The bible says that Jesus came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).
I believe that there is a misunderstanding of what Christianity is by many people. I have come across people who decided to join a church, hoping that it will help to remove their daily problems.
I have come across people who join the church because of the following wrong reasons:
However, does the bible promise that you will not have the above problems if you are a Christian? I know of Christians who have spent years praying about these issues, and they still continue to have them to this day.
What the bible says about problems
Instead of the bible promising freedom from problems, the bible says that you will experience problems as a Christian.
The closer you get to God, and the more obedient you are, the fiercer the devil becomes with his temptations and attacks (Revelation 12:17). He causes more problems to come to you hoping that these problems will turn you away from God.
Unfortunately, sometimes the devil succeeds, and Christians turn away from God because of the increasing number of problems. They do not understand why all these bad things or serious issues are happening since they are faithful and obedient to God. Therefore, they become angry with God and turn away from Him.
The fault of many churches
I believe that the false understanding of Christianity is mainly caused by many churches from different denominations. I think that many church leaders do not care whether or not people are becoming Christians for the right reasons and do not care whether Christians know what is expected of them. There is also a tendency to misapply John 10:10 and 3 John 2.
What is the other half-truth that most churches avoid, or do not emphasize enough?
We are involved in a spiritual war between God and the devil (Ephesians 6:12). The earth is the battlefield. The apostle Paul compares a Christian to a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3). The war happens daily, and the devil is a fierce enemy.
God did not put us on earth to live a life of luxury, and the current earth is not our home. God will one day create a new earth and a new heaven, and the former problems and pain will be forgotten (Revelation 21:1-3).
While life on earth is horrible, it is temporary. We might live a burdensome life on earth for 70 years, but will live in eternal bliss for trillions of years. That pain will seem meaningless and not as oppressive compared to the wonderful life we will be living with God (Romans 8:18).
The apostle Paul compared to the many problems that he was facing as light afflictions, which are for a moment compared to the life we will have when we have died and are with God. This is how we should see our problems. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
When you are Christian, you will always have problems and trials, and tribulations. They do not stop.
When it first clicked in my mind that many churches are preaching half-truths
I listened to a sermon many years ago, and the preacher spoke about the horrible deaths that the Disciples of Christ faced. Peter was crucified upside down, James was killed with the sword, Thomas was stabbed with spears, etc. John was the only one who died at an old age, but as a prisoner on the island of Patmos, but before his imprisonment, he was thrown in a pot of hot oil.
I thought to myself, these men were closer to God more than the rest of us, and they lived the worst life. They all died in poverty, being head-hunted, experienced lack, and had horrible deaths. Also, other faithful Christians were thrown to open theatres to be eaten by lions, and some were burned at the stake. The church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:10 also suffered. There are also Christians like the Waldenses that suffered a lot and the Protestant reformers.
They did not live a life of health, wealth, and happiness which is the Christianity that has been portrayed throughout my life.
Although I have been a Christian from childhood, I grew up in a worldly family, and we would go to church 2 or 3 times a year. I was lost, and therefore the devil did not care about me since I would end up in hell anyway. As a result, I had very few and almost no problems, and my life flowed quite smoothly. The problems started was when I decided to be serious and began reading the bible every day, going to church every week, and praying more than once a day. The increased problems resulted in me becoming perplexed and confused.
The devil attacks those who are becoming closer to God. He does not care about those who are playing church. Unfortunately, because of the false prosperity gospel and half-truths, those Christians that are not serious tend to incorrectly think that they are right with God since they are prospering in life and everything is going well. As a result, some of them look down on the Christians who are worn down by problems that are usually more faithful.
Consequences of half-truths
Half-truths result in confusion. The devil attacks Christians more when they are closer to God. The devil can attack a person’s finances, health, family, etc.
These increased attacks are misinterpreted, and I have come across many Christians who believed that all the different bad things were happening to them because God no longer loved them or they had committed a grievous sin. This is worsened when they tell others of their problems, and other Christians ignorantly accuse them of not having enough faith or incorrectly tell them that they are far from God, which is not the case. (It is the repetition of the story of Job and his friends ignorantly telling him that the problems that he had were because he had offended God)
The result is depression and despair, and some leave Christianity altogether.
