5 Things Christianity Is Not
Christianity has been given a bad rap. Whether it’s falsified “facts” or misconceptions, there are assumptions that simply are not true.
Here are five things Christianity is not.
A Popularity Contest
Jesus’ disciples included the common and uneducated – the less than desirable of the day. One was Levi (Matthew) -a dreaded tax collector. He also had female followers, one of which was Mary Magdalene who had been a prostitute and whom Jesus had cast out seven demons! Even Jesus himself was homeless. No popularity contest winners here!
John 3:16, one of the most famous passages of scripture, says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. This means you and me. It doesn’t matter your ethnicity, beliefs, rich or poor, rap sheet, etc. Jesus welcomes all to come to Him with open arms.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:17-18 (ESV)
A Crutch
I laugh when I hear this one. If it means Christians are desperate for and lean heavy on the Lord, then yes. If it means we use Christianity as an excuse to hurt or exclude others or as an “easy out” then an emphatic No! I do not know anyone who is truly following Jesus who would characterize the Christian life as being easy. Blessed? Yes. Easy? No. How easy is it to forgive those who hurt you? How easy is it to hold your tongue and “turn the other cheek” when you’d really like to lash out? How easy is it to die to self and your fleshly desires? But this is where true peace is found. The world tells us to think of Priority No. 1 and put ourselves first, but this is surefire path to misery. It is only in loving God, following His ways, and serving others that we experience true joy.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt. 16: 24-25 (ESV)
A White Man’s Religion
Jesus was a dark-skinned tribal man. He was from the tribe of Judah in the middle east, most likely making Him dark or tan skinned with dark brown hair, and dark eyes. No blond haired, blue-eyed surfer Jesus here! There is only one race, the human race, and it doesn’t matter if you are white or black or any shade in between, Jesus desires a relationship with each and every one of us from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 7:9).
No matter if you live in a yurt, a city high-rise apartment or are homeless, He loves us and longs to be an integral part of our everyday lives like a parent loves a child - only His love is perfect. He desires a relationship with each one of us, not a religion or adherence to a robotic list of do’s and don’ts.
A Guilt Trip
Another false belief is God is a vindictive God just waiting in heaven for an opportunity to strike with a lightning bolt and/or douse us with crippling guilt. Nothing could be further from the truth! As stated earlier, God is crazy about each and every one of us and longs for relationship with us. He longs to be a part of our lives every moment of everyday.
He even sent His one and only son Jesus to take the punishment we deserve for our sins – taking the guilt and shame we deserve upon Himself - suffering horribly and dying on a criminal’s cross. The only reason for this amazing sacrifice was to secure our future with Him for eternity starting now (John 1:29).
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (ESV)
Full of Hypocrites
Have you ever met a hypocrite? Have you ever been a hypocrite? If you answered no to either of these questions, you may not be telling the truth. We encounter hypocrites in all areas of our lives and most, if not all of us, have been guilty. Christianity, like any other group, has it’s hypocrites of course, but to say all Christians are hypocrites is simply not true.
No one is perfect. We don’t have to get “cleaned up” to come to Jesus. He welcomes us just as we are - praise God - flaws, faults, and all. The goal is not perfection the moment we come to Jesus, but by confessing and repenting of our sin and committing to live for Him as our Lord and Savior, we become more and more like Him- a process called sanctification. Like learning to ride a bike, you may stumble and fall, but you still get back up determined to succeed.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18 (ESV)
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (ESV)
