just that Jesus
accepts you, but that Jesussaves you.
It's not just about comfort,it's about cleansing.
Not Jesus saves you.
It's not just about comfort.
It's about cleansing.
Not just community, it's aboutconversion.
And if we get the gospel wrong,everything else starts to
(10:19):
unravel.
Now I know some progressivetheologians push back on that.
They argue that substitutionaryatonement, the belief that
Jesus died in our place for oursin, is outdated.
Some even call it divine childabuse.
They want a gentlerinterpretation of the cross, one
that talks about moralinfluence or cosmic
reconciliation, reconciliationbut leaves out the blood, leaves
out the wrath and definitelyleaves out judgment.
(10:41):
But here's the problem.
Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 22,says without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness ofsins.
That's not an old-fashioneddoctrine, it's a reality rooted
in divine justice and radicalgrace.
God's wrath and God's lovearen't in conflict.
They're partners in the work ofredemption.
Think about it If God saw eviland God's love aren't in
conflict.
They're partners in the work ofredemption.
Think about it If God saw eviland injustice and just shrugged
(11:03):
his shoulders.
That wouldn't be love.
But when God so loved the worldthat he sent his son to absorb
that wrath, that's not abuse,that's holy love.
That's a love that sacrifices,a love that costs everything.
Now let's rewind again back tothe early church.
The apostles didn't preach softsermons.
Take Peter's bold message inActs, chapter 2.
Right after Pentecost, the HolySpirit shows up like fire.
People are drawn in by thechaos and wonder.
And what does Peter do?
(11:23):
He doesn't give them a pep talkor a vague spiritual pick-me-up
.
He says you crucified theMessiah.
Now repent, repent and bebaptized, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, forthe forgiveness of your sins.
Acts, chapter 2, verse 38.
That word repent is all butabsent in many progressive
pulpits today, but in the earlychurch it was central Over and
over.
In the book of Acts we see theapostles calling people to turn
(11:46):
from sin and turn toward Christ.
The message wasn't aboutaffirmation, it was about
transformation.
The gospel didn't exist tovalidate identity, it existed to
create a new one.
And this is where we've got tobe careful, because when the
message gets reduced to Godloves you just the way you are,
we're only telling half thestory.
Yes, god loves youunconditionally, eternally, but
he also loves you too much toleave you where you are.
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He came to set you free, torestore you, to make you new.
That's the gospel.
Let's pause right here, becauseI know for some of you this
might be getting real.
That's the gospel.
Let's pause right here becauseI know for some of you this
might be getting real.
Maybe you come from abackground where church felt
like a list of rules, whereevery step was watched, where
guilt and shame echoed louderthan love.
And now, when you hear the wordgrace, it hits different.
It feels like oxygen.
(12:27):
And, honestly, that's exactlywhat grace is.
It's the air our souls weremade to breathe.
But here's something we can'tignore.
Titus, chapter 2, verses 11through 12, says this For the
grace of God has appeared,bringing salvation for all
people, training us to renounceungodliness and worldly passions
.
Did you catch that?
Grace appeared bringingsalvation, but it didn't stop
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there.
It also trains us.
See, grace doesn't just sootheus when we're hurting.
It teaches us how to livedifferently.
It shows us how to say no tothe things that drain us and
destroy us, and yes to the lifewe were created for.
Grace is not a hall pass forsin.
It's the power to walk awayfrom it.
So if you're breathing gracetoday, breathe it in deep, but
let it strengthen you too,because grace isn't just the
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welcome, it's the workout.
When we strip grace of itspower, we create churches full
of people who are forgiven butnot free, people who know that
God is love but haven'texperienced the transforming
light of that love.
That's the danger of the softgospel.
It feels nice but it leavespeople stuck.
Have you ever stopped to noticethe slogans shouting at us
everywhere?
Follow your heart it is what itis or live your truth.
They're plastered on billboardsall over social media, even
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popping up in casualconversations.
But that's not the freedomJesus came to give.
He didn't say follow your truth.
He declared I am the way andthe truth and the life.
John, chapter 14, verse 6.
And he didn't tell us dowhatever feels right.
Instead, he promised if youremain in my word, you really
are my disciples.
Then you will know the truthand the truth will set you free.
John, chapter 8, verses 31 and32.
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You've probably heard thatfreedom means doing whatever
feels good.
Jesus turns that idea upsidedown.
True freedom is living exactlyas you were designed, loving God
with your whole heart andgrowing more like Him every day.
And far from feelingrestrictive, that freedom heals
and restores from the inside out.
Here's the hard but beautifulreality.
The real gospel wounds beforeit heals.
It convicts before it comforts.
Like a surgeon's knife, it cutsout the cancer of sin to save
(14:21):
your life.
That's why Paul confidentlywrote I am not ashamed of the
gospel, because it is the powerof God for salvation to everyone
who believes.
Romans 1.16.
Conviction isn't condemnation.
It's God's loving invitation tobe whole.
If your version of the gospelnever stirs your heart, it may
never set you free.
So how do we stay anchored inthe real thing?
Let's be real for a second.
Or, as we say in New York City,we are keeping it 100, or this
is no cap.
In a world full of curatedsoundbites and quick
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encouragements.
We have to make a consciouschoice to stay rooted in the
full truth of scripture, notjust the coffee mug verses, not
just the ones we highlight andquote on social media.
We open the word daily, all ofit.
We lean into the hard passages,the ones that push us, the ones
that challenge what we thoughtwe knew.
We allow God's word to stretchus, to sanctify us and to shape
who we are becoming.
And we don't do it alone.
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We stay in community.
We walk with people who loveJesus and love us enough to tell
us the truth.
Jesus doesn't need us to be hisadvertising team.
He doesn't need spin.
He's not looking for a rebrandor a softer image.
So, in a world that prefers asofter gospel, let's be the ones
who speak the real gospel,boldly, compassionately and
without apology, because onlythe true gospel can truly save.
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Let's talk about somethingthat's central to everything we
believe, something so powerfuland beautiful that it's the
heartbeat of the gospel, andthat word is love.
Love is the greatestcommandment.
It's the defining trait of whatit means to follow Jesus.
In fact, jesus himself said inJohn, chapter 13, verse 35, by
this, all people will know thatyou are my disciples if you have
love for one another.
That's huge.
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Love is how the world issupposed to recognize us, not by
our buildings or our bumperstickers or our social media
bios, but by our love.
But here's where it getscomplicated.
In today's culture, andespecially in many progressive
Christian spaces, love has beenredefined.
It's often disconnected fromtruth, stripped of correction
and boiled down to pureaffirmation.
In this version, love means younever disagree, never challenge
(16:07):
.
You just nod along andcelebrate every choice, every
belief, every path.
Now don't get me wrong kindnessand gentleness are
non-negotiables.
They're fruit of the Spirit,not optional character traits.
We're not called to be jerkswith Bible verses.
But we're also not called totrade truth for comfort, because
the second love becomessynonymous with approval.
It loses its power to heal, itloses its ability to change
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lives.
It becomes soft, sentimentaland safe, but powerless.
Here's the thing In Scripturelove and truth are never at odds
.
They're not two competing ideasthat we have to balance.
They walk together like twosides of the same coin.
If you remove one, the otherdoesn't function.
And when we try to separatethem, we don't end up with more
love.
We end up with something hollow, something well-meaning but
spiritually empty.
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Look at how Jesus loved people.
He was tender, he wascompassionate, but he was never
passive about sin.
Remember the story of the richyoung ruler in Mark, chapter 10?
This guy runs up to Jesus witha pretty solid resume I've kept
all the commandments since I wasa kid.
He's respectful, he's sincereand he's looking for eternal
life.
And here's what it says.