I definitely believe that the full understanding of Christianity needs to be proclaimed to everyone and not half-truths. They should not only be told of God’s love and salvation. They need to be told of the devil, the cross that we need to carry, the changes that need to be made, problems they might experience because of the spiritual warfare.
Churches need to make it clear that Christianity is not easy and does not free anyone from problems. And if the churches are not willing to proclaim it, then, Christians should try to inform other Christians about the struggles that they will experience.
It also needs to be made clear that problems do not mean God has abandoned them, or He no longer loves for them, or they lack faith (Romans 8:35).
Sources of problems
Many problems are caused by the devil. However, not all problems are caused by him; some are caused by our bad actions. Christians also need to be told that they will reap what they sow. Every action has a consequence.
Galatians 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (KJV)
I have come across Christians who believe that God forgiving them means that they do not suffer the consequence of their actions. This is not the case. If a Christian fornicates and gets an incurable STD and asks for forgiveness. God will forgive them, but they will live with the STD for the rest of their life. I only know of one case where God performed a miracle and removed the STD, but in all 99% of cases, the STD was not removed.
We see this also with the thief on the cross. Christ told the thief that he would be with him in paradise. The thief was forgiven and was going to heaven. However, he remained on the cross for his crimes even after Christ died and said that “It is finished.” The thief continued to suffer the pain of being nailed on the cross until the Romans broke his legs and died.
I believe that there is a misunderstanding of what Christianity is by many people. I have come across people who decided to join a church, hoping that it will help to remove their daily problems.
I have come across people who join the church because of the following wrong reasons:
- Some people join the church because they have marriage problems and hope that if they become a Christian, then their husbands will become faithful to them.
- Some because of financial problems.
- Some because they have an incurable STD.
- Some because they want to get married.
- Some because they need a job.
However, does the bible promise that you will not have the above problems if you are a Christian? I know of Christians who have spent years praying about these issues, and they still continue to have them to this day.
What the bible says about problems
Instead of the bible promising freedom from problems, the bible says that you will experience problems as a Christian.
- Philippians 4:12 - I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (KJV)
- Matthew 5:12 - Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (KJV)
- Matthew 10:34-36 - Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. (KJV)
- John 15:18 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (KJV)
- 2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (KJV)
- 1 Peter 3:17 - For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing. (KJV)
- 2 Timothy 2:12 - If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us (KJV)
- Romans 12:12 - Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. (KJV)
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (KJV)
The closer you get to God, and the more obedient you are, the fiercer the devil becomes with his temptations and attacks (Revelation 12:17). He causes more problems to come to you hoping that these problems will turn you away from God.
Unfortunately, sometimes the devil succeeds, and Christians turn away from God because of the increasing number of problems. They do not understand why all these bad things or serious issues are happening since they are faithful and obedient to God. Therefore, they become angry with God and turn away from Him.
The fault of many churches
I believe that the false understanding of Christianity is mainly caused by many churches from different denominations. I think that many church leaders do not care whether or not people are becoming Christians for the right reasons and do not care whether Christians know what is expected of them. There is also a tendency to misapply John 10:10 and 3 John 2.
- They emphasize God’s love, but do not emphasize self-denial and the cross that Jesus told us to carry (Luke 9:23).
- They focus on telling us that God protects us, but do not emphasize the devil who is on our track every moment (1 Peter 5:8) and that we should pray every day without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). They also do forget to tell us that we might need to fast (Mark 9:29).
- They say that you should ask God for anything, but forget to mention that what you ask should be in accordance with God’s will (1 John 5:14).
- They mention that God answers prayers, but do not mention that He does not answer prayers if we want things for the wrong reasons (James 4:3).
- They say that God can do anything, but forget to mention that He usually does what He has promised in the bible and what is His will (Romans 4:21, 1 John 5:14)).
- They say that God supplies our needs, but do not say that that is nowhere in the Bible that says that God provides our wants.
What is the other half-truth that most churches avoid, or do not emphasize enough?
We are involved in a spiritual war between God and the devil (Ephesians 6:12). The earth is the battlefield. The apostle Paul compares a Christian to a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3). The war happens daily, and the devil is a fierce enemy.
