In a world in which more and more people are turning away from Christ, misconceptions about His character often arise and are passed around as truth. Here are five misconceptions about God, and why they simply are not true:
Misconception #1: “God hates me because I’m homosexual/atheist/had an abortion/am a sinner.”
Reality #1: John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world...."
God loves everyone infinitely and hugely, despite ours sins. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are!” This verse does not just refer to Christians or those who attend church on Sundays or those who limit sin in their lives; it is directed at everyone. God loves each and every one of us despite our sins, and seeks a relationship with everyone. The Bible is full of statements about God’s love for us: John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, which states, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved,” and so many more. In fact, God loves us so much that He sent His Son into the world to die for our sins, so that we could be forgiven for sinning against Him. How cool is that? Think of the person you have hurt the most in this world, the person you absolutely messed up with and did something for which you believe you will never be forgiven for. Now imagine that person saying, “I want to forgive you. I don’t want you to sacrifice anything for us to have a relationship again, so I’m going to be sacrificed in your place, and now your sins will be forgiven.” Instead, imagine the all-powerful, almighty God doing that for us. It isn’t fair to us, but God did it anyway. He loves us.
Misconception #2: “God let this bad thing happen to me because He wanted me to suffer.”
Reality #2: Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The statement of God letting tragedies happen to us because He wanted us to suffer has been made for thousands of years. The question of why God lets tragedies happen was posed in the Old Testament by Job and in Psalms, and has been widely asked by those who suffered in national tragedies like the Holocaust, 9/11, and mass shootings. God does not ignore the fact that bad things happen to us; in fact, Jesus even said, “You will have suffering in this world,” (John 16:33). Not that you might; you will. But why does it happen? Why doesn’t God stop it?
- Because God sees the bigger picture, and we don’t. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” Now, we don’t see as God sees. We only see our small parts to play in the world made up of billions of people. Because God sees the bigger picture, He is much more qualified to understand the widespread results of tragic events in our lives than we are. We have to give Him that much credit; He knows more than us.
- Because God gave us free will to act how we want, and not everyone chooses to act in ways that benefit others. This much is obvious. I can make any decision about what I want to do with my life and nothing will stop me, not even God. Why? God wants us to choose to love Him. If we were forced to love Him, or anyone for that matter, that love would be forced and falsified. If we are given the choice to love God, we have to be given the choice to act according to His will or our own. Often, the bad things that happen in this world are the result of others acting by their own free will, which God gave us.
Misconception #3: “God did not write the Bible; man did.”
Reality #3: 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “all scripture is God-breathed.”
This means that everything written in the Bible, although scribed by man, was given to humans as a message from God. It only makes sense that God would not let the book that His followers look to for guidance contain messages that are not according to His will. What Paul writes in his letters like Philippians and Ephesians is just as much from God as what Jesus says in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and as what God says directly to His prophets in the Old Testament. All scripture comes from God, and therefore we cannot insist that what is written in the Bible is from man, and is not applicable to us. It is the Word of God, and we have to treat it as such.
Misconception #4: “God intended for the commandments and messages in the Bible to change with time. What He said thousands of years ago does not apply to us today.”
Reality #4: God does not change (Malachi 3:6).
What God says in the Bible, and what is repeated in the New Testament as being for those under the New Covenant, does not change. God never thought, “You know, these people of Earth know more than I do about how things should be run. So if they decide to change something...let it be changed!” God knows more than us, God sees the big picture, and therefore God knew at the beginning of time what how He wanted us to act. It is not irrelevant to us today, and just because the world is changing does not mean God’s Word is changing. Everything commanded to us in the Bible is in our favor, and it always will be, even if we as a society change.
Misconception #5: “God will not pass judgment on me.”
Reality #5: 2 Corinthians 2:10 states, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
One day, we will all be judged for our actions on Earth. Only those who believe and receive Christ will have clean slates before God; the rest will be judged accordingly. This is why it is so crucial that we do not ignore God in our lives, but that we give up our lives to Him and let Him work in us. A life without Christ will likely result in an eternity without Christ as well. Hell is real, but so is Heaven, and those who love God and live to serve Him can be confident in their salvation.
God is a great God, and He loves us with an infinite love. Believing these misconceptions about His character not only damages how we perceive Him, but how we act as well. It is incredibly important to be aware of what His word says in comparison to what the world says, and not stray from His eternal truth.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12: 2