And Jesus, looking at him,loved him and said to him you
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lack one thing.
Go, sell all that you have andgive to the poor and come,
follow me.
Mark, chapter 10, verse 21.
Did you catch that?
Jesus looked at him and lovedhim.
And because he loved him, hetold him the truth, not to shame
him, not to embarrass him, butto invite him into something
deeper.
That's the model we need torecover.
Real love doesn't just sayyou're good where you are.
(17:31):
It says I love you where youare, but I see who you could
become in Christ.
And that's not always a popularmessage in a world that equates
love with unconditionalaffirmation, but it's the only
kind of love that trulytransforms.
In many progressive Christianspaces, being nice is often
treated as the highest virtueDon't offend anyone, be
endlessly empathetic, keep thepeace at all costs and, to be
fair, there's somethingadmirable about that.
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Most of us don't want to comeacross as rude or unkind.
We want to be seen aspeacemakers.
That instinct comes from a goodplace.
But when niceness becomes anidol, it keeps us quiet when
we're supposed to speak, itmakes us passive when we're
supposed to act, and it turns usinto people pleasers instead of
truth tellers.
Galatians, chapter 1.
Verse 10 hits us right betweenthe eyes.
Paul writes Am I now seekingthe approval of man or of God,
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or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying toplease man, I would not be a
servant of Christ.
That's a hard one to swallow,especially when you know that
standing for truth might costyou something.
People might misunderstand you,call you judgmental, say you're
being unloving, but sometimesloving someone enough to speak
the truth is the mostChrist-like thing you can do,
especially when it's someone youcare about, someone close to.
We don't want to rock the boat,but here's the deal Peace
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without truth isn't peace, it'sa temporary ceasefire that
leaves people in danger.
Because real love, realbiblical love, it doesn't just
comfort, it confronts.
And I'm not saying that to beharsh or throw anyone under the
bus.
I mean it in a spirit-led,loving but honest kind of way.
Think about the prophets in theOld Testament.
These weren't smooth talkerstrying to win popularity
contests.
They were truth-tellers, oftenweeping over the people they
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were called to confront.
They risked everything to saywhat God had put on their hearts
, even when nobody wanted tohear it.
Jeremiah is called the weepingprophet for a reason.
His message wasn't popular, butit was faithful.
And in the middle of all hisgrief he still says this in
Lamentations, chapter 3.
The steadfast love of the Lordnever ceases.
His mercies never come to.
God's love shines through, evenwhen he's correcting us.
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Even in judgment, mercy ispresent.
That's the heartbeat ofbiblical love.
It's not love or truth, it'slove through truth.
So let's make it practical,because it's one thing to say
speak the truth in love andanother thing to actually do it.
First, speak with both graceand boldness.
Colossians, chapter 4, verse 6,says Let your speech always be
gracious, seasoned with salt.
That doesn't mean we lead withshouting or passive aggression.
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We lead with kindness always.
But that kindness doesn't meanwe avoid the hard stuff.
Sometimes love requires courage.
It's grace and boldness.
Both matter.
If we only bring one, we missthe heart of Jesus.
Second, ask more questions.
Jesus was a master at this.
Who do you say I am?
Do you want to be healed?
Why are you afraid?
He didn't just declare truth,he invited people into it
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through questions.
In a culture that's quick toargue and slow to listen, asking
questions might be one of themost Christ-like things we can
do.
It disarms, it softens, itopens the door to real dialogue
instead of defensive reactions.
Third, stay rooted inrelationship.
Fourth, don't confuse unity withuniformity.
We don't all have to agree oneverything to be unified in
Christ.
We do need to stay grounded inthe essentials, like who Jesus
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is, what the gospel teaches andthe truth of scripture.
But outside of that there'sroom for nuance, there's room
for difference.
Unity doesn't mean clones.
It means connection despitedifferences.
The world is constantlyshifting.
Opinions rise and fall withevery headline, but truth real
truth stays firm.
Love built on that kind oftruth doesn't break under
pressure or change to blend in.
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It stays solid.
And in a culture that keepsredrawing the lines, that kind
of grounded love is unmistakable.
We're not forced to pickbetween truth and compassion.
We're called to hold both.
We're becoming people who speaktruth with boldness and show
kindness without hesitation,people who face the tough parts
of scripture with courage butnever lose sight of the
heartbeat behind it all, for Godso loved the world.
(21:11):
Here's one way to look at it.
Truth without love isn'tChrist-like, but love without
truth isn't truly love.
And if you've ever been on thereceiving end of graceless truth
, if you've been hurt by peoplewho use theology like a club, I
just want to say I'm sorry.
That's not the way of Jesus,but don't let that pain push you
so far that you land in aversion of Christianity that
values niceness over truth, thatsettles for a kind of love that
(21:32):
soothes but never sanctifies.
Because the love of Jesus, itmeets you where you are, but it
doesn't leave you there.
It moves you, it carries you,it calls you to more, it
rewrites your story.
So let's be that kind of church.
Let's be those kinds of peopleFull of conviction, full of
compassion, willing to bemisunderstood, not to win
arguments, but to help peoplemeet the real Jesus, not a
(21:53):
reflection of their preferences,not a cultural mascot, but the
risen, living, life-changingSavior.
Because in the end, truth isn'tjust an idea, it's a person,
and his name is Jesus.
Now let me start this next partwith a question who gets the
final word, god or us?
I know that might come acrossas a little intense, maybe even
a little dramatic, but stay withme, because when we talk about
(22:14):
how we read the Bible, how weinterpret it and how we live it
out, this question mattersdeeply.
And here's where things get alittle complicated.
In a lot of modernconversations, especially within
progressive Christian circles,there's this growing trend where
personal experience, emotionalconnection and cultural
relevance are often placed abovebiblical authority.
God knows your experiencesmatter and that your emotions
matter.
(22:34):
He cares deeply about whatyou've been through and how you
feel.
But here's the thing they'renot meant to define how we
interpret the Word of God.
They're not the lens we use todecide what Scripture means.
Instead, scripture is meant todefine how we interpret the Word
of God.
They're not the lens we use todecide what Scripture means.
Instead, scripture is meant toshape how we view our
experiences and how we respondto our emotions.
The Bible isn't there just toreflect what we already think or
feel.
It's there to reveal truth.
It's the foundation, not themirror, and I say this with love
(22:56):
.
When we elevate personal truthabove God's truth, when we start
editing or twisting Scriptureto make it feel more comfortable
or culturally acceptable, welose something vital.
We lose the power of conviction, the strength of correction and
the depth of transformation.
So here we are again back tothe core question who gets the
final word, god or us?
Because how we answer thatchanges everything.
(23:16):
But this is where things startto unravel in progressive
theology.
Instead of coming to scripturewith open hands and a
surrendered heart, it flips theapproach.
The Bible becomes something tobe managed instead of something
to be submitted to.
It gets treated more like abuffet pick what feels inspiring
, skip what feels offensive andreframe anything that sounds too
exclusive or challenging.
But here's the real danger.
When we do that, we stopplacing ourselves under the
(23:39):
authority of God's word andinstead we start standing over
it.
We become the editors, not thestudents, the critics not the
followers.
And when that shift happens,it's subtle.
It doesn't always look likefull-blown rebellion.
Sometimes it just looks likeconstant rephrasing, endless
justifications, a softreimagining of hard truth.
And the moment we startreshaping God's word to fit our
lives, instead of reshaping ourlives to fit God's word, we
(24:02):
begin to lose our footing.
Slowly but surely, we step offthe solid foundation of truth
and we start building onsomething that cannot carry the
weight of real life.
So maybe this is the rightmoment to stop and ask a real
question, one that cuts throughthe noise Are we truly letting
scripture shape us, or are weonly giving it room to speak
when it echoes what we alreadybelieve?
