Have you noticed how Jesus seems to agree with whatever’s popular these days?
In desperately trying to spread the message of Jesus to non-believers, sometimes we mold Him into a more palatable version—a version who affirms anything we do, who guarantees our success, who holds a checklist and keeps track of our good deeds. A version who accepts everyone for who they want to be instead of who He knows they can be.
We cherry-pick qualities of Jesus that make us feel more comfortable while ignoring the ones that could call us out of our comfort zones and help us to grow.
I’ve caught myself doing this too—emphasizing the parts of Jesus that fit my comfort zone. In fact, Scripture speaks about this very phenomenon in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
The Cultural Pattern
This pattern has gone on for centuries where we alter Jesus to fit the cultural norms. In Victorian times, He was the gentle, meek, and mild Jesus, forgetting all about the Jesus who cleared the temple and flipped tables (John 2:15-16). In the 60s, we had Revolutionary Jesus, ignoring the Jesus who said “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21). In the 2000s, we had Therapeutic Jesus, not the Jesus who called for repentance. And today, Jesus is the Affirming Jesus, not the Jesus who calls for transformation.
Both Comfort and Challenge
Before we go on, I want to clarify this is a “both/and” situation. Yes, Jesus is gentle, meek, and mild, AND He also stood up to injustice. He is revolutionary, AND tells us to give the government what is theirs. He is reassuring and therapeutic AND commands us to repent. He affirms what is True AND calls us to transform.
The problem here is that we choose the qualities of Jesus that best suit us and forget about the rest.
For believers, this is dangerous in that we could be following a false version of the gospel.
Galatians 1:7-10 says, “…there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ…For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
If we start trying to create our own version of Jesus, we’re essentially distorting the Gospels of who He says He is.
For non-believers, this is equally as dangerous. If presented with a vengeful, punishing Jesus, they could reject a caricature without encountering the real Jesus. On the flip side, if presented with a people-pleasing, affirming Jesus, it could empower people to remain in sin.
The dangerous middle ground here is thinking we follow Jesus while actually following a designed version. What’s scary is that these carefully curated versions of Jesus can lead us so astray that we end up rejecting our real Savior.
Let’s examine these designer versions of Jesus that might feel comfortable but ultimately can’t save us.
The Jesus We’ve Designed
The Affirming Buddy Jesus
This Jesus is our best bud. He never judges us, only validates our choices. “You do you!” he says. Our culture pushes that this Jesus “just wants us to be happy.” Any choice we make, whether it’s sinful or not, is the right choice, because it’s our choice. This Jesus empowers us and cheers us on from the sidelines while we’re walking straight off a cliff.
The missing pieces here are Jesus’ calls to repentance and holiness. In Matthew 5:29, Jesus provides a radical action against sin, telling us that “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”
Social media sells this Jesus as “He accepts you just as you are” without any mention of transformation or renewal of the mind.
The Spiritual Life Coach Jesus
This version of Jesus exists solely to help us achieve our personal goals and dreams. Culture manifests this as, “God wants to make your dreams come true.” This is where transactional prayer and works come in—we think that if we do x, then God will do y, and Jesus will be there to help us achieve whatever our goals are.
The problem is Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him, follow His will for our lives and not our own.
Luke 9:23-24 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
We are to give up control of our own lives and commit to following Jesus. Jesus isn’t primarily concerned with our success; He’s not here to get us the job promotion we want or to get the dream house we’ve been eyeing. He came down to Earth to sacrifice Himself for our sins so that we can go to Heaven.
The Prosperity Jesus
This version of Jesus goes hand-in-hand with the Spiritual Life Coach Jesus. This version is concerned with our financial wellbeing. Culture tells us, “God wants you to succeed and be rich.” But it doesn’t mention Jesus’ warnings about wealth and materialism.
Matthew 19:23-24 says, “…only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Wealth can trick us into thinking we’re self-sufficient apart from God. In Jesus’ time, wealth was viewed as a sign of approval from God.
Some preachers emphasize tithing, not just to give, but with the expectation to be financially blessed if you do so. But Jesus never said that we’d be financially blessed if we follow Him. He said that in this life, we’d have hardship but to take heart (John 16:33).
The Political Jesus
Social media likes to use this version of Jesus to further political agendas. Both progressive and conservative parties morph this version of Jesus to align with their ideals. Oftentimes, political figures use cherry-picked verses and quotes to support their policies, while leaving out important context.
But Jesus transcends earthly political systems. John 18:36 says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus didn’t come to lead an earthly revolution when it comes to politics. He came to save our souls for what matters: the true Kingdom.
The Therapeutic Jesus
This Jesus exists solely for our emotional well-being. It manifests as “Jesus just wants to heal your wounds” and only focuses on comfort without challenge.
But Jesus calls us to spiritual maturity and mission, which isn’t always comfortable. In this life we’ll face hardship—it’d be great to be emotionally well all the time, but at what cost?
Matthew 28:19-20, referred to as the Great Commision, says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, until the very end of the age.”
