Are we preaching Another Jesus or the True Jesus? 

Paul said there are some who preach another Jesus. What does it mean to preach another Jesus? What does it meant to preach and teach the True Jesus? Paul declares that we are a new creation race. What does it mean to know no one or even Christ according to the flesh? Let us just get refreshingly honest and open to examine what we preach and teach. It is our prayer that the Holy Spirit will be our guide into all truth, as we look into the Word of God on these important matters.

THE TRUE JESUS
By Dwight Davis

"Therefore, from now on, know no one we have already known according to the flesh. Even though we have already known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we do ever know Him that way no longer" (II Cor. 5:16, author's translation).

First, We Are Not To Know Others or Ourselves According to the Flesh
Paul has provided a great truth to the Church in this verse, that we are not to know Christ or any man according to the flesh any more. What does that really mean? First, it means that we shouldn't see or think of one another using our unrenewed mind. That mind is unable to see or think properly in the Spirit about any thing. Why would we teach people to see that they are either Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, or Melancholy in temperaments? Why the use of Christian Psychology? These terms are not found in Scripture. They certainly have to do only with the flesh. This Christian psychology approach is nothing more than the unrenewed mind helping us know others and ourselves out of the knowledge of good and evil and according to the flesh. The Word clearly declares, that we are not to know anyone according to the flesh any more (II Cor.5:16; Gal. 3:28).

Second, The Genuine and True Jesus Lives in Every Born Again Believer
Paul follows this verse and tells us that we are a new creation in Christ. Old things at intervals are being rendered void, such as categorizing our flesh or the flesh of others. Paul tells us to behold that all things have already completely become new (II Cor. 5:17). With our Spirit rebirthing, Christ is now our life, our only life. That is what is being discussed when it says "all things have already completely become new" (II Cor. 5:17). Christ is no longer a theory or just a doctrine. Christ is a genuine and living person. The genuine and the true Jesus is the one who actually lives inside of every born again believer. Every member of the Body of Christ has the true Jesus birthed in them by the Holy Spirit's quickening Rhema to us at the Spirit birthing (I Cor. 12:13, I Pet. 1:23).

Third, No Longer Jesus of Nazareth but Now Knowing the True Jesus In Us
This is why the Father picked the Apostle Paul and Jesus called him on the road to Damascus, "as by one born out of due time" (I Cor. 15:8). For with the new creation race, there would be a new revealed gospel that had no part with knowing Jesus of Nazareth in the flesh. Paul clearly declared that the gospel that he preached came from Spirit revealed truth and not from man (Gal. 1:11,12). There was no part that came from his natural senses or knowing Jesus in the flesh or out of the knowledge of good and evil. Paul emphasizes, "Even though we have already known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we do ever know Him that way no longer" (II Cor. 5:16). That's the fullness of what the last part of II Corinthians 5:16 really means. Even though we may have learned a lot from using the unrenewed mind about Jesus of Nazareth, that we are not to know Jesus in that manner or way as new creation beings. We now are rebirthed sons. Jesus of Nazareth was where God was yesterday. However, the resurrected Lord of Glory is who God is in Christ today. And the living reigning Lord lives in us. This is the genuine and the true Jesus. He lives in us as us.

Fourth, The True Jesus has a Gospel of 100% Completed on the Cross
Paul is concerned that our minds might "be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Cor. 11:3). He shares that the devil may deceive us in that respect. In fact he goes on to warn us about those who come to us preaching "another Jesus" or a "different gospel" from what he taught them (II Cor. 11:4). What is Paul talking about when he talks about "another Jesus" or a "different gospel?" The true Jesus and gospel that Paul presented was that Christ paid for every sin and 100% completed everything for our redemption and reconciliation to the Father on the cross. The Father was 100% satisfied by the justification of His Son's sacrificial death and shed blood. As a result the Father resurrected Him from the dead. When we are birthed again, Christ IS the Seed, Nature, Person, Spirit, and Life placed within us (I Pet. 1:23; II Pet. 1;4; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:9; I John 5:11,12).

Fifth, We are Saved by the Life of the True Jesus Who Lives in Us as Us
We are literally saved by the eternal and resurrected life of our Lord being placed in us at the birthing (Rom. 5:10). We are not saved by Jesus of Nazareth. Surely, that's who died on the Cross and redeemed us. However, we are saved by the true Jesus and the Lord of glory who lives in us. He is our new creation life since the Spirit birthing. John tells us that "this life is in His Son" (I John 5:11). The life we have is not even in the Holy Spirit, although He is our Divine teacher. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (I John 5:12). We received Christ at our Spiritual birthing and we have received eternal life 100% through Christ living His eternal life in us. This is why Paul states, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Paul didn't state here the Holy Spirit lives in me. Paul didn't state here the Spirit of Christ lives in me. He said "Christ lives in me." The true Jesus is Christ who lives in me as me in this new creation life.

Sixth, Doctrines & Teachings of Christ in Us as Us Declare the True Jesus
According to Paul and John, it is not the Holy Spirit, but the Son who lives in us and is our life. Jesus of Nazareth was sent to be revealed to Israel under the law and to fulfil the law (John 1:31; Matt. 5:17). Doctrines and teachings built around Jesus of Nazareth are not the true Jesus to the Church today. This is why there are doctrines and teachings with law mixed with grace. How can you ask someone to do that which was 100% done and accomplished in Christ on the cross? Even doctrines and teachings substituting the Holy Spirit for Christ living in us is not the true Jesus. Doctrines and teachings that present Christ the resurrected Lord of Glory, now living in us as us declare the true Jesus.

Seventh, Let Us Focus to Present and Teach Only the True Jesus
Perhaps, we should focus on the Epistles of the Word of God that focuses us on the true Jesus for the Church today. John is a great transition book to the Epistles. The Old Testament and Matthew, Mark, and Luke need to be carefully rightly divided with the help of the Holy Spirit, to avoid regular mixing of law and grace within teachings. When those scriptures are taken beyond application and moved into doctrine for the Church, might we be presenting another Jesus? Let's focus to faithfully present and teach only the true Jesus in us as us.