Because here's the thing God'sword isn't a mirror meant to
(24:23):
reflect our preferences.
It's a lamp meant to guide oursteps.
It was never meant to be edited, filtered or bent to fit
cultural trends or personalcomfort.
It's meant to reshape us intothe image of Christ.
Let's not settle for a faithbuilt on opinion or emotion.
Let's return to what's solid.
Let's open the Bible andactually listen to what God says
, not just what we wish he'd say, because truth isn't something
(24:43):
we get to redefine.
It's something we return to,it's something we come home to.
And if we really believe that,then 2 Timothy, chapter 3,
verses 16 and 17, becomes morethan just familiar words.
It becomes the standard webuild our lives on.
All scripture is breathed outby God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, forcorrection and for training in
righteousness that the man ofGod may be complete, equipped
(25:04):
for every good work.
That's the kind of truth thatshapes people, that shapes
churches, that shapes legacies.
So let's not water it down,let's dig deeper into it.
And here's why this reallymatters, because how we view
scripture will always shape howwe view Jesus.
You can't separate the two.
If we start treating the Bibleas optional or outdated, it
won't be long before we startdoing the same thing, with Jesus
(25:25):
cutting out the parts we don'tlike, softening His words,
reshaping His message to fit ourcomfort zones.
But Jesus never asked us tofollow a version of Him we're
comfortable with.
He asked us to follow Him fullytruth and grace, mercy and
justice, savior and Lord.
Cs Lewis once said that what webelieve about something matters
far less than what thatsomething truly is, and that got
me thinking.
The way we see the Bible says alot about how seriously we take
(25:47):
God Himself.
Because if we treat Scripturelike just another book of good
advice, we'll approach itcasually.
But if we believe it's thevoice of the living God, we'll
come to it with humility, withhunger and with reverence.
Because if we believe the Bibleis just a book of inspirational
stories, then sure, it makessense to highlight the gentle
moments and ignore the hardtruths.
But if we believe like Hebrewschapter 4, verse 12, tells us
(26:08):
that the Word of God is livingand active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, then we've gotto stop treating it like a
suggestion box.
The truth is, the Word of Godwasn't written to reflect
culture.
It was written to reflect God'sheart.
And the more we anchorourselves in that word, the
clearer Jesus becomes, not theversion we wish for, not the one
culture paints, but the realJesus, the one who came full of
(26:28):
grace and truth, the one whoconfronted sin with love and
spoke life.
That still echoes today.
So if you're struggling to seeJesus clearly, maybe the first
step isn't trying harder, it'sopening your Bible with a
willing heart and letting himspeak.
Now here's another way.
Progressive Christianity cantake a turn.
That seems harmless, evenhelpful, at first.
But if we're not paying closeattention it can slowly start to
shift the very foundation ofour faith without us even
(26:50):
realizing it.
There's this growing idea thatwe should interpret everything
in the Bible through the lens oflove, and at first glance that
sounds great.
After all, god is love.
Right, jesus told us, thegreatest command is to love God
and love others.
So using love as a lens soundslike a faithful, even beautiful
idea.
But here's the problem itdepends entirely on how we
define love.
If love is defined by scripture, by the character of God, by
(27:12):
the example of Jesus, then yes,it becomes the lens that brings
everything into focus.
Love like that is sacrificial,holy, courageous and committed
to truth.
It's not afraid to confront sin.
It doesn't look the other way.
When something's wrong, itspeaks up not to shame but to
rescue.
But here's the problem itdepends entirely on how we
define love.
If love is defined by scripture, by the character of God, by
(27:32):
the example of Jesus, then yes,it becomes the lens that brings
everything into focus.
Love like that is sacrificial,holy, courageous and committed
to truth.
It's not afraid to confront sin.
It doesn't look the other way.
When something's wrong, itspeaks up not to shame but to
rescue.
But if love is defined byculture, if it's just
(27:53):
unconditional affirmation, if itnever challenges, if it never
says no, then that lens isn'treally a lens at all.
It's a filter.
And filters don't bring clarity.
They mute it, they soften themessage until what's left is a
vague, feel-good version offaith that looks kind but lacks
power.
That kind of love doesn't healbecause it doesn't deal with
what actually needs healing.
And once we start filteringscripture through that cultural
definition of love, we stopletting God speak.
We start trimming the truth tofit our preferences, we reduce
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the gospel to inspirationinstead of transformation.
We end up with a version ofChristianity that's more about
avoiding discomfort thanpursuing holiness.
That may sound loving on thesurface, but it's hollow
underneath, because real lovedoesn't just accept us where we
are.
It invites us into somethingbetter, something deeper,
something more true.
Love tells the truth, even whenit's hard to hear, because it
wants what is good and lastingand eternal for us.
(28:38):
Jesus didn't redefine love, herevealed it.
So if we're serious aboutfollowing Him, our understanding
of love has to come from Him,from His Word, from the cross,
from the way he spoke, the wayhe lived, the way he died and
rose again.
Because love that comes fromGod will always lead us closer
to Him, not further intoourselves.
And here's where it really getspractical.
How do we live this kind oflove?
(28:58):
Not just believe in it, butactually practice it?
First, we have to know the Word,because if love is shaped by
truth, we can't walk in loveunless we're walking in the
truth of Scripture.
Not just the verses thatcomfort us, but the ones that
confront us.
Not just the promises but thecommands.
Knowing the Bible isn't abouthaving ammo for debates.
It's about aligning our heartswith the heart of God.
Second, we need to love peopleenough to tell the truth.
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That doesn't mean being harsh.
It means being honest.
It means being more concernedwith someone's eternity than
with their immediate comfort.
It means asking God to help usspeak with both courage and
compassion to love like Jesus,who never shied away from truth
and never withheld grace.
And third, we need to stayhumble, because it's easy to
point fingers, it's easy to saylook at what that church is
preaching or that influencer isoff the rails.
(29:42):
But the truth is we all needcorrection, we all drift
sometimes.
That's why we stay in the Word,that's why we stay in community
.
That's why we keep asking Godto search our hearts.
Love and truth are not enemies,they're partners, and when we
hold them together we reflectthe heart of Jesus more clearly.
Because, in the end, lovewithout truth isn't love and
truth without love isn't truth.
(30:03):
But when both are present,that's where lives change,
that's where freedom is foundand that's where the real Jesus
shows up, not just to affirm usbut to transform us.
So if you're listening rightnow and feeling a little
challenged, good, that meansyou're listening with a heart
that wants to grow.
Maybe you're realizing you'veleaned more into comfort than
conviction, or maybe you've beenquiet when love called you to
(30:28):
speak up.
Maybe you've avoided truth outof fear that it might offend
someone.
But here's the beautiful thingabout the love of Jesus it
doesn't just reveal where we are.
It invites us to somethinghigher, something better.
So what does that next step looklike for you?
Maybe it's opening your Biblethis week and spending time in
passages you've usually skipped.
Maybe it's having a hardconversation with someone you
love, not to condemn but tospeak life.
Maybe it's asking God torealign your heart with his
definition of love, not theworld's.
Whatever it is, do it withprayer, do it with humility, do
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it in community and, above all,do it in love, because, in the
end, the most loving thing wecan do is point people to the
truth that actually saves them,and his name is Jesus.
Let me take a moment to speakdirectly to you, especially if
something deep inside you hasbeen stirred today.
Maybe for the first time,you're realizing that you've
been following a version ofJesus shaped by culture or
comfort, but not by scripture.
Or maybe you've been walkingthrough the motions, but
(31:13):
something's missing.
And today your heart is cryingout for something real,
something solid, something true.
If that's you, I want to inviteyou to take a step of faith.
Jesus isn't just a great teacher.
