It’s in the Bible, Isn’t It?

Certainly one of the great gifts that God gave to us is Holy Bible.  The Bible is literally God revealing Himself, and communicating Himself to humanity in written word.  Most of what we know about God comes from Holy Scripture; and it contains all we need to know about becoming a Christian, and living the Christian life.

Orthodox [right belief] Christianity teaches that the Bible was inspired and authored by the Holy Spirit of God using human instruments to record it on the sacred page.  It also believes that in its original languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic) it is without error and fault.

However, there are many things that Bible-believing Christians believe that are completely unbiblical.  How does this happen?  Often, we’ll hear someone quote a statement that sounds nice to us, and we’ll begin repeating it as though it’s biblical truth without ever researching it in the Scriptures.  [For example: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”]  Several of these unbiblical statements have gained enough traction that many people believe they’re actually Bible verses.  Not only are the statements unbiblical; most of them teach the opposite of what the Bible teaches.

Shane Pruitt, Director of Missions and Church Planting for the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention, has identified a few popular unbiblical statements that Bible-loving Christians tend to believe:

God helps those who help themselves.

This statement is actually anti-Gospel.  Self-reliance and self-righteousness, or the attitude of trying harder and doing better, actually gets in the way of the work of God. Jesus saves those who die to themselves: “Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.’” (Matthew 16:24)

We’re all God’s children.

Although God has created everyone … not everyone relationally belongs to Him.  Only those who have repented of sin, placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and possess the Holy Spirit of God inside of them can claim Him as their Father: “But you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:15b,16).  Those who don’t have Jesus as their Savior, nor have the Holy Spirit of God inside of them, actually belong to Satan: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:1-2)  “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)

God won’t give you more than you can handle.

Actually, all of life is more than we can handle.  The point of living in a fallen world is not for us to try really hard to carry our heavy burden, but rather give-up, quit and surrender to God … that’s what faith is all about.  Everything is more than I can handle, but not more than Jesus can handle: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.  For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

We all worship the same God.

Yes, there is only one true and living God: “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)  However, He only accepts worship that comes through Jesus Christ – not Muhammad, Buddha, Joseph Smith, etc.: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

We’re all going to the same place when we die.

There are only two possible destinations when we pass: Heaven and Hell.  However, only those who are in Christ will be with Him for all eternity when they physically die: “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)

The fact that many Christians believe these unbiblical statements shows our unfortunate overall biblical illiteracy.  Instead of swallowing popular statements hook-line-and-sinker, may we be like the Bereans in the Book of Acts.  When they heard Paul preach, they wanted to research the Scriptures themselves to authenticate what he was saying: “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:10 – 11)

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel