The Real Jesus and Free Sex

Jezebel, Balaam, the Nikolaitans and the Messiah's message to us.

The goddess Nike (victory) and the people (laity) are the definition of Nikolaitans. “Everyone does that which is right in their own eyes.”

A true disciple of Jesus should know what Jesus says about sexual immorality.

In his classic book The Great Omission, university philosopher Dallas Willard (1935-2013) writes, “It’s impossible to be a Christian or even legitimately call yourself a Christian without being a disciple of Jesus.”

Willard continues:

Modern Christians have lost Christ as their Teacher. We’ve become mere spectators and consumers of holy things, not participants in the life that Jesus is now living on earth through us. Faith in Jesus has been wrongly separated from obedience to Him.

Some modern Christian churches identify themselves with a culture fascinated with sexual immorality and self-worship through phrases like, “We are a welcoming and affirming church,” “We are an open and affirming church,” and “We are an accepting church.”

In this age of selfishness, spirituality, sex, and self-indulgence, Christian churches have been captured by culture rather than mentored by the Messiah. - Wade Burleson

Jesus makes a person and a culture full of sex-indulgence and self-worship uncomfortable.

Last Sunday, rapper Blue Face turned his private suite at the NFL Chargers football game into a public strip club. You expect such activity from Blue Face.

You don’t expect Christian churches to affirm such selfish, sexual behavior.

Jesus transforms lives. Blue Face hasn’t yet met the Messiah.

When the Messiah met an adulterous Samaritan woman at a well, He gave her Living Water, which quenched her inner thirst, and then said to her, “Go and sin no more.”

Jesus’ Words on Sex and Self-Worship

The Messiah sent messages to the seven Christian churches that had been established in the 1st century A.D. in Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

You will not fully understand Jesus’ messages to the churches until you know who Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nikolaitans represent.

After you finish this article, you’ll understand an essential Christian principle:

Disciples of Jesus and assemblies of Christians who gather to worship Jesus can never tolerate sexual immorality and self-worship in themselves and among the assembly, or Jesus Himself will go to war with those who profess to follow Christ but engage in such anti-Christ behavior.

Jesus said to Christians:

• At Ephesus - “You hate the deeds of the Nikolaitans, which I also hate” - Rev. 2:6

• At Pergamum - “I have a few things against you, because you have some there…”

  1. “who hold to the doctrine of Balaam” - Rev. 2:14

  2. “who eat things sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality” - Rev. 2:14

  3. “who hold to the teaching of the Nikolaitans” - Rev. 2:15

• Jesus says: “Repent, or I am coming quickly to wage war against them.” - Rev. 2:16

• At Thyatira - ‘I have this against you, you tolerate that woman, Jezebel’- Rev. 2:20

Jesus then tells the churches who tolerate the sex-crazed, self-worshipers among them.

“Their teaching has misled my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent… but they are unwilling. So I will cast them on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with them suffer intensely unless they repent of their ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each according to their deeds.” Revelation 2:20-23

From Jesus’ own words, it doesn’t sound like Jesus is that affirming.

His judgment is only on those who refuse to repent of their sex-crazed self-worship. Devoted disciples of Jesus “persevere to the end,” never denying their LORD.

Many of today’s so-called “Christian” churches tolerate a sex-crazed, self-exalting culture. These moderns have either:

1. Never read these words of Jesus to the seven churches.

2. Do not understand these words of Jesus to the seven churches.

3. Worship a Jesus of their imagination, not the historical Jesus.

I will give the benefit of the doubt and assume affirming churches don’t understand what Jesus said.

Once what Jesus said becomes apparent, to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ involves a change of mind about sexual immorality and self-worship among professing Christians.

Jezebel, Balaam, and Nikolaitans

Who was Jezebel?