He isn't just a symbol of hope.
He is the son of God, who gavehis life on the cross to save
you from sin and bring you backinto relationship with him.
He sees you, he knows you andhe loves you completely.
(31:34):
So if you're ready to stoprunning and start surrendering,
you can do that right now, notwith perfect words, but with a
real heart.
Pray this with me, jesus I needyou.
I've tried doing things my wayand it's left me empty.
I believe you are who you say.
You are the son of God.
I believe you died for my sinsand rose again to give me new
life.
Today I surrender.
I give you my past, my pain, myfuture.
(31:55):
Lead me, save me, be Lord of mylife, I'm yours.
In your name I pray, amen.
If you prayed that prayer today,I want to say welcome to the
family.
You just made the mostimportant decision of your life
and you don't have to walk thisjourney alone.
Please reach out to us at jm,at thecrossroadscollectiveorg,
or visit our website atthecrossroadscollectiveorg.
We would love to connect withyou, pray for you and help you
(32:17):
take your next steps.
I want to thank you forspending this time with me today
.
I know this wasn't a lightepisode.
We went deep, we asked hardquestions, but I'm so grateful
you stayed with me through it,because clarity matters and the
more clearly we see Jesus, themore faithfully we can follow
him.
If today challenged you,encouraged you or helped you see
something in a new way, wouldyou share this episode, send it
(32:37):
to a friend, talk about it withyour small group, post your
thoughts online and tag us,because the conversation doesn't
end here.
Make sure to subscribe to theCompass Chronicles wherever you
listen to podcasts, we've gotmore truth-filled,
grace-grounded episodes comingyour way, and I can't wait to
keep walking this journey withyou.
Until next time, stay rooted inthe Word, stay humble in heart
and stay bold in your faith.
(32:57):
This is Javier, and I'll seeyou on the next episode of the
Compass Chronicles podcast.
Grace and peace to you.
Welcome to the Compass Chronicles podcast.
Where faith meets fandom, lifegets real and every step of your
journey reveals a deeperpurpose.
I'm your host, javier, and, asalways, I'm so glad you're here
Now.
Today's episode is one I'vebeen praying about and sitting
with for a while, because whatwe're going to talk about isn't
just a passing trend.
It's something that's genuinelystirring hearts, raising
questions and, in many ways,shifting the way people
(00:20):
understand their faith.
It's been showing up inchurches, book clubs and social
media threads.
Today, we're taking a closerlook at progressive Christianity
.
It's often praised for beingcompassionate, hopeful and
inclusive and there's beauty inthat but sometimes it paints a
picture of Jesus that feels morelike a gentle symbol than the
powerful, life-transformingSavior he really is.
He's shown as someone who makesus feel good but rarely asks
(00:41):
anything of us, someone whocomforts but doesn't call us to
change.
We're not here to blame orscare anyone.
We're pausing to ask the tough,honest question Are we still
following the Jesus who claimedto be the only path to the
Father, or have we settled forsomething far more comfortable?
Today, we're going to explorethat question deeply.
We'll open the Bible, we'lllook at history, we'll examine
some modern theology and, mostimportantly, we'll talk about
(01:02):
how to stay rooted in truth whenthe world around us keeps
shifting.
So if you're ready for a realconversation, the kind that
challenges but also encourages,then let's dive in.
You know, before we can talkabout what's missing, we've got
to talk about who Jesus reallyis.
It sounds like an easy question, right?
Something we all probablyassume we're on the same page
about, but ask a dozen people todefine Jesus and you might get
a dozen very different answers.
(01:23):
So let's peel back the layers,the Instagram quotes, the pop
theology reels, the bumperstickers, even the Jesus is my
homeboy t-shirts and ask thedeeper question who is Jesus?
Because at the heart of all ofthis, at the core of what causes
any belief system to drift, isa quiet, subtle shift in how we
view Christ.
That's where it begins andthat's why it matters so much.
You know, in many progressiveChristian circles, jesus gets
(01:45):
cast as a wise moral guide, apeaceful revolutionary, a fierce
advocate for inclusion or agentle mentor who just wants
everyone to be kind, and youknow what that compassion is
real?
He healed the brokenhearted,confronted religious hypocrisy,
welcomed outsiders and upendedcultural norms wherever he went.
All of that is absolutely true.
Consider John, chapter 14,verse 6, where Jesus states
(02:07):
without hesitation I am the way,the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.
This isn't a gentle option,it's a firm boundary.
And, let's be honest, that kindof absolute clarity can feel
jarring today, especially in aculture that elevates tolerance
as the highest virtue and viewsany exclusion as unforgivable.
A claim that there's only onepath.
It's a hard truth for apostmodern mindset to accept.
So what do we do with thatdiscomfort?
(02:28):
In progressive theology, theanswer often looks like this we
sand off the rough edges, wereshape Jesus into someone
easier to digest, we make him asymbol instead of a savior.
But the early church didn't givetheir lives for a symbol.
The apostles didn't facebeatings, imprisonment and death
because Jesus had some lovelyideas about being kind to others
.
They were willing to sufferbecause they had seen and walked
(02:49):
with the risen Christ, the Sonof the living God.
Fully God, fully man.
Crucified, resurrected,ascended.
That's not a soft idea.
That's a dangerous truth, oneworth living and dying for.
And the early church fathers?
They knew exactly how high thestakes were.
Let's go back a few centuriesBack, when the church was still
finding its footing, stilldefining its core truths.
(03:09):
The world around them wasfilled with confusion, heresies
and persecution.
One of the most pressingdangers at the time was
Gnosticism, a belief system thatdownplayed or outright denied
the physical incarnation andresurrection of Jesus.
Gnostics pushed the idea thatJesus was more of a mystical
spirit or divine idea than anactual man who walked among us
and bled for our sins.
Sound familiar it should.
(03:29):
There are far too many strainsof progressive theology today
that treat Christ as a vaguecosmic force rather than the
crucified king he truly is.
But church leaders likeAthanasius stood their ground.
In his landmark treatise on theincarnation.
He argued that our savior hadto be both fully human and fully
divine to bridge the gaps sincreated.
As Athanasius famously put it,he became what we are, that we
(03:50):
might become what he is.
That insight still carriestremendous weight today.
These early defenders of thefaith didn't have podcasts,
youtube channels or massiveconference platforms.
What they had was conviction.
They understood that if wecompromise on the identity of
Christ, even just a little,everything else begins to
unravel.
Now fast forward to our modernmoment.
Today, in many progressivecircles there's a trend called
(04:11):
deconstruction and listen, I'mnot here to bash that Asking
questions isn't wrong.
In fact honest wrestling can bepart of a healthy growing faith
.
But the problem is,deconstruction often doesn't
lead to reconstruction.
It stops at doubt.
It leaves believers adrift withnothing solid to rebuild on.
A perfect example is the growinginfluence of theologians like
Richard Rohrer.
He's widely respected inprogressive Christian spaces and
(04:32):
talks a lot about the universalChrist.
That idea stretches Christbeyond the historical Jesus into
a kind of cosmic force, morespiritual than personal.
And while there's a kernel oftruth in recognizing Christ's
eternal nature, the danger isthat this version of Jesus loses
the blood, the cross, thebodily resurrection.
It's no longer the Jesus whosays I am the door, but more of
a mystical fog that says you'llfind your way eventually.
(04:54):
Compare that to someone like CSLewis.
In mere Christianity, lewislays it out plainly.
You must make your choiceEither this man was and is the
son of God, or else a madman orsomething worse.
But let us not come with anypatronizing nonsense about his
being a great human teacher.
Lewis isn't having it.
He reminds us that Jesus didn'tgive us the option of neutral
admiration.