The Danger of Designer Jesus
All of these versions of Jesus conveniently align with what we already believe, which makes them all the more dangerous. With these different versions, we see a selective reading phenomenon where we highlight verses that comfort us, while ignoring those that challenge us.
For example, solely focusing on “ask and you shall receive” (Matthew 7:7) while forgetting all about “not my will but yours” (Luke 22:42) could give us a sense of entitlement, making us think God will fulfill all our wishes.
We might also see a “mirror” effect—a psychological effect where we project ourselves onto spiritual figures. Scripture warns us against this in Romans 1:25.
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
Worshipping a Jesus that we’ve designed rather than the true Jesus creates an idol. It’s scary because we’d think, how can we be worshipping an idol if we’re worshipping Jesus? But if we’re worshipping a created god we made in our own image, that’s the very definition of an idol. This causes spiritual stunting because we encounter a Jesus who never challenges us and can’t transform us.
Am I Worshipping A False Jesus?
How do we know if we’re stuck believing in one of these versions of Jesus? We can do a cognitive dissonance test: What teachings of Jesus make you the most uncomfortable? Those might reveal your own personal designer Jesus.
You may be following a designed Jesus if:
- You never feel convicted by Scripture
- Jesus’ teachings never challenge your political or cultural views
- Your version of Jesus is suspiciously similar to your ideal self
- You find yourself frequently saying, “Well, MY Jesus wouldn’t…”
The Jesus of the Gospel was far more challenging and disruptive than our designed versions.
The Uncomfortable Truth
On Wealth and Possessions:
Jesus warns us that we “can’t serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13) and to “watch out for greed” (Luke 12:15). In our materialistic culture where “I’ll be happy when I have ___” thinking prevails, these teachings should reshape Christians’ relationship with possessions and put materialism in its proper place.
On Salvation
Jesus reiterates many times that He is the one and only way to salvation.
Good works and being a good person alone won’t get you into Heaven.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
This doesn’t mean that we need to go out and yell at people to believe in Jesus. It also doesn’t mean we should judge or condemn those who may not believe. But we need to balance this Truth with loving communication.
It’s not suggesting we water down Jesus’ exclusive claims, but rather that we consider how to communicate these truths effectively—with both conviction and compassion—to people who may initially find them challenging or even offensive.
It’s the difference between saying “Jesus is the only way, take it or leave it!” versus “Jesus made this profound claim about being the only way to God. I understand this is challenging in our culture, but here’s why I believe it and how it’s changed my life…”
On Total Surrender
We’re called to surrender our ways of living to follow Jesus. Living like Jesus is usually countercultural, especially in today’s society where comfort and convenience have become idols.
Matthew 10:38-39 says, “Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
We need to make intentional choices that prioritize Kingdom values over cultural success. And we need to be willing to follow Jesus even when it could cost us relationships, opportunities, or social approval.
Ask yourself: “What am I holding back from God?” and “Where have I drawn lines around what I’m willing to give up for Christ?”
How can we claim to follow Jesus while maintaining control?
On Sin, Repentance, and Transformation
Living like Christ isn’t like checking items off a checklist. It’s not surface-level rule-following but heart-level change. When we repent from sin, it shouldn’t just be feeling bad but a joyful realignment toward God.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We are to embrace the Holy Spirit’s work of renewing our minds, and in doing so, aligning our will with God’s. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight; this is a progressive and usually life-long process.
Genuine faith doesn’t leave us where it finds us. The grace that saves us is the same grace that transforms us.
When Acceptance Becomes Redefinition
Accepting People & Redefining Jesus
So, where’s the balance between accepting people while not redefining Jesus? We must remember that God never changes (Hebrews 13:8), offering the same love WITH truth and invitation to transform. Look at Jesus’ pattern: with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and the Samaritan woman (John 4:16-18), He demonstrated love first, then confronted sin without condemnation before calling them to transformation.
Paul writes in Romans 15:7 to “accept one another, just as Christ accepted you.”
We are called not to harshly judge or completely affirm one another, but to love people without abandoning biblical truth and share Jesus’ message with sensitivity.
Misunderstanding Jesus’ Grace
The biblical definition of grace is receiving something we don’t deserve. Yes, our God is full of grace and forgives our sins, but this doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want with the mindset of “Oh, I’ll just ask for grace later.”
Jude 1:4 warns against those who “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality”. Grace doesn’t only pardon, but it transforms our hearts. Grace “trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:11-12). By accepting the gift of Grace, we’re not only forgiven for our sins, but our passions and desires change to align with godly passions and desires.
This is what conviction is: recognizing a worldly passion and feeling charged to transform it into something that glorifies God. We must be able to embrace both the acceptance and transformation of Grace.
Jesus’ Radical Love vs Blanket Approval
Jesus demonstrated His love through compassion, sacrifice, and truth-telling. But His love did not include approving sin, compromising falsehoods, or avoiding hard truths. Jesus confronted sin head on and commanded us to leave our lives of sin (John 8:11). He didn’t accommodate falsehood but brought hard truths to light, no matter how controversial.
