Most people have seen or at least heard of the commercials that claim, “He Gets Us.” In fact, they spend millions of dollars to place ads during the Superbowl. In these campaign commercials Jesus is portrayed in one way only (which I will explain further in the article). Although some of the claims made about Jesus are true, the real message of the Gospel is excluded, perverted or even downright false. Today we will look at how “He Gets Us” misrepresents Jesus.
What is the Message of “He Gets Us”?
Since its inception, the “He Gets Us” campaign has presented different messages. The current message being touted by “He Gets Us” is “greatness.” The website states that “Jesus showed us what greatness really is.” While that statement is true, the campaign misuses Jesus’ greatness to push a message that counters the true message of the Gospel.
This picture to the left is taken from the website asks two questions: “Is being great, as our society defines it, really that great?” and “Or is greatness quite the opposite of what we think it is?” With these questions they are alluding that society really doesn’t define greatness the way it should be defined.
How do we know this? Well, they answer their own questions with the statements: “Jesus defined true greatness in a very different way” and “He showed that the greatest thing we could be is in humble service to each other.”
While Jesus does talk a lot about service, that is not the greatest thing Jesus taught us. This message by “He Gets Us” comes from a progressive view of Christianity. This view is watered down in order to make the message of the Gospel more tolerable to those who don’t want to hear the TRUE message.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that at its very core, this campaign perverts faith and the Gospel in order to replace repentance and mercy with tolerance and acceptance of sin.
Is There Anything Accurate in the Messages of “He Gets Us”?
I want to give credit where credit is due. The second greatest commandment that Jesus spoke of is found in Matthew 22:39 where Jesus says: “And the second is like [the first]: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“He Gets Us” encourages us to treat our fellow man with love and respect, accepting people the way they are. Yes, we should do that. We should love everyone the way Jesus does, without exception.
The Bible confirms that we should regard others higher than ourselves in the following verses:
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Philippians 2:3
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
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1 Corinthians 10:24
“Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”
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Romans 12:10
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”
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Ephesians 4:1-2
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love”
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John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
As you can see, the “He Gets Us” campaign does get the message correct – that we should put others before ourselves. We do need to be like Jesus where others are concerned.
What is Wrong with the Message of “He Gets Us”?
Let’s go back to the statement made on the campaign’s website: “He [Jesus] showed that the greatest thing we could be is in humble service to each other.” This statement is inaccurate because this was NOT the greatest message of Jesus.
The biggest message that Jesus presented, (besides the Greatest Commandment which is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”) is REPENTANCE. Matthew 4:17 states: “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance of sin was Jesus’ greatest message.
“He Gets Us” Gets it Wrong
As previously mentioned, “He Gets Us” misrepresents Jesus because they leave out the most important part of His message – repentance. Repentance is feeling a deep sadness and mourning for what you have done – for the sins you have committed against God.
Why is repentance so important? Because it is repentance that leads to salvation. The Bible tells says in 2 Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
Without repentance there is no forgiveness of sin. We cannot just “act” like Jesus, we have to acknowledge what He did for us and REPENT of who we were and what we did before coming to know Him. When we are truly sorry, He will forgive us.
The following verses pertain to those who have received Jesus and are filled with repentance:
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
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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.”
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Proverbs 28:13
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
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Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
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Acts 17:30
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now [He] commands all men everywhere to repent”
(If You’d Like to Learn More About Jesus and How He Died for You, Click Here)
What Christianity is NOT
“He Gets Us” wants us to live like Jesus. They want us to be kind to everyone and accept them for who they are and what they choose to do. Christianity is not just about being nice and accepting or having a good set of morals and standards. We must RID ourselves of who we once were (including our sins) and CHANGE who we are. This can only be accomplished through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
By the way, who sets the standards for morality? God does. And if God says it’s sin, then it’s sin. Period. People may not like to hear that message, but it’s a basic Biblical truth. We cannot just sit by and accept Christianity for what the WORLD wants it to be. That is NOT what the Gospel is all about.
(To Read About False Teachers in the Church, Click Here)
Final Thoughts
“He Gets Us” changes the basics of the Gospel while trying to change Jesus into who they want Him to be and not WHO HE IS TRULY IS. This is similar to a lot of the false doctrine that is being taught today. People don’t really want to hear the truth, they want to have their ears tickled.
(To Read More About False Doctrine, Click Here)
JESUS IS GOD and He deserves respect and honor and glory for who He is. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). When people change the character of Jesus and His message, they will be held accountable. This is addressed in the Bible in Revelation 22:18-19:
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
As you can see, it is dangerous ground to add to or take away from the words and messages in the Bible.
Blessings,
Amy
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to share your insights, experiences or questions in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
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