His claims are too wild, toodisruptive, too divine, and it's
(05:18):
no wonder that culture prefersthe soft version.
Our world wants a Jesus who fits, who affirms, who never calls
anyone out.
We want a Jesus who fits, whoaffirms, who never calls anyone
out.
We want a Jesus who heals butnever rebukes, a Jesus who joins
us at the table but never flipsit over.
But the Jesus we meet in theGospels he holds both grace and
truth in perfect balance.
When he faced a woman caught inadultery, he said with
compassion neither do I condemnyou.
(05:39):
But he didn't stop there.
He added go and from now on sinno more.
That's from John, chapter 8,verse 11.
That's the real Jesus, full ofmercy and truth, not one or the
other, both.
And in a world that loves topick sides, jesus keeps calling
us to a faith that embracestension.
He's the Lamb and the Lion, theServant and the King, the
(05:59):
Savior and the Judge.
But when we start reshaping himto fit into cultural
preferences, we end up with aJesus who might be recognizable
but who can't change hearts,heal wounds or save souls.
So what do we do we recenter?
We return to the real Jesus.
We re-anchor our hearts andminds in his word, his character
and his authority.
That means getting intoscripture, not just snippets we
see online, but really digginginto the gospels, watching how
(06:21):
Jesus speaks, how he moves, howhe confronts, how he comforts,
asking ourselves do I actuallyknow this Jesus, or have I
settled for a version that justmakes me feel good?
It means learning our spiritualhistory, understanding how
believers before us stood strongin their faith even in times of
confusion and cultural pressure.
The early creeds, like theNicene and Apostles' Creed,
weren't religious fluff.
They were battle-testeddeclarations that kept the
(06:44):
church grounded in truth.
It also means being spirituallydiscerning.
1 John, chapter 4, verse 1,tells us plainly Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but testthe spirits to see whether they
are from God.
Just because someone quotes theBible doesn't mean their
message is biblical.
Not every sermon that goesviral is rooted in the Word.
We've got to ask is thispointing to the Jesus of
Scripture or to a repackagedfeel-good knockoff?
(07:05):
And we need each other realcommunity, not just online
comment sections, but people inour lives who love us enough to
challenge us, who will pull usback when we start to drift, who
will remind us of truth when weforget.
And here's the truth.
We've got to be okay with notbeing everyone's favorite.
Jesus didn't sugarcoat it whenhe said If the world hates you,
(07:30):
know that it has hated me beforeit hated you.
That's John, chapter 15, verse18.
Following the real Jesus mightnot earn us likes or applause,
but he's worth every step.
Let me be clear if your idea ofJesus never questions you,
never urges you to stretch orchange, and always plays by your
rules, then you might not befollowing him at all.
You could just be cheering onyour own echo.
Now don't get me wrong.
This isn't about gatekeepingthe faith or using theology as a
weapon.
That's not what we're about onthis podcast.
This is about reclaiming thereal Jesus.
(07:50):
The Jesus who isn't just asoft-spoken symbol of love, but
the living embodiment of truth.
The Jesus who isn't justcomforting when we're broken,
but holy when we'd rather staythe same.
The Jesus who doesn't just patus on the back but sometimes
calls us out flips.
The Jesus who doesn't just patus on the back but sometimes
calls us out, flips a few tablesand tells us to go and sin no
more.
Because here's the thing,clarity matters.
The more clearly we see Him,the real Him, the more
faithfully we can follow Him.
(08:11):
And in a world flooded withfilters, fandoms and feel-good
knockoffs, clarity isn't justhelpful.
It's sacred.
Now that we've taken a goodhard look at who Jesus really is
and how progressiveChristianity sometimes reshapes
him, we've got to go deeper.
We've got to talk about themessage Jesus came to bring,
because when you redefine themessenger, eventually you're
going to redefine the message.
So here's a question that mightseem simple on the surface but
(08:33):
actually carries a lot of weightunderneath.
When you hear the word gospel,what comes to mind?
Maybe what comes to mind isforgiveness or grace, or being
accepted just as you are.
Maybe it's the cross, or simplythe comforting thought that God
loves you and all of that isreal.
It's beautiful, it's true, butis that the whole gospel?
That's where we begin to seethe distortion start creeping in
(08:54):
, because what often getspreached in progressive circles
isn't the full gospel.
It's what I'd call a soft gospel.
It's a version of the good newsthat leaves out the bad news,
one that highlights love butskips over sin.
It talks inclusion but notrepentance.
It opens the door and welcomeseveryone to the table, which is
beautiful, but never mentionsthat the table belongs to a king
and that king sets the termsfor fellowship.
(09:14):
This soft gospel it feels good,it's appealing.
It promises inspiration, butrarely transformation.
It's more aboutself-fulfillment than
self-denial.
It fills auditoriums, it sellsbooks, it gets tons of likes
online and, most of all, itdoesn't offend anyone.
Here's the thing.
We're not here to share amessage that just makes people
comfy in their sin.
The gospel isn't aboutaffirming where we're stuck.
(09:36):
It's about pulling us out andsetting us free.
Let's talk for a minute aboutthe real gospel.
The Apostle Paul doesn'tsugarcoat it.
He lays it out clearly in 1Corinthians 15, verses 3-4.
For I deliver to you as offirst importance what I also
received that Christ died forour sins in accordance with the
Scriptures.
That he was buried.
That he was raised on the thirdday in accordance with the
scriptures.
Did you catch that?
(09:58):
Christ died for our sins?
Not just to show us what lovelooks like, not just to make a
moral statement.
He died because sin is real,because we were separated,
because we needed a savior.
And that's the core of thegospel not just that Jesus
accepts you, but that Jesussaves you.
It's not just about comfort,it's about cleansing.
Not Jesus saves you.
It's not just about comfort.
It's about cleansing.
Not just community, it's aboutconversion.
And if we get the gospel wrong,everything else starts to
(10:19):
unravel.
Now I know some progressivetheologians push back on that.
They argue that substitutionaryatonement, the belief that
Jesus died in our place for oursin, is outdated.
Some even call it divine childabuse.
They want a gentlerinterpretation of the cross, one
that talks about moralinfluence or cosmic
reconciliation, reconciliationbut leaves out the blood, leaves
out the wrath and definitelyleaves out judgment.
(10:41):
But here's the problem.
Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 22,says without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness ofsins.
That's not an old-fashioneddoctrine, it's a reality rooted
in divine justice and radicalgrace.
God's wrath and God's lovearen't in conflict.
They're partners in the work ofredemption.
Think about it If God saw eviland God's love aren't in
conflict.
They're partners in the work ofredemption.
Think about it If God saw eviland injustice and just shrugged
(11:03):
his shoulders.
That wouldn't be love.
But when God so loved the worldthat he sent his son to absorb
that wrath, that's not abuse,that's holy love.
That's a love that sacrifices,a love that costs everything.
Now let's rewind again back tothe early church.
The apostles didn't preach softsermons.
Take Peter's bold message inActs, chapter 2.
Right after Pentecost, the HolySpirit shows up like fire.
People are drawn in by thechaos and wonder.
And what does Peter do?
(11:23):
He doesn't give them a pep talkor a vague spiritual pick-me-up
.
He says you crucified theMessiah.
Now repent, repent and bebaptized, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, forthe forgiveness of your sins.
Acts, chapter 2, verse 38.
That word repent is all butabsent in many progressive
pulpits today, but in the earlychurch it was central Over and
over.
In the book of Acts we see theapostles calling people to turn
(11:46):
from sin and turn toward Christ.
The message wasn't aboutaffirmation, it was about
transformation.
The gospel didn't exist tovalidate identity, it existed to
create a new one.
And this is where we've got tobe careful, because when the
message gets reduced to Godloves you just the way you are,
we're only telling half thestory.
