An Accommodating Gospel: Why Jesus Will Not Accept Your Sin

The story of the rich young ruler has a striking parallel to culture today. What wealth and possessions were to him, sexuality has become to us. When he was confronted by the Gospel, he was unable and unwilling to accept what Jesus said. The Bible says, “He walked away sorrowful.”

In a similar way, our culture is not willing to believe what Jesus says about sin. We are so arrogant that we ignore what Scripture plainly says and twist it to fit our lifestyles. Peter told us that this would happen, writing in 2 Peter 3:16 he says people will “twist” Scripture to “their own destruction.”

The word accommodating means, “Willing to do what someone else wants or requests.” It can also mean to adapt, make convenient or yield to the desire of others. Sadly, many are trying to follow Jesus in a convenient and accommodating way. Culture expects Christ followers to adapt and yeild to their desires. This is an attempt to explain why that cannot happen.

What Jesus Demands
The problem with this young man wanting to follow Jesus is the way he approached Christ. He wanted to follow Him on his own terms and that is exactly how our culture is today. This young man’s sin was not that he was wealthy. Many of God’s people, like Abraham and Solomon, were wealthy in the Bible. It wasn’t the wealth that Jesus had a problem with, it was the man’s pride. He wanted to follow Jesus only if it was convenient for him. He came to Jesus with the attitude, “I’m a great person, why would you not want me?”

Jesus then does the unthinkable. Rather than “reaching out” to the man. He basically puts up a wall and says, “sell all you have and give it to the poor.” Instaed of opening his arms wide to him, He makes a demand that is very hard. Why would Jesus do that? Why would He not say something like, “Go ahead and begin following me, I’ll change you as time goes?”

The reason why is because Jesus was not going to “accommodate” the young man’s sin of pride. Remember what we said to accommodate means, “to adapt, to make convenient, willing to do what someone else wants or requests.” Jesus doesn’t accommodate sin. He won’t accommodate mine. He won’t accommodate yours. He won’t accommodate our culture’s sins.

Things Jesus Never Said
The Bible said that the gospel we preach today would be different than the gospel of Jesus’ day. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” That sounds pretty accommodating, doesn’t it?

The gospel we preach today is vastly different from the way Jesus preached. While we say, “Ask Jesus to come into your heart.” Jesus never said anything like this. He said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19). That’s a different gospel. It’s hard and it’s inconvenient. We often say, “As long as you believe in God, you will be okay.” The Bible never teaches this. Rather, it says, “even demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19). They certainly cannot receive salvation.

So you can see that when we say, “Just give your heart to Jesus”, that is not the true gospel. That is an accommodating, convenient gospel. Jesus didn’t accept it from the rich young ruler and He won’t accept it from you or me.

Coming to Jesus means coming on His terms, not our own. Therefore, you and I do not have the ability to determine what sin is and what it is not. We do not have the option of saying, “This is right for me or this is acceptable for me.” Jesus clearly tells those who would wish to follow Him, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). He demands in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This is why the gospel cannot be made convenient for you. You cannot come to God on your own terms.

More important, the Church cannot condone what God has condemned. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Don’t Walk Away Sorrowful
One of the saddest Scriptures in the Bible is Matthew 19:22, it reads, “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Those who come to the foot of the cross, yet refuse to walk in the obedient footsteps of Jesus, will always walk away sorrowful. Perhaps he came to a place where he surrendered his life to the Lord, but there is no Biblical record of this. As far as we know, he went on to live his life in comfort and ease, but lost his soul.

Jesus warned us in Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” What are you exchanging for your soul? Are you exchanging your passions? Are you exchanging your sexuality? Ultimately it comes down to the fact we exchange our pride and arrogance for our soul. I plead with you, do not be prideful. Confess sin to the Lord and ask for repentance.

Do you know what it means to “confess” sin? The word confess means to agree. Unless you come into agreement with what God calls sin, you will never be able to confess and receive forgiveness of sin. However, there is a tremendous promise for those who confess sin. It’s found in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Where do you stand with the Lord? Are you humble? Are you able to follow Christ in a way that God can change you who are? If so, call on the Lord and ask Him to forgive your sin. You may not have all the answers, and that is okay. Begin by talking to God. Tell Him you don’t understand everything, but that you’re willing to listen and willing to be changed.

For those who will not call on the Lord, I plead with you to repent while there is time. Indeed, the door will soon close (Matthew 25:10). The Bible is clear. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).