Knowing Jesus is more than You Think it is
The Airbrushed Jesus v. The Real Jesus
Have you ever found yourself staring at the magazine rack while waiting in a checkout line?
You scan through the black-and-white magazine with Batboy on the cover and find yourself staring intently at the woman on the cover of a popular women’s magazine. As you gaze at the figure up and down, you notice something important.
Her hair is flawless, her skin is radiant, she has no wrinkles or frown lines, and her teeth are whiter than snow.
You scan down further and see her slender and perfect figure in that red dress, and a twinge comes over you as you look at the article title: “How does Jennifer Aniston still look so young after all these years?”
You frown, turn away from the magazine, and watch as the cashier starts bagging your groceries.
Your brain starts to wander back to that perfect lady in the magazine as you push your cart to the parking lot.
How DOES she still look like a bombshell?
She must work out and never eat sweets or fast food.
Yeah, maybe you’re right, OR a better explanation (and probably more likely) is that she had work done on her photo to make her look that good.
You may not have said it, but I’m sure you’ve thought it at some point; they are clearly altered images.
This mentality doesn’t just stay in the realm of magazine models; it extends to other areas of life, too.
The perfect Instagram selfie or family photo, a clean house just minutes before a friend or family member shows up, how you present yourself at church, or the worst offender of all, your idea of who Jesus really is.
The way we see our savior is shaped by our experiences, influences, and ideas.
That is why this form of airbrushing and tweaking is the most dangerous.
Sure, it’s harmful to women’s psyches to see a “flawless” woman in a magazine; it makes them feel less than, like something is wrong with them if they don’t look that way, too.
Never mind how men looking at those “perfect” women affects their ability to relate to real women.
All of that pales in comparison to how detrimental it is to believe in a savior who is airbrushed and altered from the real thing.
Let me show you why this form of alteration matters most.
Your idea of Jesus affects how you see yourself in light of that idea.
Your idea of Jesus affects how you interact with people.
Your idea of Jesus affects not only your existence here on earth but also your eternity.
Now, do you see why it is the worst form of airbrushing?
Have you ever been to Sioux Falls, SD?
Yeah, me neither, but back in 2025, I had a great discussion with Pastor Phill Tague of Ransom Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, about this very topic.
We explored how our ideas about Jesus can harm the real relationship He wants with us.
It was a convicting conversation that left me realizing I needed to repent and change some of my ideas about who Jesus really was.
The top four ways you are harming your relationship with Jesus.
1. You Can “Do Christianity” and Still Not Know Jesus
I am a recovering people pleaser and legalistic Christian.
Having grown up in the church all my life, I knew bible stories like the back of my hand. I could recite Bible verses and sound “Holy” in the right crowd. I was always considered the “Good girl” in my family, the child every parent wished they had. So obedient, soft-spoken, and kind…I was the best legalistic Christian I could be.
Then, in my early twenties, I went through a painful divorce from an abusive “Christian” man, and I quit living for God, as if it was HIS fault.
For the next eight months, I did whatever I wanted to and didn’t care about God’s opinion.
Okay, well, I cared a smidgen, and that’s why I still went to church now and then, prayed at least once every day, and sometimes read my Bible or listened to Christian music.
These were ways I “played Christian” while living for myself and trying to feel better about what I was doing.
Eventually, I knew I was a hypocrite, felt conviction about it, but chose to go all in for my debauchery, instead of turning back to Christ.
Through God’s grace and pursuing, He allowed me back into his presence, skinned knees, bruised ego, and hypocritical heart aside.
When I returned to Christ at thirty years old, I finally realized that I did nothing to earn the love of Jesus.
I was a fool, a porn addict (at the time), someone who cussed a lot and listened to vulgar music, plus other things I won’t mention.
I didn’t earn His forgiveness, His kindness, or the restoration of my heart and mind.
He gave me everything because he loved me so much and didn’t want me to stay in that terrible position.
He did the same for you!
Legalism is a dangerous trap that leads you to believe that you contribute something to your salvation.
You DON’T.
You CAN’T.
You aren’t perfect like Jesus is. Let that realization sink in and free you.
It’s possible you are living a religious life, like I did most of mine: following rules, saying the right things, looking the part.
If this feels like you right now, then you are sadly missing a real relationship with Christ.
Remember this truth:
Legalism is performance-based.
It leaves you trying to earn something that was never meant to be earned, creating a lack of intimacy with Jesus.
👉 Stop trying to do enough to earn God’s love and realize you already have it through the finished work Jesus did on the cross.
2. The Real Issue Isn’t Behavior—It’s Surrender
Have you ever tried to have a healthier lifestyle?
You were diligent, going to the gym for a long time, you ate better, and then a family member had a birthday party.
