Unfortunately, new Christians come with plenty of misconceptions about God, the Christian life, and other believers. Today, we will take a look at some of the most common misconceptions in Christianity to dispel some of the myths that generally hinder new Christians from fully growing and maturing in their faith.
As soon as you become a Christian, God will fix all your problems
There are many Christians out there who are shocked when their first trial or impending crisis arrives. But in reality, each and every one of us should prepare for that – it’s life! Christian life isn’t easy.
You will face the proverbial ups and downs, with their challenges and joys. You will have to deal with problems and troubles that will need to be carefully overcome. However, we want to offer encouragement to all Christians out there facing a tough situation right now:
“Dear friends, do not be shocked at the painful trial you are going through, as though something strange was happening to you. Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” (NIV) 1 Peter 4:12-13
Becoming a Christian means giving up on all the fun and following a life full of rules
A joyless existence of mere rule-following isn’t real Christianity, nor is the abundant life God envisioned for you. In fact, it describes a man-made experience of legalism. God has wonderful adventures planned for you. These verses will give you a proper description of what it really means to experience God’s life:
“Then you won’t be condemned for doing something you know is right. For the Kingdom of God, that’s not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this kind of attitude, you will please God. Other people might approve of you, as well. (NLT) Romans 14:16-18
But, as it is written:
“No eye has seen, nor ear has ever heard; no mind has conceived what God made for those who truly love him” (NIV) 1 Corinthians 2:9
All Christians are loving, perfect people
Well, it doesn’t take that much to discover that this is simply not true. However, being prepared to meet the imperfections and failures of your new family in Christ can definitely spare you future pain and disillusionment.
Even if Christians truly strive to follow the example of Christ, we will never get complete sanctification until we stand before the Lord. As a matter of fact, God uses our imperfections to “grow us” in the faith. If not, there wouldn’t be any need to forgive one another.
As we learn how to properly live in harmony with our new family, we rub each other like sandpaper. It might be painful at times, but the results definitely bring about a spiritual smoothing and even softening to our rough edges.
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you might have against one another. Forgive, because the Lord forgave you. (NIV) Colossians 3:13
Bad things don’t happen to those who are truly Christians
This point goes hand in hand with point number one. But the focus is slightly different. Oftentimes, Christians start to wrongly believe that if they live a godly life, God will always protect them from pain and suffering. However, Paul, who was indeed a true hero of the faith, suffered a great deal:
“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Those three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I’ve been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, and from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 11:24-26
Certain faith groups believe that the Bible promised us health, wealth, and prosperity for all who live a truly godly life. However, this teaching is slightly inaccurate. Jesus never taught this to his followers.
You might have experienced these blessings in your life, but they are not necessarily a reward for godly living. Sometimes, we can’t escape tragedy, pain, and loss in life.
This is not always because of our sins, as some might rush to say, but rather for a much greater purpose that we might not understand right away. We might never get it, but we can, in fact, trust God in such difficult times and know that there’s a reason for everything.
So be truly glad! There is a beautiful joy ahead, even if it is needed for you to endure many trials for quite a while. These trials are only there to test your faith, and show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. Your faith is way more precious to God than mere gold. If your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, then it will bring you much needed praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the entire world. (NLT) 1 Peter 1:6-7
Christian ministers and missionaries are more spiritual than other believers
This is a very subtle yet persistent misconception that we carry in our minds as believers. Due to this false notion, we end up putting ministers and missionaries on different “spiritual pedestals,” followed by unrealistic expectations.
When one of these heroes falls from our carefully constructed perch, sometimes it tends to make us fall as well, further from God. So don’t let this happen in your life! You might have to continuously guard yourself against this subtle yet poignant deception.
Paul, Timothy’s spiritual father, shared with him this truth. In the end, we are all sinners on an equal playing field with God and each other:
“This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into this world to save all sinners, out of which I was the worst. However, that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use my case as a prime example of his neverending patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize, too, that they can believe in him and receive eternal life. (NLT) 1 Timothy 1:15-16
Christian churches are always safe places where you can trust everyone
Even if this should be true, it is unfortunately not. We live in a world where plenty of evil resides. Well, not everyone who enters the church has good intentions, and those who do can always fall back into old patterns of sin.
One of the most dangerous places in Christian churches, if not effectively guarded, is the children’s ministry. Churches that don’t implement background checks, team-led classrooms, and any other security measures will also leave themselves open to many threats.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil will walk about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour next.” (NKJV) 1 Peter 5:8
Christians should never say anything that could offend someone or hurt someone else’s feelings
There are plenty of believers with a wrong understanding of meekness and humility. The whole idea of godly meekness automatically involves having strength and courage. But this kind of strength needs to be submitted to God’s control.
True humility always recognizes full dependence upon God and knows we have no goodness in ourselves, maybe without the one found in Christ. At times, our love for God and our fellow Christians, as well as obedience to God’s Word can easily compel us to speak words that could hurt someone’s feelings and offend them. Some people may name this “tough love.”
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: What Does The Bible Say About Swearing, Cursing, and Crude Language?
