What is a biblical response to someone who says, “My Jesus . . .”?

Answer  
  

Some people refer to the Lord using a possessive pronoun: “*My* Jesus,” they say. This wording may be simply an expression of confidence that they are His and He is theirs. In such a case, there is nothing wrong with saying, “My Jesus,” if the speaker is truly saved. As children of God, we can rightly say that He is *my* Shepherd, *my* Lord, *my* Redeemer, etc. (Psalm 23:1; 110:1; 19:14\).  
  

  

The apostle Paul speaks of “my God” who will meet the needs of believers (Philippians 4:19\). Some of the great hymns of the faith also express the wonderful relationship that we have with Christ using terms of possession: “Blessed Assurance,” for example, begins with these words: “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” The hymn “My Jesus, I Love Thee” conveys a similar thought: “My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine.”  
  

Often, however, when someone says, “*My* Jesus,” he then proceeds to put words into Jesus’ mouth or attribute to Jesus an assumed attitude in order to support an unbiblical idea. Examples abound: “*My* Jesus doesn’t condemn people for who they love” (used to support [homosexuality](homosexuality-Bible.html)) or “*My* Jesus would never send someone to hell” (used to support [universalism](universalism.html)).  
  

Forming a biblical response to any statement that begins with “my Jesus” would have to include verifying whether or not the statement is in line with the Bible. If “your” Jesus would never send someone to hell, for example, then what are we to do with verses like Matthew 25:41, which says Jesus sends some people to “eternal fire”? There is only one true, biblical Jesus. There is no different Jesus from the one presented in the Bible, just as there is no different gospel (Galatians 1:6–7\). Speaking of “my” Jesus versus “your” Jesus, in this sense, is unbiblical.  
  

It is easy to claim certain things on behalf of someone who is not physically present; however, just saying something does not make it true. For example, a child may tell the babysitter that his parents always let him stay up late and eat cookies, but the child’s claim may not be true. It’s best to let the parents speak for themselves in that case. Likewise, a person might make up things about what Jesus would do to prove a point or to justify an action or lifestyle. Better to let Jesus speak for Himself (in the Bible).  
  

When someone says, “*My* Jesus does/doesn’t (fill in the blank),” he or she is really referring to “Jesus as I understand Him” or “Jesus as I think He should be.” But one’s understanding of Jesus may be faulty, and the true Jesus is not bound to conform to our idea of what is best. That’s why the accuracy of any statement beginning with “my Jesus” must be verified using the Bible. It is Scripture that testifies of who Christ is (John 5:39\). Even if a particular topic or issue is not addressed in the Bible, we can use the character of Christ revealed in the Bible and the full counsel of Scripture to address any concern. If a person’s claim about what Jesus would do disagrees with Scripture, a biblical response would be to discuss the truth with that person in love (Ephesians 4:15\). If the person clings to his or her unbiblical claim about what Jesus would do or say or think, it is best to pray for God to work in that individual’s heart to see the truth.  
  

Not everyone who claims Jesus is really His. Jesus Himself said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21\). Sadly, there are false believers who claim Jesus but actually have no part with Him. The person who truly knows God, as revealed in Christ, will be with Him for eternity (Matthew 7:21; John 6:40\). That person can boldly and joyfully say, “Jesus is mine.” And that person should only make claims about “my Jesus” that align with the real Jesus of the Bible.  
  