Uh-oh!
The cake looks delicious, and you try only one small piece, a reward for all your hard, disciplined work.
Fast forward a month, and you stopped going to the gym and are back to eating sweets; guilt and shame creep in, and you decide to try your health journey again, but it wavers.
This becomes a vicious cycle that goes on for several years before you finally give up trying to be healthy altogether.
I have been there and done that so much that I should have a T-shirt.
Living a healthy lifestyle is hard work, especially when it takes so much time and intention and costs a lot of money.
The problem, though, isn’t necessarily the behavior as much as it is the WHY behind why you can’t keep up with your goals.
Look at someone you admire for achieving their goals. What do they have in common?
Determination
Passion
Discipline
Sacrifice
Without these things, it will be hard for you to do the right thing, but more than that, in your spiritual walk, you need to be careful about your motives for what you do.
Are you trying to make God love you, or doing it because you love him?
Surrender is the essence of the gospel. (Romans 5:8)
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave you a chance at new life and to surrender your own life back to him.
Trying to fix outward behavior without addressing lordship leads to a cycle of frustration and double living.
If you feel like a hypocrite right now, do an internal check of your heart’s desire and see if it is Jesus or something else. If your answer is anything other than God, it means you are out of alignment, and you won’t be able to have a healthy relationship with your Savior.
👉 Transformation begins when Jesus isn’t just believed in but truly followed as Lord.
3. The “Jesus We Want” vs. the Jesus Who Is
I have an issue with The Chosen.
Now, before you stop reading, let me explain.
I did a fantastic deep dive into the many reasons why I have spiritual issues with the show on my podcast, Honest Christian Conversations. If you haven’t heard any of the buzz around The Chosen, you’ve got to listen to this.
Here is one of the hang-ups I have with it.
Jesus is NOT a hottie!
I found myself drooling over Peter, and some other disciples, but worse than that, whenever I read the Bible, I saw Jesus…no, not THE JESUS…The Chosen Jesus. The handsome, hard to look at without turning into a giggling schoolgirl version of Jesus.
This was a problem!
There’s nothing wrong with “drop-dead gorgeous,” but no one knows what Jesus looks like, and the Bible gives us a glimpse into something different:
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:2)
Making Jesus into who you want Him to be is a concern that many of us share, not just with The Chosen but with many other versions of Jesus out there in book, video, preaching, and podcast forms.
Do you share the same concerns?
Many people, unknowingly or knowingly, create an “airbrushed” version of Jesus—one that fits their comfort, avoids conviction, and aligns with their expectations; but when that version of Jesus doesn’t satisfy as you expected, you want to leave Him altogether.
Not knowing who Jesus really is can be very detrimental to your relationship with God because you place expectations on Jesus and believe promises he never made to you.
Discernment is important, especially in the spiritual world. Knowing what the bible actually says about Jesus is important to having a healthy relationship with God.
👉 When you redefine Jesus, you end up trusting a version of Him that doesn’t actually exist.
4. God’s Goal Is Not Your Comfort—It’s Your Transformation
Many Word of Faith preachers out there tout that God always wants us “healthy and wealthy”.
I don’t know where they got that information from, but it’s a bald-faced lie!
If you can name me chapter and verse where it says that, I will repent for what I just said.
Go on, I’ll wait…
Spoiler alert: There is no verse.
You may want to mention Jeremiah 29:11 to me right now, but I have news for you.
That was not a promise made to everyone, only God’s people, Israel, at the time. Read the whole chapter in context, and you will see.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want you to have a fulfilled life; it just means this specific promise wasn’t for you, so don’t hold on to it.
Context matters; this is how you make mistakes with who Jesus really is.
You think you know what His word is saying, or you listen to someone who says they know and blindly believe it because, well, they are a pastor, or Christian influencer/musician.
DANGEROUS!
God never said he wants us to be comfortable in our walk with him; in fact, he says the opposite.
“In this life you will have troubles, but take heart, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
That is just one of the verses in which Jesus warns you about the sacrifice it takes to follow him. Take some time today to look at all the other places in the Bible that say following Him won’t be a cakewalk.
As humans, we naturally want to be happy, at ease, and in control, but God is after something deeper:
Holiness and refinement
Obedience often leads you into uncomfortable places, but those are the places where real growth happens.
👉 True joy isn’t found in getting what you want. It’s found in becoming the person God is shaping you to be.
Are you following Jesus as He is or a version of Him you’ve created?
Depending on your answer, how will you respond to what God is showing you?
If you are curious to know more about how to mend your important relationship with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I encourage you to listen to Airbrushed Jesus vs. the Real Jesus: A Conversation About True Faith
God Bless
-Ana
This is a great post! Well done!
Great post Ana!