Debunking 10 Misconceptions about Christianity

I've been wanting to do a lot more faith posts recently, but I didn't know where to start. I always want to be led by the spirit when it comes to sharing the word of God and the gospel. When He gave me this idea, I got really excited because it's something I'm very passionate about. For today's post, I'm going to be debunking 10 misconceptions/assumptions people like to make about Christianity. As a Christian it is one of my jobs to spread truth and what better way to do that, than by squashing some false statements about Christianity. 

Disclaimer: If you think this post is going to offend you in anyway, just click off now because it's your own choice whether you read this or not. Nothing I am going to say is with the intention to cause offense to anybody, its just to spread factual information. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you alone. 

1) G O I N G    T O   C H U R C H   M E A N S   Y O U ' R E   A   C H R I S T I A N 

The first misconception is that if someone goes to Church, that makes them a christian. WRONG. There are people who claim the title of being a Christian and go to church every Sunday without fail but it's simply routine. For some, going to church is just a way to fuel their pride and present themselves as spiritually pure. What makes you a Christian is not how often you go and serve in church, it's the condition of your heart and how you treat God, as well as other people. The church has this reputation of being hypocritical, and that's down to the judgmental people that claim they love God, but do not reflect that in their living. Jesus was not and IS NOT judgmental. Yes he convicts but he never condemns. He doesn't tolerate disrespect and sin, but he isn't hateful when people go down the wrong path. God is LOVE, so if you see someone going to church every week but they constantly complain, judge and condemn, are they really christian or is it just routine?

So, if going to church doesn't make you a Christian, what does? 

Being a Christian is about relationship not religion. God doesn't care about how many hours a week you attend church, he cares about how often you include him in your life everyday. He honours those who seek him daily even just to say thank you, not just on a Sunday morning. He honours those who consult him when making decisions and value his opinion. Being a Christian is choosing to live for him. You cannot be a christian without CHRIST. 

2) Y O U    C A N    O V E R C O M E    S I N    W I T H O U T     J E S U S 

Overcoming sin without Jesus is quite literally impossible and that is the mistake many Christians make/have made (myself included). We think that we can stop doing something by our own works, but its not by our doing, it's HIS that gets us out of bondage. When Jesus came and died on the cross, he became the only way we can overcome sin. He gave his life as a ransom (Matthew 20:28). What does this mean? This means he paid the price that we should of paid. He died, so that we don't have to. This is not referring to physical death, because we all have to physically die, it is referring to spiritual death. Through Christ we can live in freedom and no longer need to be slaves to sin. It means that Jesus allowed us to be free from the evil strains that try to take a hold of us. Addictions, pessimism, hatred etc. 

So, how does Christ help you overcome sin? 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". All you have to do, is confess it to him. This means being completely honest and transparent with the Lord and asking him to forgive you for what you've done. From there he will give you a clean slate. Don't get me wrong, not all sins are as easy to overcome as that but its a start. Some things take work and you have to spend lots of time with God in order to fully overcome it. 

3) P R A Y E R    I S   C O M P L I C A T E D 

This is a misconception that I struggled to understand for a long time. I was one of those people, despite being a Christian for years, that thought prayer was difficult. I had this assumption that if I didn't sound like ministers and pastors that know how to pray with intense passion and power, my prayer would be useless and wouldn't be heard by God. That is not true at all. Prayer is not about sounding holy and dramatic, it's simply a conversation between you and God. Everyone's prayer life and praying style is so different, and that is because everyone has a different relationship with God. Just like how you have a completely different relationship with your parents than your siblings, the same goes for us with God. It's OK to not sound like everyone else when you pray. In fact its a good thing. God loves authenticity. He wants you to sound like YOU. You could be completely informal and he will hear and answer your prayers. If you don't know what to say, just start with thank you. There is always something to thank him for. Even at the lowest points, there is something to be grateful for, so start with that. I pray throughout my day, when people don't even know I'm praying. Because Christianity is about relationship and not religion, there are no set rules you have to follow. You don't even have to say it out loud. God hears your every thought, so directing it to him makes it a prayer. Even your tears can be a prayer. Sometimes tears say what words can't. 