God did not put us on earth to live a life of luxury, and the current earth is not our home. God will one day create a new earth and a new heaven, and the former problems and pain will be forgotten (Revelation 21:1-3).
While life on earth is horrible, it is temporary. We might live a burdensome life on earth for 70 years, but will live in eternal bliss for trillions of years. That pain will seem meaningless and not as oppressive compared to the wonderful life we will be living with God (Romans 8:18).
The apostle Paul compared to the many problems that he was facing as light afflictions, which are for a moment compared to the life we will have when we have died and are with God. This is how we should see our problems. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
When you are Christian, you will always have problems and trials, and tribulations. They do not stop.
When it first clicked in my mind that many churches are preaching half-truths
I listened to a sermon many years ago, and the preacher spoke about the horrible deaths that the Disciples of Christ faced. Peter was crucified upside down, James was killed with the sword, Thomas was stabbed with spears, etc. John was the only one who died at an old age, but as a prisoner on the island of Patmos, but before his imprisonment, he was thrown in a pot of hot oil.
I thought to myself, these men were closer to God more than the rest of us, and they lived the worst life. They all died in poverty, being head-hunted, experienced lack, and had horrible deaths. Also, other faithful Christians were thrown to open theatres to be eaten by lions, and some were burned at the stake. The church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:10 also suffered. There are also Christians like the Waldenses that suffered a lot and the Protestant reformers.
They did not live a life of health, wealth, and happiness which is the Christianity that has been portrayed throughout my life.
Although I have been a Christian from childhood, I grew up in a worldly family, and we would go to church 2 or 3 times a year. I was lost, and therefore the devil did not care about me since I would end up in hell anyway. As a result, I had very few and almost no problems, and my life flowed quite smoothly. The problems started was when I decided to be serious and began reading the bible every day, going to church every week, and praying more than once a day. The increased problems resulted in me becoming perplexed and confused.
The devil attacks those who are becoming closer to God. He does not care about those who are playing church. Unfortunately, because of the false prosperity gospel and half-truths, those Christians that are not serious tend to incorrectly think that they are right with God since they are prospering in life and everything is going well. As a result, some of them look down on the Christians who are worn down by problems that are usually more faithful.
Consequences of half-truths
Half-truths result in confusion. The devil attacks Christians more when they are closer to God. The devil can attack a person’s finances, health, family, etc.
These increased attacks are misinterpreted, and I have come across many Christians who believed that all the different bad things were happening to them because God no longer loved them or they had committed a grievous sin. This is worsened when they tell others of their problems, and other Christians ignorantly accuse them of not having enough faith or incorrectly tell them that they are far from God, which is not the case. (It is the repetition of the story of Job and his friends ignorantly telling him that the problems that he had were because he had offended God)
The result is depression and despair, and some leave Christianity altogether.
I definitely believe that the full understanding of Christianity needs to be proclaimed to everyone and not half-truths. They should not only be told of God’s love and salvation. They need to be told of the devil, the cross that we need to carry, the changes that need to be made, problems they might experience because of the spiritual warfare.
Churches need to make it clear that Christianity is not easy and does not free anyone from problems. And if the churches are not willing to proclaim it, then, Christians should try to inform other Christians about the struggles that they will experience.
It also needs to be made clear that problems do not mean God has abandoned them, or He no longer loves for them, or they lack faith (Romans 8:35).
Sources of problems
Many problems are caused by the devil. However, not all problems are caused by him; some are caused by our bad actions. Christians also need to be told that they will reap what they sow. Every action has a consequence.
Galatians 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (KJV)
I have come across Christians who believe that God forgiving them means that they do not suffer the consequence of their actions. This is not the case. If a Christian fornicates and gets an incurable STD and asks for forgiveness. God will forgive them, but they will live with the STD for the rest of their life. I only know of one case where God performed a miracle and removed the STD, but in all 99% of cases, the STD was not removed.
We see this also with the thief on the cross. Christ told the thief that he would be with him in paradise. The thief was forgiven and was going to heaven. However, he remained on the cross for his crimes even after Christ died and said that “It is finished.” The thief continued to suffer the pain of being nailed on the cross until the Romans broke his legs and died.
