Why We Say "True Jesus Christ"
Our Commitment to Biblical Clarity
At The Avenue Village NZ, we proclaim the True Jesus Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture.
We use this phrase carefully and deliberately.
In every generation, many speak of “Jesus.” But the name alone is not enough. The apostle Paul warns that it is possible to preach “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4), and to proclaim “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6–9). For this reason, biblical clarity about who Jesus is and what He has accomplished is essential.
The True Jesus Christ is:
- Fully God and fully man (John 1:1, 14).
- The only mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).
- The sinless substitute who bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24).
- The One whose righteousness is credited to all who believe (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- The risen and reigning Lord who saves completely those who come to Him (Hebrews 7:25).
We believe that the gospel is not merely the story of Jesus, but the saving work of Jesus: His perfect obedience, His atoning death, and His victorious resurrection.
Because justification is by faith alone (Romans 3:28), our hope rests entirely in Christ’s finished work. We do not trust in our performance, our cooperation, or our merit, but in Him alone.
To proclaim the True Jesus Christ, therefore, is to proclaim:
- A complete Savior
- A finished atonement
- A sufficient righteousness
- A grace that needs no supplement
We say “True Jesus Christ” not to provoke division, but to guard the purity of the gospel and to point sinners to the only Savior who can give peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Our desire is simple:
That Christ would be known as He truly is, and that sinners would rest fully in Him.
At The Avenue Village NZ, we intentionally use the phrase “the True Jesus Christ.”
We do this not to be divisive, but to be biblically faithful, clear, and loving in a world filled with many distorted presentations of Jesus.
The Scriptures warn us that not every Jesus preached is the Jesus of the Bible.
“For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed… you put up with it readily enough.”
(2 Corinthians 11:4)
Because eternity is at stake, clarity about who Jesus truly is matters.
The True Jesus Is Revealed by Scripture Alone
We believe the only reliable and authoritative revelation of Jesus Christ is found in Holy Scripture, not in human imagination, religious tradition, cultural portrayals, or artistic images.
“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
(John 20:31)
The True Jesus Christ is:
- Fully God and fully man
- Eternally the Son of God
- The only Savior of sinners
- The only Mediator between God and men
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
(1 Timothy 2:5)
The True Jesus Christ Is Known by Who He Is and What He Does
The Bible does not separate the Person of Jesus Christ from His saving work. We must know Him according to Scripture both in who He is and in what He accomplishes as Savior.
In His Person, Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, truly God and truly man, the promised Messiah, the only Mediator between God and man, the crucified and risen Lord.
But Scripture does not present these truths about His Person separately from His saving work. The Jesus revealed in the apostolic gospel is the Christ who actually saves His people through His perfect obedience, His atoning death, His resurrection, and His finished work.
This is why justification is not a secondary doctrine that can be changed while still claiming to preach the same Christ.
Paul treats justification as gospel-defining. He writes that a person is justified by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works of the law (Galatians 2:16). He says that if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for no purpose (Galatians 2:21). And he gives this solemn warning:
“You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”
(Galatians 5:4)
Romans teaches the same gospel. God “justifies the ungodly” who believes in Him (Romans 4:5). Our acceptance before God rests not upon our works, merit, or cooperation, but upon Christ and His righteousness received by faith.
Therefore, a different doctrine of justification is not merely a disagreement about something surrounding the gospel. It changes the saving work attributed to Christ.
Paul warns of both “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) and “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6–9). These truths belong together. A different gospel ultimately gives us a different Jesus because it presents a Christ whose saving work is different from the Christ proclaimed by the apostles.
The True Jesus Christ is not merely a Savior who makes salvation possible and leaves the sinner to complete what remains. He is the Savior whose work is sufficient, complete, and effective.
Hebrews declares:
“He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.”
(Hebrews 7:25)
And concerning His sacrifice:
“By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
(Hebrews 10:14)
At the cross, Christ declared:
“It is finished.”
(John 19:30)
We therefore cannot separate Christ ontologically, who He is, from Christ functionally, what He does as Savior. The biblical Christ is identified by both His Person and His saving work.
