Jesus The Unifying Divider

Dual Natures of God We often talk about the dual natures of God that we read about in the Bible 1st John 4:8 vs. Hebrews 12:29 – God is love, but He is also a consuming fire John 10:11 vs. Matthew 7:21-23 – Jesus is the good shepherd, but He will also reject those who are not faithful Romans 11:22 – There is so much goodness in God, but there is also severity on those who do not obey

Dual Nature of Jesus Jesus the unifier Jesus the divider John 17:20-23 – Jesus prays that His followers would be united together Isaiah 9:6 – Jesus is called the Prince of Peace Jesus the divider Matthew 10:34-39 – Jesus says He did not come to bring peace, but a sword Matthew 16:13-16 – When Jesus was on earth, people were divided over who He was

Dual Nature of Jesus Jesus the uniting divider How do we reconcile these two natures of Jesus even though they seem opposed to each other? Is there a contradiction in the Bible? How can Jesus and the gospel both unite and divide? They both unite and divide It all depends on our response to the gospel as to which way we will view Jesus and gospel

Jesus’ Gospel The gospel is a message of hope Romans 1:16-17 – The gospel is God’s power to save those who are lost Hebrews 5:8-9 – Jesus offers salvation to any and all who are obedient to Him Ephesians 2:1 – Jesus offers hope that we can be made alive when we were dead in sins Romans 6:17-18 – When we obey the gospel, then we are set free from the bondage of sin

Jesus’ Gospel The gospel is a message of fear 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9 – While the gospel is a message of hope to the obedient, it is a message of fear to those who reject it Ephesians 2:11-12 – The state of those without the gospel Romans 6:16 – Without the gospel, then we are still enslaved to sin John 12:48 – If we reject Jesus’ words, then we will be condemned

Conclusion Jesus and His gospel will decide who is saved and who is lost Salvation to the obedient and condemnation to the disobedient When we stand before Jesus in judgment, which Jesus will we see? The Jesus who recognizes us as a disciple? Or the Jesus who will declare that He never knew us?