As your relationship with him grows, praying will begin to feel more natural and you'll get better at it. The reason people sound so passionate when they pray, is because its from the heart and they know how to incorporate God's word. The best way to get through to God is to use his word (the bible), because his word cannot return void. Anything God says is true, therefore if you say it back to him, he will always listen. Maybe I will do a whole blog post all about praying. I'm still learning, but I've found things that really help. 

4) L I F E    I S     E A S Y

Absolutely not. If only that was true! Life as a Christian is anything but easy. Living for God in a world that has moved so far from him is HARD. Spreading the truth in a society that rejects it is HARD. Living according to his word and will in a society that does the opposite is HARD. But despite the difficulty, its worth it. People may make fun of you for doing things that are viewed as "old fashioned", they may attack you just for speaking the truth, they may even hate you just for choosing to live the way God wants, but knowing that God will bless and reward us makes it so worth it. George Orwell once said 'The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it' and that is all too real. The truth hurts, and when society is convinced the truth is all lies and fairytales, the world will make you look crazy. However, be rest assured that one day you'll get the greatest gift of all, which is eternal life in God's presence. No amount of slander and hatred will ever take away the joy that is to come. 

Another reason why life as a Christian is not easy is because the devil HATES us. He knows that the only way to heaven is through Christ, so he wants as many souls in hell with him as possible. He knows that we won't be where he wants us, so he tries to do everything he can to waver our faith, cause destruction in our life and make life on earth resemble hell in any way he can. He enjoys seeing us suffer, and we always have a target on our backs. The devil has power in this world but it is no match for God. He may try to destroy us in any way he can, but God will always be there to pull us right out of the darkness. That doesn't stop the devil from trying though. 

5) A L L    C H R I S T I A N S    B E L I E V E    T H E    S A M E     T H I N G S 

The common belief all Christians obviously have is that Jesus is our lord and saviour. All Christians believe he came and died on the cross for our sins, however not all Christians believe the same things. That is why there are so many denominations and opinions on the Bible. Some believe all of the Bible is true (myself included but context is important), and some don't. Some believe that there are parts of the word that are old fashioned and therefore society should adapt it. Not everyone interprets the bible the same way or lives in the same way. For example, some believe modesty is being completely covered, some believe it is not showing too much skin. Some people believe any form of physical intimacy, including kissing should be saved for marriage, and others only think this applies to sex. In fact some Christians don't even think Sex should be saved for marriage. My point is, not all Christians share the same beliefs so even within our own community, people clash. 

6) Y O U     N E E D    T O    B E     P E R F E C T 

Many people have the assumption that Christians can't make mistakes and sin. Of course we SHOULDN'T fall into sin, but we're human so we do. We get it wrong and we do things that displease God. We don't live for Christ because we think we're pure and righteous, we live for him because we're not, but he is. We serve him because his love is unlike any other and he is pure. Christ is our guide. As Christians we should strive each day to be more like him, but that doesn't mean we don't fail. Jesus didn't die on the cross for perfect people, he died for sinners. He died for those who needed saving. We need him daily because we are not perfect. I've heard many people say they want to learn to love God and have faith in him, but they feel that they're too far gone for God to want them or they want to wait until their life is more in order to finally give their life to God but the perfect time to trust and believe in him is when life is rough! Jesus rebuilds and restores. He can transform a life from complete ashes to full life and joy. He can give peace when you thought you'd never smile again. The best time to seek him is when you're broken. You don't have to wait until life is good, for you to reach out to him. Just come as you are, with an open heart (Matthew 11:28-29)

7) Y O U    C A N     D O    A S   Y O U    L I K E    B E C A U S E    C H R I S T     F O R G I V E S

Forgiveness and grace is a free gift that does not have to be earned, however it is not to be used for your own advantage. In other words, you can't willingly do something that goes against the word of God just because you know he will forgive you. Hebrews 10:26 and Numbers 15:30 make it clear that deliberate sin once you have given your life to God is disrespect and won't remain unpunished. Yes, God is loving but he is also just. He does not tolerate disrespect. God puts boundaries and "rules" in place to protect us. These sins are dressed as desirable but underneath is dangerous and harmful to us. Sometimes we have to sacrifice the things we want to do, in order to protect ourselves and honour God. If your parents stop you from going to a party, its most likely because they're protecting you or you're needed elsewhere, not because they enjoy preventing you from having fun. God is exactly the same. The things we enjoy aren't always what is best for us, so he put boundaries in place. Willingly sinning for temporary satisfaction isn't fulfilling. You will always end up feeling empty.

