The Loss of Meaning in Modern Language

Many people today are unwilling to define their terms. They would rather play fast and loose with definitions and let each person decide their own meaning for the words they use. But for language to function in a society, we must share an understanding of what a person means when they use a specific word.

For example, a vegan does not eat meat or other animal products. The word communicates something concrete to someone else. Yet in today’s culture, people often allow the use of language without meaning. A person could claim to be a “vegan who eats meat,” and others are told not to disagree, even though the statement is self-contradictory. This kind of redefinition erodes truth and makes real communication impossible.

Redefining “Christian”

The same distortion happens when people call themselves “Christian.” The word literally means “like Christ.” Yet, in our culture, people often claim the title without following Christ. They may reject His teaching, deny His authority, and still insist they belong to Him.

At what point do our beliefs look so unlike Jesus that it becomes dishonest to say we are His followers? Can someone truly claim to be a vegan who eats meat? Likewise, can someone truly call themselves a Christian while rejecting Christ’s Word?

The Self-Revelation of Jesus

Many people admire certain aspects of Jesus, such as His love, grace, and forgiveness, but ignore others such as His teaching on sin, judgment, and righteousness. If Jesus is God and worthy of our praise and submission, we do not have the right to pick and choose what we accept. We do not get to make Jesus in our own image or reshape Him to fit our preferences. Even if we call that idol “Jesus,” it remains idolatry.

The first step in creating a false Jesus is to disregard His Word. When we seek revelation outside of Scripture, we open the door to forming a Christ of our imagination, one who conveniently agrees with us. Yet the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture and never contradicts Himself.

“Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35)

“Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” (Mark 12:24)

We cannot pit Peter against Paul or Paul against Jesus, because the same Holy Spirit authored every word of the Bible. God breathed out His Word through men and preserved it from error.

Who Are You Following?

If we claim to be Christians, we must strive to be Christlike. That means submitting to His teaching and reflecting His character in our lives. Only by the Spirit’s power can we do this. We all fall short and we need grace and forgiveness, but there is a profound difference between a believer who stumbles in faithfulness and one who knowingly rejects the parts of Christ’s teaching they dislike.

Some try to justify disobedience by claiming the Holy Spirit led them, but the Spirit never contradicts the Word He inspired. The question is not whether you follow a Jesus, but which Jesus you follow. Do you follow the Jesus who reveals Himself in Scripture, or the Jesus of your imagination who agrees with everything you already believe?