To alter His Person gives us another Jesus. To alter His saving work gives us another gospel and, consequently, another Jesus presented as savior.
This is why The Avenue Village NZ insists on proclaiming the True Jesus Christ: the eternal Son revealed in Scripture, the perfect and sufficient Savior, whose once-for-all sacrifice and righteousness provide the complete ground of justification for everyone who believes.
The True Jesus Is Not Defined by Images or Physical Portrayals
The Bible gives us a sober and humbling description of the Messiah, very different from many popular religious images used today.
His Earthly Appearance in His Humiliation
Scripture teaches that during His earthly life, before His resurrection and glorification, the True Jesus Christ did not possess outward beauty, majesty, or physical attractiveness that would draw people to Him according to human standards. God deliberately revealed His Son in humility, not in visible splendor, so that faith would rest on God’s Word rather than human admiration.
“He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.”
(Isaiah 53:2)
This biblical testimony directs our attention away from outward appearance and toward Christ’s redemptive suffering and saving work.
For this reason, we reject attempts to define Jesus through artistic images, statues, or icons, which often reflect human imagination rather than biblical truth.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image…”
(Exodus 20:4)
Jesus Came in Humility, Not Outward Glory
When the True Jesus Christ came into the world, He did not come with physical beauty, royal appearance, or outward glory that would impress people. The Bible tells us that He came humbly, sharing fully in human weakness and suffering, so that sinners would be drawn to His love and sacrifice, not to His appearance.
“He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.”
(Isaiah 53:2)
During His suffering, His body was so severely wounded that it shocked those who saw Him.
“His appearance was so marred, beyond human likeness…”
(Isaiah 52:14)
This shows us that Jesus came not to attract admiration, but to give His life for sinners. The Jesus who loves you is the Jesus who suffered for you.
The True Jesus Is the Suffering Servant
The Jesus we proclaim is not a sentimental figure or a powerless victim, but the Suffering Servant who willingly bore God’s judgment for sinners.
“His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance…”
(Isaiah 52:14)
“He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities… and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:5–6)
This is the Jesus who loves sinners enough to suffer and die in their place.
The True Jesus Died for Our Sins and Rose in Victory
The heart of the gospel is not moral advice, religious ritual, or self-improvement, but Christ crucified and risen.
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day…”
(1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
The True Jesus Christ:
- Bore the wrath of God for our sins
- Fully satisfied divine justice
- Rose bodily from the grave
- Reigns today as Lord and King
“It is finished.”
(John 19:30)
The True Jesus Calls Us to Repentance and Faith
The Jesus of the Bible does not merely offer comfort, He commands repentance and faith.
“Repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:15)
Salvation is not earned by works, traditions, or religious affiliation, but is received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
(John 14:6)
The True Jesus Produces True Disciples
The True Jesus Christ does not leave people unchanged.
He calls sinners to die to self and follow Him.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
(John 12:24)
This truth has shaped the life and ministry of The Avenue Village from the beginning, teaching us that true fruitfulness comes through costly obedience, self-denial, perseverance, and a joy rooted in Christ Himself.
Why This Matters
We proclaim the True Jesus Christ because:
- False versions of Jesus cannot save
- Only the biblical Christ reconciles sinners to God
- Only the true gospel produces true disciples
- Only Christ, as revealed in Scripture, deserves worship
“Whoever does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God.”
(2 John 9)
Our Confession
We joyfully confess:
- Jesus Christ is Lord
- Jesus Christ is Savior
- Jesus Christ is Head of the Church
- Jesus Christ alone is sufficient
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”
(Romans 11:36)
Because the identity of Jesus is inseparable from the gospel He accomplished, we believe clarity is an act of love. To know Christ rightly is to trust Him fully, and to trust Him fully is to rest in His finished work alone. For a fuller expression of what we believe concerning salvation and justification by faith alone, we invite you to read our Statement of Faith.
The Avenue Village NZ exists to proclaim the True Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture, to make disciples through faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and to plant biblical churches in New Zealand and beyond.