Yes, god loves youunconditionally, eternally, but
he also loves you too much toleave you where you are.
(12:07):
He came to set you free, torestore you, to make you new.
That's the gospel.
Let's pause right here, becauseI know for some of you this
might be getting real.
That's the gospel.
Let's pause right here becauseI know for some of you this
might be getting real.
Maybe you come from abackground where church felt
like a list of rules, whereevery step was watched, where
guilt and shame echoed louderthan love.
And now, when you hear the wordgrace, it hits different.
It feels like oxygen.
(12:27):
And, honestly, that's exactlywhat grace is.
It's the air our souls weremade to breathe.
But here's something we can'tignore.
Titus, chapter 2, verses 11through 12, says this For the
grace of God has appeared,bringing salvation for all
people, training us to renounceungodliness and worldly passions
.
Did you catch that?
Grace appeared bringingsalvation, but it didn't stop
(12:48):
there.
It also trains us.
See, grace doesn't just sootheus when we're hurting.
It teaches us how to livedifferently.
It shows us how to say no tothe things that drain us and
destroy us, and yes to the lifewe were created for.
Grace is not a hall pass forsin.
It's the power to walk awayfrom it.
So if you're breathing gracetoday, breathe it in deep, but
let it strengthen you too,because grace isn't just the
(13:09):
welcome, it's the workout.
When we strip grace of itspower, we create churches full
of people who are forgiven butnot free, people who know that
God is love but haven'texperienced the transforming
light of that love.
That's the danger of the softgospel.
It feels nice but it leavespeople stuck.
Have you ever stopped to noticethe slogans shouting at us
everywhere?
Follow your heart it is what itis or live your truth.
They're plastered on billboardsall over social media, even
(13:32):
popping up in casualconversations.
But that's not the freedomJesus came to give.
He didn't say follow your truth.
He declared I am the way andthe truth and the life.
John, chapter 14, verse 6.
And he didn't tell us dowhatever feels right.
Instead, he promised if youremain in my word, you really
are my disciples.
Then you will know the truthand the truth will set you free.
John, chapter 8, verses 31 and32.
(13:54):
You've probably heard thatfreedom means doing whatever
feels good.
Jesus turns that idea upsidedown.
True freedom is living exactlyas you were designed, loving God
with your whole heart andgrowing more like Him every day.
And far from feelingrestrictive, that freedom heals
and restores from the inside out.
Here's the hard but beautifulreality.
The real gospel wounds beforeit heals.
It convicts before it comforts.
Like a surgeon's knife, it cutsout the cancer of sin to save
(14:21):
your life.
That's why Paul confidentlywrote I am not ashamed of the
gospel, because it is the powerof God for salvation to everyone
who believes.
Romans 1.16.
Conviction isn't condemnation.
It's God's loving invitation tobe whole.
If your version of the gospelnever stirs your heart, it may
never set you free.
So how do we stay anchored inthe real thing?
Let's be real for a second.
Or, as we say in New York City,we are keeping it 100, or this
is no cap.
In a world full of curatedsoundbites and quick
(14:42):
encouragements.
We have to make a consciouschoice to stay rooted in the
full truth of scripture, notjust the coffee mug verses, not
just the ones we highlight andquote on social media.
We open the word daily, all ofit.
We lean into the hard passages,the ones that push us, the ones
that challenge what we thoughtwe knew.
We allow God's word to stretchus, to sanctify us and to shape
who we are becoming.
And we don't do it alone.
(15:03):
We stay in community.
We walk with people who loveJesus and love us enough to tell
us the truth.
Jesus doesn't need us to be hisadvertising team.
He doesn't need spin.
He's not looking for a rebrandor a softer image.
So, in a world that prefers asofter gospel, let's be the ones
who speak the real gospel,boldly, compassionately and
without apology, because onlythe true gospel can truly save.
(15:25):
Let's talk about somethingthat's central to everything we
believe, something so powerfuland beautiful that it's the
heartbeat of the gospel, andthat word is love.
Love is the greatestcommandment.
It's the defining trait of whatit means to follow Jesus.
In fact, jesus himself said inJohn, chapter 13, verse 35, by
this, all people will know thatyou are my disciples if you have
love for one another.
That's huge.
(15:46):
Love is how the world issupposed to recognize us, not by
our buildings or our bumperstickers or our social media
bios, but by our love.
But here's where it getscomplicated.
In today's culture, andespecially in many progressive
Christian spaces, love has beenredefined.
It's often disconnected fromtruth, stripped of correction
and boiled down to pureaffirmation.
In this version, love means younever disagree, never challenge
(16:07):
.
You just nod along andcelebrate every choice, every
belief, every path.
Now don't get me wrong kindnessand gentleness are
non-negotiables.
They're fruit of the Spirit,not optional character traits.
We're not called to be jerkswith Bible verses.
But we're also not called totrade truth for comfort, because
the second love becomessynonymous with approval.
It loses its power to heal, itloses its ability to change
(16:28):
lives.
It becomes soft, sentimentaland safe, but powerless.
Here's the thing In Scripturelove and truth are never at odds
.
They're not two competing ideasthat we have to balance.
They walk together like twosides of the same coin.
If you remove one, the otherdoesn't function.
And when we try to separatethem, we don't end up with more
love.
We end up with something hollow, something well-meaning but
spiritually empty.
(16:49):
Look at how Jesus loved people.
He was tender, he wascompassionate, but he was never
passive about sin.
Remember the story of the richyoung ruler in Mark, chapter 10?
This guy runs up to Jesus witha pretty solid resume I've kept
all the commandments since I wasa kid.
He's respectful, he's sincereand he's looking for eternal
life.
And here's what it says.
And Jesus, looking at him,loved him and said to him you
(17:11):
lack one thing.
Go, sell all that you have andgive to the poor and come,
follow me.
Mark, chapter 10, verse 21.
Did you catch that?
Jesus looked at him and lovedhim.
And because he loved him, hetold him the truth, not to shame
him, not to embarrass him, butto invite him into something
deeper.
That's the model we need torecover.
Real love doesn't just sayyou're good where you are.
(17:31):
It says I love you where youare, but I see who you could
become in Christ.
And that's not always a popularmessage in a world that equates
love with unconditionalaffirmation, but it's the only
kind of love that trulytransforms.
In many progressive Christianspaces, being nice is often
treated as the highest virtueDon't offend anyone, be
endlessly empathetic, keep thepeace at all costs and, to be
fair, there's somethingadmirable about that.
(17:53):
Most of us don't want to comeacross as rude or unkind.
We want to be seen aspeacemakers.
That instinct comes from a goodplace.
But when niceness becomes anidol, it keeps us quiet when
we're supposed to speak, itmakes us passive when we're
supposed to act, and it turns usinto people pleasers instead of
truth tellers.
Galatians, chapter 1.
Verse 10 hits us right betweenthe eyes.
Paul writes Am I now seekingthe approval of man or of God,
(18:17):
or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying toplease man, I would not be a
servant of Christ.
That's a hard one to swallow,especially when you know that
standing for truth might costyou something.
People might misunderstand you,call you judgmental, say you're
being unloving, but sometimesloving someone enough to speak
the truth is the mostChrist-like thing you can do,
especially when it's someone youcare about, someone close to.
We don't want to rock the boat,but here's the deal Peace
(18:41):
without truth isn't peace, it'sa temporary ceasefire that
leaves people in danger.
Because real love, realbiblical love, it doesn't just
comfort, it confronts.
And I'm not saying that to beharsh or throw anyone under the
bus.
I mean it in a spirit-led,loving but honest kind of way.
Think about the prophets in theOld Testament.
These weren't smooth talkerstrying to win popularity
contests.
