Jesus is blameless

An important Christian doctrine is that Jesus was sinless. His virgin birth and the incarnation teach that Jesus was fully man, born of Mary, but also fully God, that God supernaturally placed Jesus in his mother's womb without her ever having had relations with a man.

Sin enters the world in Genesis when Adam and Eve give in to temptation and disobey God. As representatives of humanity their actions have affected us all. The remedy for sin also involves one person, Jesus. He is described as the second Adam. Scripture teaches that he was tempted in all ways as we are tempted, yet without sin.

People who reject Jesus as being divine, believe that he was born just like everyone else, and that when he died, that was the end of his life and ministry. They believe that the disciples who scattered, denied Jesus, and hid for their lives changed their minds for no reason. Instead of accepting the failure of their leader, they decided to face a lifetime of persecution and death as martyrs. There is no logical explanation for their reversal from fear to boldness other than that they encountered the risen Christ.

People who deny the resurrection would also deny that Jesus was sinless. The most outlandish assertion I heard recently is that Jesus is the source of antisemitism. At his crucifixion, they hung a sign on the cross that said, "King of the Jews." Obviously, Jesus was Jewish, as were his disciples, and the early church.

One of the major themes of the New Testament is how Jewish must a Gentile be to be accepted as a follower of Jesus. There was a shift over time that resulted in more Gentiles than Jews identifying as Christian.

While it is true that Jesus spoke harshly to unbelieving Israel, that does not mean he hated them. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus tells them that he would have gathered them under his wings as a mother hen, but they would not have it. Jesus does not force salvation on anyone who refuses to believe in him.

The article rightfully pointed out famous Christians who spoke negatively about Jewish people. However, I am not aware of a Christian doctrine that teaches Jesus is responsible for everything that is done in his name.

Why blame Jesus for the words or actions of a senile theologian, a world tyrant, or a crusading army? Much of what is done in the name of Christ is contrary to the Word of God. That is why we must emphasize careful Bible study, so we do not accept ideologies that contradict Scripture. For example, when Constantine decided the troops would be "Christian," students of the Bible know that is not how anyone becomes a follower of Christ.

A person becomes a Christian when he or she is willing to admit that they are a sinner and cannot do enough good deeds to earn or deserve eternal life in heaven. The attitude of sorrow over sin is called repentance. Then a person chooses to believe the gospel--the story of Jesus' virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming. After this, the person publicly acknowledges that he or she is a follower of Jesus. This is a personal decision we make for ourselves; no one can decide this for us.

Once you tell people you are a Christian, you will be judged. Many people look for any excuse to avoid making a commitment to Christianity. Unfortunately, there are many bad examples, and not all who claim to be Christians are true believers. We must remind them, there are no perfect Christians, and we are going to Heaven because of the grace of God. Instead of finding fault in others, be thankful that it is not too late for you to change.

Jesus is perfect and blameless. He never gave in to sin. As our representative, he shows us that we can overcome sin in our lives through prayer and living a spirit filled life. May God help us to be more like Jesus. Remember, until we get to Heaven, we are all a work in progress.