Latter-day Saints are often very curious about Biblical Christianity. But why? In my experience, some want to know the differences between Christianity and Mormonism in an academic sense. Others are devotional – they want to know more about “the Savior.” And still others are trying to prove that Christianity and Mormonism are “really just the same.”
Whatever the reason, it’s thrilling to see Latter-day Saints explore Biblical Christianity no matter the reason. Yet, in all these interactions, I’ve noticed a disturbing attitude that almost unanimously prevails. And it’s this: “I’m not looking to change.”
At the very outset of their journey, they preemptively rule out the possibility that Christ wants to change them. What would Jesus think of this?
Well, Jesus makes no bones about it. Let me say the following as lovingly and as directly as possible. Jesus is the King of kings and makes unapologetic demands of … everyone. Inherent to the true pursuit of King Jesus is an open-minded willingness to change our theology or to abandon our religion should He demand. King Jesus dramatically changes everybody who truly bows to Him. No exceptions.
Please bear with me for a few paragraphs to prove the point biblically.
King Jesus Demands Change
First, King Jesus is a Preacher who demands change. His earliest declaration is, “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15), and His first ambassadors say the same (Mark 6:12). Jesus, the Word-made-flesh (John 1:14), demands that His followers eat His flesh (John 6:53). Many who heard this command deliberately misunderstood Him and walked away (John 6:52-66); they wanted physical bread rather than the personal internalization of Jesus’s message (6:26). The Disciples understood exactly what Jesus meant; they stayed because Jesus had “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
In His preaching, King Jesus frequently illustrates the dramatic, personal turn required of His listeners. When someone discovers treasure in a field, for example, he gladly sells everything to acquire the field and the treasure within (Matthew 13:44). Again, His Kingdom is like new wine and new wine skins. If Jesus merely revamped the old wine skin of Judaism with the new wine of His teaching, his message would be lost irrevocably (Luke 5:36–39). Anybody who hears King Jesus and refuses to change is like a man who builds his house on the sand — great will be the fall of it (Matthew 7:26–27).
King Jesus Expects Conflict
Second, King Jesus specifies that His word will create conflict with other religious people. He says,
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And 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. (Matthew 10:34-39)
King Jesus proclaims that people will hate His followers simply because they hate Him (John 15:18); He predicts that religious people will expel His followers out of their religious institutions and might even put them to death (John 16:2). Try as Jesus’s followers might to avoid this conflict, the conflict will surely find them (John 15:20).
King Jesus Rules Thoughts
Third, King Jesus demands authority over our thoughts. On the matter of lust He says, “I say unto you, whoever looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). On the matter of traditions, He quotes Isaiah 29:13, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). In describing the greatest commandment, He asserts that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). The careful observer will see that the greatest commandment targets the internal.
King Jesus Stiff Arms the Unwilling
Last, when people come to King Jesus without an open-minded willingness to change, they meet a surprisingly strident King. When Herod sought a sign, Jesus just ignored him (Luke 23:9). When a rich, young ruler tried to justify himself by the Law, Jesus lovingly laid bare the man’s covetousness (Mark 10:17-22). And when Nicodemus came by night with some overture of highbrow, Jewish support, Jesus stopped him in his tracks: “Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Our King confronted Nicodemus with the immediate need to change everything he thought he knew about religion (John 3:10).
Conclusion
As I said, I am thrilled when anybody begins their journey to Christ. But sooner or later, everyone needs to understand that King Jesus sets the agenda. And His agenda is quite simple – He wants to kill everything about us that falls short of His glorious ideals. Although many passages of Scripture would suffice (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:15, or Galatians 5:24), I’ll leave the final word to our King:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25).