They were truth-tellers, oftenweeping over the people they
(19:03):
were called to confront.
They risked everything to saywhat God had put on their hearts
, even when nobody wanted tohear it.
Jeremiah is called the weepingprophet for a reason.
His message wasn't popular, butit was faithful.
And in the middle of all hisgrief he still says this in
Lamentations, chapter 3.
The steadfast love of the Lordnever ceases.
His mercies never come to.
God's love shines through, evenwhen he's correcting us.
(19:26):
Even in judgment, mercy ispresent.
That's the heartbeat ofbiblical love.
It's not love or truth, it'slove through truth.
So let's make it practical,because it's one thing to say
speak the truth in love andanother thing to actually do it.
First, speak with both graceand boldness.
Colossians, chapter 4, verse 6,says Let your speech always be
gracious, seasoned with salt.
That doesn't mean we lead withshouting or passive aggression.
(19:48):
We lead with kindness always.
But that kindness doesn't meanwe avoid the hard stuff.
Sometimes love requires courage.
It's grace and boldness.
Both matter.
If we only bring one, we missthe heart of Jesus.
Second, ask more questions.
Jesus was a master at this.
Who do you say I am?
Do you want to be healed?
Why are you afraid?
He didn't just declare truth,he invited people into it
(20:09):
through questions.
In a culture that's quick toargue and slow to listen, asking
questions might be one of themost Christ-like things we can
do.
It disarms, it softens, itopens the door to real dialogue
instead of defensive reactions.
Third, stay rooted inrelationship.
Fourth, don't confuse unity withuniformity.
We don't all have to agree oneverything to be unified in
Christ.
We do need to stay grounded inthe essentials, like who Jesus
(20:31):
is, what the gospel teaches andthe truth of scripture.
But outside of that there'sroom for nuance, there's room
for difference.
Unity doesn't mean clones.
It means connection despitedifferences.
The world is constantlyshifting.
Opinions rise and fall withevery headline, but truth real
truth stays firm.
Love built on that kind oftruth doesn't break under
pressure or change to blend in.
(20:51):
It stays solid.
And in a culture that keepsredrawing the lines, that kind
of grounded love is unmistakable.
We're not forced to pickbetween truth and compassion.
We're called to hold both.
We're becoming people who speaktruth with boldness and show
kindness without hesitation,people who face the tough parts
of scripture with courage butnever lose sight of the
heartbeat behind it all, for Godso loved the world.
(21:11):
Here's one way to look at it.
Truth without love isn'tChrist-like, but love without
truth isn't truly love.
And if you've ever been on thereceiving end of graceless truth
, if you've been hurt by peoplewho use theology like a club, I
just want to say I'm sorry.
That's not the way of Jesus,but don't let that pain push you
so far that you land in aversion of Christianity that
values niceness over truth, thatsettles for a kind of love that
(21:32):
soothes but never sanctifies.
Because the love of Jesus, itmeets you where you are, but it
doesn't leave you there.
It moves you, it carries you,it calls you to more, it
rewrites your story.
So let's be that kind of church.
Let's be those kinds of peopleFull of conviction, full of
compassion, willing to bemisunderstood, not to win
arguments, but to help peoplemeet the real Jesus, not a
(21:53):
reflection of their preferences,not a cultural mascot, but the
risen, living, life-changingSavior.
Because in the end, truth isn'tjust an idea, it's a person,
and his name is Jesus.
Now let me start this next partwith a question who gets the
final word, god or us?
I know that might come acrossas a little intense, maybe even
a little dramatic, but stay withme, because when we talk about
(22:14):
how we read the Bible, how weinterpret it and how we live it
out, this question mattersdeeply.
And here's where things get alittle complicated.
In a lot of modernconversations, especially within
progressive Christian circles,there's this growing trend where
personal experience, emotionalconnection and cultural
relevance are often placed abovebiblical authority.
God knows your experiencesmatter and that your emotions
matter.
(22:34):
He cares deeply about whatyou've been through and how you
feel.
But here's the thing they'renot meant to define how we
interpret the Word of God.
They're not the lens we use todecide what Scripture means.
Instead, scripture is meant todefine how we interpret the Word
of God.
They're not the lens we use todecide what Scripture means.
Instead, scripture is meant toshape how we view our
experiences and how we respondto our emotions.
The Bible isn't there just toreflect what we already think or
feel.
It's there to reveal truth.
It's the foundation, not themirror, and I say this with love
(22:56):
.
When we elevate personal truthabove God's truth, when we start
editing or twisting Scriptureto make it feel more comfortable
or culturally acceptable, welose something vital.
We lose the power of conviction, the strength of correction and
the depth of transformation.
So here we are again back tothe core question who gets the
final word, god or us?
Because how we answer thatchanges everything.
(23:16):
But this is where things startto unravel in progressive
theology.
Instead of coming to scripturewith open hands and a
surrendered heart, it flips theapproach.
The Bible becomes something tobe managed instead of something
to be submitted to.
It gets treated more like abuffet pick what feels inspiring
, skip what feels offensive andreframe anything that sounds too
exclusive or challenging.
But here's the real danger.
When we do that, we stopplacing ourselves under the
(23:39):
authority of God's word andinstead we start standing over
it.
We become the editors, not thestudents, the critics not the
followers.
And when that shift happens,it's subtle.
It doesn't always look likefull-blown rebellion.
Sometimes it just looks likeconstant rephrasing, endless
justifications, a softreimagining of hard truth.
And the moment we startreshaping God's word to fit our
lives, instead of reshaping ourlives to fit God's word, we
(24:02):
begin to lose our footing.
Slowly but surely, we step offthe solid foundation of truth
and we start building onsomething that cannot carry the
weight of real life.
So maybe this is the rightmoment to stop and ask a real
question, one that cuts throughthe noise Are we truly letting
scripture shape us, or are weonly giving it room to speak
when it echoes what we alreadybelieve?
Because here's the thing God'sword isn't a mirror meant to
(24:23):
reflect our preferences.
It's a lamp meant to guide oursteps.
It was never meant to be edited, filtered or bent to fit
cultural trends or personalcomfort.
It's meant to reshape us intothe image of Christ.
Let's not settle for a faithbuilt on opinion or emotion.
Let's return to what's solid.
Let's open the Bible andactually listen to what God says
, not just what we wish he'd say, because truth isn't something
(24:43):
we get to redefine.
It's something we return to,it's something we come home to.
And if we really believe that,then 2 Timothy, chapter 3,
verses 16 and 17, becomes morethan just familiar words.
It becomes the standard webuild our lives on.
All scripture is breathed outby God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, forcorrection and for training in
righteousness that the man ofGod may be complete, equipped
(25:04):
for every good work.
That's the kind of truth thatshapes people, that shapes
churches, that shapes legacies.
So let's not water it down,let's dig deeper into it.
And here's why this reallymatters, because how we view
scripture will always shape howwe view Jesus.
You can't separate the two.
If we start treating the Bibleas optional or outdated, it
won't be long before we startdoing the same thing, with Jesus
(25:25):
cutting out the parts we don'tlike, softening His words,
reshaping His message to fit ourcomfort zones.
But Jesus never asked us tofollow a version of Him we're
comfortable with.
He asked us to follow Him fullytruth and grace, mercy and
justice, savior and Lord.
Cs Lewis once said that what webelieve about something matters
far less than what thatsomething truly is, and that got
me thinking.
The way we see the Bible says alot about how seriously we take
(25:47):
God Himself.
Because if we treat Scripturelike just another book of good
advice, we'll approach itcasually.
But if we believe it's thevoice of the living God, we'll
come to it with humility, withhunger and with reverence.
Because if we believe the Bibleis just a book of inspirational
stories, then sure, it makessense to highlight the gentle
moments and ignore the hardtruths.
