Biblical But Not Christ-like
by Royce
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” – 1 Peter 3:15
We live in a time when Christianity has become politicized, nationalized, and culturalized. In our passion to defend truth, we’ve lost the gentleness and respect that should characterize how we speak it. Many believers today want to be biblical — quoting scripture, standing for doctrine, defending positions. But here’s the challenging reality: you can be biblical and not Christ-like.
This isn’t just a communication problem — it’s a heart problem that Jesus Himself addressed.
Remember Jesus’s words to the religious leaders of His day: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you will find eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).
The Pharisees were undeniably biblical. They knew the Torah inside and out. They could quote chapter and verse. They followed religious protocols perfectly. Yet Jesus called them “hypocrites,” “blind leaders of the blind,” people who “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.”
Even Satan was biblical — quoting Psalms during Jesus’s temptation, using scripture to justify reckless use of power and authority.
Here’s the sobering truth: you can quote the right verses and still miss the heart of God. You can defend correct doctrine while destroying the very people God loves.
For us, the truth isn’t just accurate theology — the truth is Jesus Himself. When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He wasn’t merely claiming exclusivity. He was pointing to His character, His methods, His love. He was saying, “Look at how I’ve treated people — Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, the marginalized and the powerful. This is the way truth should be lived out.”
Every time we speak truth, we should be embodying His character so completely that people feel like they’re encountering Jesus, not just our interpretation of scripture.
Being Christ-like means our conversations reflect how Jesus actually treated people:
- He created safety through curiosity rather than leading with conclusions
- He showed empathy by understanding what people truly cared about
- He demonstrated courage by addressing what mattered most, but always with love
When we speak truth Christ-like, it doesn’t sound like judgment — it sounds like the same invitation Jesus offered: “Come and see.” “Follow me.” “Learn from me.”
Jesus mastered the art of asking questions before giving answers. When the blind man cried out, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” When disciples struggled with identity, He asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
There’s a principle in medicine that applies perfectly here: “Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice.” A doctor would never prescribe medication without first understanding the patient’s symptoms and making a proper diagnosis. Yet how often do we, as Christians, rush to prescribe biblical solutions before truly diagnosing what someone is experiencing?
Jesus never committed spiritual malpractice. He always sought to understand before seeking to be understood. He earned the right to speak into people’s lives by first understanding their lives.
Curiosity creates safety. It says, “I’m interested in you as a person, not just in correcting your theology.” It demonstrates the respect Peter commands in our verse — treating others as image-bearers worthy of being heard before being instructed.
Biblical but not Christ-like looks like: “Let me tell you what the Bible says about your situation.”
Christ-like sounds like: “Help me understand what you’re experiencing. What’s weighing on your heart?”
Before offering any guidance, we should be able to say: “Because of the fact that you said [this], [this], and [this], for those reasons what I’d recommend is [this], [this], and [this].” This ensures our advice is actually relevant to their real situation, not just our assumptions about it.
Jesus didn’t just know people’s problems — He felt them. He wept with Mary and Martha. He had compassion on crowds because they were “like sheep without a shepherd.” He understood the Samaritan woman’s deeper thirst, Zacchaeus’s real need, the rich young ruler’s genuine struggle.
Empathy means caring about what they care about before asking them to care about what you care about.
Biblical but not Christ-like says: “Your priorities are wrong. Here’s what should matter to you.”
Christ-like says: “I can see this really matters to you. Help me understand why.”
Jesus never avoided difficult conversations, but He always approached them with love. He spoke truth to the woman at the well, but without condemnation. He confronted the religious leaders, but His anger was about their treatment of others, not personal offense.
True courage isn’t just speaking hard truths — it’s speaking them in a way that preserves dignity and creates possibility for transformation.
Biblical but not Christ-like declares: “I have to speak the truth whether you like it or not.”
Christ-like approaches with: “I care about you too much not to have this conversation. Can we talk about something that concerns me?”
Before you speak truth into someone’s life, ask yourself:
- Am I being biblical AND Christ-like?
- Does my approach reflect Jesus’s character or just His doctrine?
- Will this sound like an invitation or a judgment?
- Am I creating space for them to encounter Jesus, or just my interpretation of Him?
When we speak truth with gentleness and respect, we’re not being soft on sin or weak in conviction. We’re being faithful to the full character of Jesus. We’re ensuring that when people encounter the truth we proclaim, they experience it as Jesus would deliver it — with authority and tenderness, conviction and compassion.
The world is desperate for truth that feels like good news again. They need to meet the Jesus who said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Jesus is still saying “Follow me” to a broken world. But they need to hear it from voices that sound like His — curious enough to understand, empathetic enough to care, and courageous enough to speak truth wrapped in love.
The hope we carry isn’t just information to be defended — it’s the very person of Jesus to be revealed through how we listen, how we love, and how we speak.
Today, may your words carry both the authority of truth and the heart of Christ. May people encounter Jesus Himself when they encounter you.
Remember the wisdom of James: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). In a world that rushes to judgment and quick to prescription, we have the opportunity to model a different way — the Jesus way of patient curiosity, genuine empathy, and courageous love.
Reflection Questions
- When have you been “biblical” but not necessarily “Christ-like” in a conversation?
- How often do you prescribe solutions before properly diagnosing what someone is really experiencing?
- What would it look like to make your next truth-telling conversation feel like an invitation rather than a judgment?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the truth we proclaim. Help us to be not just biblical but Christ-like in every conversation. Give us Your curiosity to understand, Your empathy to care, and Your courage to speak truth in love. Make us quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. When people encounter us, may they encounter You. Amen.