Bo WagnerI think it quite fitting that the word platitude is composed almost entirely of the word latitude, since many platitudes in the Christian life certainly take a great deal of latitude with the truth.
People often mean well; I do not question that. But words mean things, and often in attempting to send a good message, we inadvertently send a wholly inaccurate one instead.
Such is the case with the platitude “Jesus loves you just the way you are.”
There is no question that Jesus loves us, none whatsoever. John 3:16 still says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
It is not the “Jesus loves you” part that contains the critical error; it is the “just the way you are” part.