You will be tempted to embrace 3 different understandings of Jesus: American Jesus, Hippie Jesus, and Terminator Jesus.
The Gospels are How We Know and How We Grow.
Hebrews 1: 1-3
Jesus is what God has to say about Himself. If you want to know who someone is, listen to THEM when they tell you who they are. When we have a distorted vision of Jesus, we will have a distorted vision of God.
You learn about the real Jesus by spending time with Him, not studying the counterfeits.
Hippie Jesus is cool with everything except not being cool.
Hippie Jesus can be best defined by looking at the actual hippie movement that occurred in the United States in the 1960’s.
Hippie Jesus wants you to be the best you, even if it kills you.
Hippie Jesus doesn’t ever want you to be inconvenienced by his demands, so he has very few.
Three Signs That You May Be Following Hippie Jesus
1) You mistake freedom FROM sin as freedom TO sin.
Hippe Jesus promises you freedom to do whatever makes you feel good. People who follow Hippie Jesus will think things like “he knows my heart and that’s what matters right?” or “Jesus freed me from all of those rules, I can do whatever as long as I don’t feel bad about it.”
Hippie Jesus embraces our sinfulness and calls it “being spiritual”. The real Jesus bore our sinfulness and empowers us to live a life of holiness.
Romans 6: 20-22
Hippie Jesus teaches poor impulse control, the real Jesus teaches self-control.
2) You have traded the “God life” for the “good life”.
Our habits reinforce our ideas. We are either being formed into the image of God, or we are being deformed. Hippie Jesus promises us the “good life” by telling us to follow our hearts and never challenges us to form ourselves around the teachings of Jesus. This leads to a life that completely misses out on the “God kind of life” that Jesus promises us.
Hippie Jesus promises you a life that is okay, the real Jesus promises you abundant life.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
─John 10:10
Zoe perissos translated “abundant life” means more than life, eternal life, the God kind of life.
Hippie Jesus is ripping you off. Jesus doesn’t just help you “make the cut” when you die, he gives you access to His life now.
Hippie Jesus is a bad “Hope Dealer.”
3) Your “counterculture” looks more like the world than the Kingdom of God.
Christianity is the most countercultural movement to ever exist. Christians in the early church period were known for doing the exact opposite of what the culture of that time was known for.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Are you following Hippie Jesus?