But if we believe like Hebrewschapter 4, verse 12, tells us
(26:08):
that the Word of God is livingand active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, then we've gotto stop treating it like a
suggestion box.
The truth is, the Word of Godwasn't written to reflect
culture.
It was written to reflect God'sheart.
And the more we anchorourselves in that word, the
clearer Jesus becomes, not theversion we wish for, not the one
culture paints, but the realJesus, the one who came full of
(26:28):
grace and truth, the one whoconfronted sin with love and
spoke life.
That still echoes today.
So if you're struggling to seeJesus clearly, maybe the first
step isn't trying harder, it'sopening your Bible with a
willing heart and letting himspeak.
Now here's another way.
Progressive Christianity cantake a turn.
That seems harmless, evenhelpful, at first.
But if we're not paying closeattention it can slowly start to
shift the very foundation ofour faith without us even
(26:50):
realizing it.
There's this growing idea thatwe should interpret everything
in the Bible through the lens oflove, and at first glance that
sounds great.
After all, god is love.
Right, jesus told us, thegreatest command is to love God
and love others.
So using love as a lens soundslike a faithful, even beautiful
idea.
But here's the problem itdepends entirely on how we
define love.
If love is defined by scripture, by the character of God, by
(27:12):
the example of Jesus, then yes,it becomes the lens that brings
everything into focus.
Love like that is sacrificial,holy, courageous and committed
to truth.
It's not afraid to confront sin.
It doesn't look the other way.
When something's wrong, itspeaks up not to shame but to
rescue.
But here's the problem itdepends entirely on how we
define love.
If love is defined by scripture, by the character of God, by
(27:32):
the example of Jesus, then yes,it becomes the lens that brings
everything into focus.
Love like that is sacrificial,holy, courageous and committed
to truth.
It's not afraid to confront sin.
It doesn't look the other way.
When something's wrong, itspeaks up not to shame but to
rescue.
But if love is defined byculture, if it's just
(27:53):
unconditional affirmation, if itnever challenges, if it never
says no, then that lens isn'treally a lens at all.
It's a filter.
And filters don't bring clarity.
They mute it, they soften themessage until what's left is a
vague, feel-good version offaith that looks kind but lacks
power.
That kind of love doesn't healbecause it doesn't deal with
what actually needs healing.
And once we start filteringscripture through that cultural
definition of love, we stopletting God speak.
We start trimming the truth tofit our preferences, we reduce
(28:16):
the gospel to inspirationinstead of transformation.
We end up with a version ofChristianity that's more about
avoiding discomfort thanpursuing holiness.
That may sound loving on thesurface, but it's hollow
underneath, because real lovedoesn't just accept us where we
are.
It invites us into somethingbetter, something deeper,
something more true.
Love tells the truth, even whenit's hard to hear, because it
wants what is good and lastingand eternal for us.
(28:38):
Jesus didn't redefine love, herevealed it.
So if we're serious aboutfollowing Him, our understanding
of love has to come from Him,from His Word, from the cross,
from the way he spoke, the wayhe lived, the way he died and
rose again.
Because love that comes fromGod will always lead us closer
to Him, not further intoourselves.
And here's where it really getspractical.
How do we live this kind oflove?
(28:58):
Not just believe in it, butactually practice it?
First, we have to know the Word,because if love is shaped by
truth, we can't walk in loveunless we're walking in the
truth of Scripture.
Not just the verses thatcomfort us, but the ones that
confront us.
Not just the promises but thecommands.
Knowing the Bible isn't abouthaving ammo for debates.
It's about aligning our heartswith the heart of God.
Second, we need to love peopleenough to tell the truth.
(29:21):
That doesn't mean being harsh.
It means being honest.
It means being more concernedwith someone's eternity than
with their immediate comfort.
It means asking God to help usspeak with both courage and
compassion to love like Jesus,who never shied away from truth
and never withheld grace.
And third, we need to stayhumble, because it's easy to
point fingers, it's easy to saylook at what that church is
preaching or that influencer isoff the rails.
(29:42):
But the truth is we all needcorrection, we all drift
sometimes.
That's why we stay in the Word,that's why we stay in community
.
That's why we keep asking Godto search our hearts.
Love and truth are not enemies,they're partners, and when we
hold them together we reflectthe heart of Jesus more clearly.
Because, in the end, lovewithout truth isn't love and
truth without love isn't truth.
(30:03):
But when both are present,that's where lives change,
that's where freedom is foundand that's where the real Jesus
shows up, not just to affirm usbut to transform us.
So if you're listening rightnow and feeling a little
challenged, good, that meansyou're listening with a heart
that wants to grow.
Maybe you're realizing you'veleaned more into comfort than
conviction, or maybe you've beenquiet when love called you to
(30:28):
speak up.
Maybe you've avoided truth outof fear that it might offend
someone.
But here's the beautiful thingabout the love of Jesus it
doesn't just reveal where we are.
It invites us to somethinghigher, something better.
So what does that next step looklike for you?
Maybe it's opening your Biblethis week and spending time in
passages you've usually skipped.
Maybe it's having a hardconversation with someone you
love, not to condemn but tospeak life.
Maybe it's asking God torealign your heart with his
definition of love, not theworld's.
Whatever it is, do it withprayer, do it with humility, do
(30:51):
it in community and, above all,do it in love, because, in the
end, the most loving thing wecan do is point people to the
truth that actually saves them,and his name is Jesus.
Let me take a moment to speakdirectly to you, especially if
something deep inside you hasbeen stirred today.
Maybe for the first time,you're realizing that you've
been following a version ofJesus shaped by culture or
comfort, but not by scripture.
Or maybe you've been walkingthrough the motions, but
(31:13):
something's missing.
And today your heart is cryingout for something real,
something solid, something true.
If that's you, I want to inviteyou to take a step of faith.
Jesus isn't just a great teacher.
He isn't just a symbol of hope.
He is the son of God, who gavehis life on the cross to save
you from sin and bring you backinto relationship with him.
He sees you, he knows you andhe loves you completely.
(31:34):
So if you're ready to stoprunning and start surrendering,
you can do that right now, notwith perfect words, but with a
real heart.
Pray this with me, jesus I needyou.
I've tried doing things my wayand it's left me empty.
I believe you are who you say.
You are the son of God.
I believe you died for my sinsand rose again to give me new
life.
Today I surrender.
I give you my past, my pain, myfuture.
(31:55):
Lead me, save me, be Lord of mylife, I'm yours.
In your name I pray, amen.
If you prayed that prayer today,I want to say welcome to the
family.
You just made the mostimportant decision of your life
and you don't have to walk thisjourney alone.
Please reach out to us at jm,at thecrossroadscollectiveorg,
or visit our website atthecrossroadscollectiveorg.
We would love to connect withyou, pray for you and help you
(32:17):
take your next steps.
I want to thank you forspending this time with me today
.
I know this wasn't a lightepisode.
We went deep, we asked hardquestions, but I'm so grateful
you stayed with me through it,because clarity matters and the
more clearly we see Jesus, themore faithfully we can follow
him.
If today challenged you,encouraged you or helped you see
something in a new way, wouldyou share this episode, send it
(32:37):
to a friend, talk about it withyour small group, post your
thoughts online and tag us,because the conversation doesn't
end here.
Make sure to subscribe to theCompass Chronicles wherever you
listen to podcasts, we've gotmore truth-filled,
grace-grounded episodes comingyour way, and I can't wait to
keep walking this journey withyou.
Until next time, stay rooted inthe Word, stay humble in heart
and stay bold in your faith.
(32:57):
This is Javier, and I'll seeyou on the next episode of the
Compass Chronicles podcast.
Grace and peace to you.
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Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
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