8) G O D     O N L Y    S P E A K S    A U D I B L Y 

God speaks to us in many ways and lots of people wait to hear an audible deep voice from heaven, telling them what to do or say, but God doesn't always speak that way. God can speak to us in the most creative and unusual ways, which is why it is so important to be alert. He can send a friend a dream, that has a very important message. Sometimes God speaks through other people. Perhaps someone has expressed your EXACT thought or described your specific situation, without you having to tell them. God speaks through signs and symbols too. Maybe you've seen a certain image, colour or shape multiple times and he's trying to tell you something. People like to put this down to coincidence but God knows us all individually, therefore he knows the best way to get through to you. Another way God speaks is through your intuition or gut feeling. People always say that intuition is never wrong, and that is because it is God. That gut feeling is God trying to tell you something, which is why you should never ignore it! 

9) C H R I S T I A N S     C A N ' T    H A V E     F U N 

I absolutely hate that people have this assumption. Do you know there are even Christians who believe this? There are non-believers who think Christians are boring because of the things we don't do and there are believers who think Christians should solely live in serious mode, so people don't go to hell. Christians might appear boring because of the things we choose not to do, but once you experience the love of God, you just don't find desire to dishonour him. You wouldn't find joy in doing the things that hurt your loved ones, so why should we? There is no real joy in doing the things that Jesus died for. With that being said, it doesn't mean we don't have a personality. God made us all unique and he takes pride in that. Not showing your personality would be a complete dishonour to him and his creativity. We can laugh and have fun like everyone else, it's just that what we find fun isn't the same as what non-believers necessarily find fun. And to believers that don't think we can enjoy ourselves, let me leave you with this: Jesus did not spend all his time whilst on earth, in the temple and around people who believed the same things he did. He was out serving and spending time with people who needed God the most. He was out with the ones who didn't know God. It's OK to spend time with people who aren't christian! For some, we are the only introduction people will ever have to the love of Christ and actions speak louder than words. Spend time with non-believers, listen to them and be kind! Your life should reflect Christ, so do what Christ would do. 

It's OK to enjoy getting dressed up and go out with friends, it's OK to study and read things alongside the bible, it's OK to not be at church 7 days a week. You cannot be a good representative for Christ and influence on the world, if you restrict yourself to the church walls. Go out and experience life, but do it in a way that doesn't hurt God. Dressing up and putting makeup on doesn't automatically make you vain, starting your own business and making money doesn't make you proud and being a child of God, trying to keep people out of hell doesn't mean you can't be goofy. Once we get to heaven, do you think all we will do is work? NO! We will be rejoicing and celebrating, so why can't we do that on earth too?

10) W E   T A L K    A B O U T    O U R    F A I T H   T O    P U S H    O U R   V I E W S    O N T O    O T H E R S 

I wanted to end on this one because I think it's very important to understand. Of course the previous 9 are important, but this one has a very special place in my heart. The top comments Christians get are always things like "stop forcing your beliefs on people", "We don't need you to push your views down our throat" etc. When we share our testimony, the word of God or tell you that Jesus is the only way to heaven, we are not pushing our beliefs onto you. I totally understand why it may feel like that but we're sharing our beliefs because we know the cost of not doing so. Whether you believe it or not, like or not, one day Jesus is coming back and judgment day is going to happen. Everyone will have to tell him what they did in their life and he will decide if you live with him for eternity in paradise, or you go to hell. Hell is not going to be a party. It's not fun and games. It's real and it's torture. We don't wish that life on anybody so try to do what we can to help you see that Jesus can save you from that. Whether you go ahead and give your life to him is up to you but our job as Christians is to introduce the opportunity to know him. Unless you're a selfish person, if you tasted the best thing in the world, you would want to share that with people. You would tell people to try it and where to get it. We would be living selfishly if we knew the way to peace and complete fulfillment but chose to live without telling people where to find that. Its completely your choice whether you listen, but just understand that our job is to share the goodness of God.

So, those are 10 debunked misconceptions about Christianity. I hope it was useful to you in some way. Even if just one person feels differently about Christians after reading this, I've done my job. If you read this and felt like you want to know more about God and living for him, feel free to message me at any time! I will be happy to talk to you and pray for you. Even if you just have questions, I'm happy to try my best to answer them. 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x