It’s possible to love someone without affirming everything they do or believe.
This might look like having a friend whose lifestyle choices don’t align with biblical teaching, but still maintaining the friendship while being honest about your beliefs when asked. It’s loving them as a person made in God’s image while not endorsing every choice they make. Jesus demonstrated this perfectly with the woman caught in adultery—He defended her from condemnation while still telling her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). This balance requires wisdom, compassion, and courage.
This tension between love and truth doesn’t just apply to our relationships with others—it also challenges our political and cultural identities. The Jesus of Scripture defies our attempts to categorize Him and refuses to fit neatly into our modern political boxes.
The Jesus Who Challenges Everyone
Jesus’ pattern of challenging comfortable religious ideas continues today. Just as He confronted the rule-following Pharisees and the culture-accommodating Sadducees, the real Jesus challenges both our legalistic tendencies and our cultural compromises. He still refuses to be the political Messiah we want, calling us instead to a kingdom not of this world. And He still insists that true holiness happens at the heart level, not just in outward religious performance.
But what about those who use Jesus to back their political parties?
How Jesus Challenges Conservative Comfort Zones
Jesus had a lot to say about wealth and materialism that could make many conservatives uncomfortable. He called out the rich, young ruler to sell all of his possessions and to give to the poor (Matthew 19:21). He consistently cared for the marginalized, outcast, and “least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46).
Jesus’ boundary-crossing love for outsiders and enemies directly challenges nationalism. And His warnings against religious hypocrisy confronts those who focus on religious performances while ignoring the “more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
And this goes both ways, too. Let’s see how Jesus challenges a more progressive comfort zone.
How Jesus Challenges Progressive Comfort Zones
Jesus also upheld moral standards and spoke of sin in ways that might make many progressives uncomfortable.
His teachings on marriage, sexuality, and divorce seen in Matthew 19:4-9 counters popular progressive beliefs. In addition, Jesus’ exclusive claims about salvation only being accessible through Him and His emphasis on absolute Truth directly challenges the relativism common in progressive thought—the idea that truth and morality depend on cultural context rather than being absolute.
Beyond Left and Right: Jesus’ True Kingdom
Jesus’ call to personal holiness and transformation confronts those who emphasize social justice without personal righteousness.
His warnings about hell and judgment confront those who prefer a God who makes no demands.
And Jesus didn’t come to lead an earthly revolution when it comes to politics. He came to save our souls for what matters: the true Kingdom. As He taught in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
His priority wasn’t political reformation, but heart transformation that leads to a completely different kind of kingdom.
The real Jesus refuses our attempts to “adapt” Him for our political causes. He isn’t a conservative or a progressive. Instead, He transcends our political categories while challenging every one of us exactly where we’re most comfortable.
Practical Applications
Moving Beyond a Designer Jesus
So how do we move beyond these comfortable, designer versions of Jesus to encounter the real Jesus of the Gospels?
- Engage with ALL of Scripture. Especially the passages that make you uncomfortable or challenge your beliefs. If you find yourself thinking, “I don’t like that part,” pay special attention.
- Seek a diverse Christian community. Surround yourself with believers from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives who can challenge your blind spots.
- Practice regular self-reflection and examination. Ask yourself, “What parts of Jesus’ teachings do I tend to minimize or explain away?” Is there something in the Bible that feels “outdated” or not culturally “accurate”? If you were to ask people who disagree with you, think about what they’d say you’re missing about Jesus.
- Study Jesus in historical context. Understanding Jesus’ time helps us see how He challenged the assumptions of His own culture, not just ours.
- Pray for transformation, not affirmation. Instead of asking God to bless your current understanding, pray for Him to reshape it according to truth.
When we follow a designer Jesus, we might feel more comfortable temporarily. We’ll feel affirmed in our personal choices and feel free to do whatever we want. But we miss out on the true transformation only the real Jesus can bring.
A Jesus who never challenges us can never change us.
The beautiful paradox is that the real Jesus—with all of His uncomfortable challenges—ultimately offers MORE freedom, MORE joy, and MORE life than any false version we could create.
His love is more profound, His grace more transformative, and His truth more liberating.
The invitation stands: Will you follow the Jesus of Scripture, in all of His challenging, comforting, complex glory? Or will you settle for a comfortable reflection of yourself?
Embracing the Real Jesus
The comfortable Jesus we’ve created might feel safer, but He can’t save us. Only the real Jesus in all His countercultural glory offers true transformation.
And the truth is, the real Jesus is better than any version we could have designed anyway.
When we surrender our customized Jesus and embrace the Jesus of Scripture, we discover a Savior who loves us exactly as we are AND loves us too much to leave us that way.
As Revelation 3:19 reminds us, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” The real Jesus loves us enough to challenge our comfortable assumptions and call us to something greater.
And in that challenge, we find the life we were created for.
