Christianity is one of the oldest religions.
Not only that, but the Bible is one of the best-selling books of all time. Millions of Christians worldwide come together to worship God and Jesus in various settings. However, because everyone is a human being, even Christians get things wrong, especially when it comes to their religion. Here are 16 things that Christians get wrong about their faith.
1. They have to go to church every Sunday.
One misconception many Christians can have about their faith is that they must attend church every Sunday. While it’s important to gather together as a community and worship Jesus as a group, skipping Sunday church every once in a while will not impact their faith. Many Christians choose to work on their relationship with Jesus at home or have home gatherings of smaller groups.
2. Being a good person automatically makes them a Christian.
Christianity is about so much more than being a good person, but a lot of the time, Christians can get bogged down by the legality of their faith. They might believe that if they’re not a good person, they’re not a Christian. For example, they walked past and ignored someone begging on the street the other day because they had no change. While they could’ve gone and gotten some change and gone back, they didn’t, and an action like this doesn’t automatically take away their ability to be a Christian. Christianity is about love and relationship with Jesus, not tallying how many good actions you take.
3. They can’t make mistakes.
Another misconception that Christians often carry around about their faith is that they have to be perfect. Now that they’ve turned away from their old “sinful” lives and accepted Jesus as their savior, they are automatically required to be perfect. They’re not allowed to trip up and make mistakes, and if they do, they’re kicked out of heaven. Jesus doesn’t care about how many mistakes Christians make because He is willing to forgive them time and again.
4. They’re “saved” on their merit.
Sometimes, when people become Christians, they develop self-righteousness because they believe that they are saved because of something they did. They think that because they’re selfless, giving, generous, and considerate, they are first on the list of “saved” people who Jesus admires. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus wants a relationship with everyone, no matter what their past — or present — looks like. There’s nothing anyone can do to earn Jesus’ grace because He created it when He died on the cross for humanity.
5. They have to follow every rule.
Christians often have the misconception that they have to follow every rule in the Bible; otherwise, they won’t be allowed into Heaven. While being a Christian does involve loving other people, even those different from us, the Bible is a tool to foster a relationship with God, not a rule book that needs to be meticulously followed. The Old Testament has several outdated rules that wouldn’t apply today, so it’s essential to interpret some of what the Bible says with a grain of salt and interpret it through modern eyes.
6. Judgment is the same as love.
Sometimes, Christians find it all too easy to misconstrue love for judgment. They believe that when they love people who are different from them through their Christian lens, they are called to condemn them for their wrongs and bring them to the light. However, Jesus calls us to love people regardless of their shortcomings and not to cast judgment. Christians are also called to see the log in their eye before they try to pick out the speck in someone else’s.
7. Science and Christianity don’t go together.
Many Christians are under the impression that if they believe in the Bible, they have to turn their back on science. While science might have a different origin story for the world, it can tell Christians much about God. After all, God gave humans the intelligence and ability to discover science and learn more about the world.
8. Every Christian has to agree.
There are quite a few Christians out there who believe that every single person with a faith has to see eye-to-eye. They’re not allowed to interpret parts of the Bible slightly differently. However, the reality is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether about Christianity or something else. While there are foundational truths to Christianity, every Christian can explore their relationship with Jesus personally without outside input.
9. Guilt is a big part of Christianity.
Some religions use guilt to keep their followers in line, but not Christianity. However, this is another common misconception. A lot of Christians struggle to develop their relationship with Jesus because they believe that the guilt of their past and present mistakes stand in the way. However, Jesus died on the cross to eradicate obstacles like this so that even the worst sinner could feel and receive His love.
10. Jesus only hung out with good people.
Christians often like to see Jesus only through a squeaky, clean lens as someone who carefully chose who he surrounded himself with and only interacted with respectable people. While Jesus was discerning about his disciples, even they were ordinary men who came from troubled pasts. When talking about Jesus himself, He spent a lot of time with criminals, prostitutes, beggars, and adulterers — preferring to remain on the fringes of society.
11. Eternity is the real goal.
While having Heaven in mind when living out our lives on Earth is essential, many Christians become so focused on the afterlife that they forget to make the most of their time here on Earth. Their blinders might prevent them from being generous to people and positively impacting the world before they go, whether through charity work or volunteering at church every Sunday.
12. Non-Christians are automatically going to hell.
When someone becomes a Christian, they believe that because they are saved, they no longer have to be afraid they’re going to hell. This means that a lot of Christians think automatically that anyone who isn’t saved is going to Hell. However, it’s not for Christians to decide — ultimately, it’s God’s decision, a decision we couldn’t possibly know the answer to on earth. Christians are called to pray for those who aren’t saved, not assume their ultimate destination.
13. You’re no longer a Christian if you have doubts.
In any religion, it’s natural to have doubts from time to time. Whether it’s something they’ve read in the Bible that they don’t quite understand or something their pastor said on Sunday in his sermon, a Christian might question something about their relationship with God. However, this doesn’t automatically mean they’re no longer a Christian. Questioning your beliefs and seeking further clarity on things you don’t understand is normal.
14. Only certain people can be Christians.
For a long time in history, many Christians believed that only people of a certain class — and even race — could be Christian. However, this is more of a reflection of what was happening in society at that time in history than Christianity itself. Jesus loves everyone, no matter who they are, and all are called to have a relationship with Him.
15. Being a Christian is a solo journey.
Some Christians might think that they have to take up the mantle on their own when they become a Christian. While every Christian has a unique and powerful relationship with Jesus, this doesn’t mean they must keep it secret and not share it with others. Christianity is all about community, and Christians are called to celebrate their faith with people.
16. Being a Christian means being joyful.
While there is no guarantee that life will be easy as a Christian, this doesn’t mean that Christians automatically have to suffer their entire lives. Even when they are going through a tough time, there’s a lot of cause for joy that they can find in their relationship with Jesus/God.
