Stop Telling People: Jesus Loves You!

By Andre Eksteen

I am going to say this plainly: stop telling people, “Jesus loves you.” Yes, it sounds beautiful, it sounds gentle, it sounds right — but think for a moment what it means today.

The word love has become so shallow and cheap in our time that it almost means nothing anymore. People casually say: “I love that film.” “I love that food.” “I love what you’re saying.” They say it about crude jokes, about a new car, even about a pair of shoes that look nice. Love has become equal to a feeling of pleasure, to approval, to “I like it.” But that is not biblical love. It is a torn-down word, stripped of its origin and its value.

When someone then hears: “Jesus loves you,” they translate it through that cheap filter. They hear: “Jesus approves of me as I am. He likes my lifestyle. He agrees with my choices.” To them it does not mean sacrifice or cross; it simply means applause. It means everything is fine, even if they are living in sin.

But God’s love is not a “like” on your social media. It is not a feeling of comfort or approval. The Bible says: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). And if He Himself is love, then He defines love. And God’s love is not shown in careless words — it is shown in blood. Romans 5:8 says: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That is love: to lay down your life for someone who is your enemy.

Let me tell you a story. A young woman once walks into a church, discouraged. She is trapped in a relationship full of sin, she drinks her pain away, and she thinks less and less about God. Someone smiles kindly at the door and says: “Just remember, Jesus loves you.” Her heart feels lighter, because she does not hear cross or repentance — she hears: Jesus approves of me, even while I do what I do. She sits in the church, she cries during the music, she raises her hand when the pastor asks who wants to choose Jesus. Yes, she heard the gospel, but she never confessed her sin or turned away from it. She goes home, lies down next to the same man in the bed, and tells herself: “It’s fine, Jesus loves me.” And with that, she is trapped in a lie that costs her soul.

Biblical love is not cheap. It is not sentimental acceptance. It is blood, it is the cross, it is death and resurrection. Love is to love so deeply that you lay down your life for someone else. That is what Jesus meant when He said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

But what does the modern church do? They make it light, cheap, easily digestible. The pastor preaches a message that contains the gospel; he even speaks about the cross, about forgiveness, about grace. But then he ends with the slogan: “Remember, Jesus loves you. Put up your hand if you want to choose Him.” And hundreds raise their hands, because who would not want a Jesus like that? They hear the truth, but they only grasp it halfway. Because no one confronted them with: confess your sin, leave it, turn around and live a new life. They think that raised hand is enough. They walk out of the church with the thought: “Jesus loves me, I am saved.” But they never repented. They remain dead in their sins.

That is why I say: those words “Jesus loves you” can be the most dangerous words you ever speak over someone’s life — if you do not explain what they mean. Because they do not hear the cross. They do not hear judgement. They do not hear the cost. They only hear confirmation for a life without Christ.

You might say: “But Jesus does love everyone.” Yes, He does. But understand it correctly: He loves you so much that He hung on a cross to cut sin out of you. He loves you so much that He does not want to leave you where you are. He loves you so much that He calls you to repentance, to a new life, to holiness.

So when you tell someone, “Jesus loves you,” rather say: “Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life for you while you were still rebelling against Him. And now He calls you to turn around, lay down your sin, and follow Him.” That is the truth. That is the gospel. That is love that calls deeper than self-affirmation, love that breaks you so that He can heal you.

The world has enough sweet words. They have enough acceptance, enough “you are fine just as you are.” What they need is the truth of the cross. Not a cheap slogan, but the raw reality of blood, judgement, and redemption.

So stop saying, “Jesus loves you,” if you are not willing to explain what it means. Because those words do not carry sugar — they carry a cross. And the cross is not for the shallow-hearted. It is for those who realise: I am a sinner, I stand under God’s judgement, and only the love of Christ — proven through His sacrifice — can save me.

That is love. Not acceptance. Not justification. Not applause. Love is the cross.