Christians: The Myths and The Facts
What you'll hear isn't always what you'll find

"You're a religious guy, and I'm not into that stuff."

The biggest misconception that people have about me, and Christians in general, is that the reason we are the way we are is that we have some sort of personality or predisposition to be 'religious'. In other words, it's as if we chose this way of life because it 'fit us' or appealed to us in some way, as if Christianity were a type of music or style of clothing.

I am not a 'religious'-type person, in fact I cringe at that word. I chose to believe in and follow Jesus Christ because someone showed me in the Bible that He is the only way that I can be forgiven of my sins and escape eternal hell. I decided to turn to Christ because I wanted to go to heaven. That may sound overly simplistic, but it's true. I have come to realize, as I learn more and more about God and experience His Spirit, that knowing Christ is much more than just escaping hell - but at first, that's the only reason I chose 'Christianity'. I think it was a pretty good reason - eternity is a long time.

More and more, I loathe the word 'religion' and most of what it stands for. I don't even like the terms 'Christianity' or 'church'. Why? Because our culture has formed its own perceptions and stereotypes that those words supposidly encompass that are light years away from reality. I don't want to be associated with what this world thinks Christianity is, which is some negative, boring, bland, binding 'religion' where you must give up all the good things and fun things in life and carry your Bible around, going to church on Sunday and singing nothing but 300-year old hymns or 'Kumbaya' around a campfire. Ugh!

The reason I spend so much time spreading the message of salvation in Christ is because it is real. It isn't 'Christianity', it is reality. There is a heaven, and there is a hell. And the Bible says we have all sinned and are headed to the latter place because of it. But because God loved us, He sent His only Son Jesus to take our place on the cross so that whoever would turn to Christ and believe would be forgiven and go to heaven. I'm going to heaven only because someone told me that, and that's why I'm telling you. And that's why I am the way I am!

I hear this all too often. Again, this is a symptom of the 'you're into that stuff - that's not me' attitude. Most people relegate those that they consider to be 'religious' to some mythical higher plane and assume that the reason that we are 'religious' is because we are on our way to some sort of official ministry occupation.

This results in the misconception that salvation/Christian service/ministry is limited to only these 'religious' type people, and that absolves the responsibility of the rest of us 'ordinary people' to be concerned about our relationship with God. There's a pretty widespread attitude in our culture that the ministers, pastors, priests and other 'official church people' are the ones who 'take care' of the spiritual things in life, leaving the 'rest of us' free to not be concerned with anything spiritual. It's as if 'we go to God so you don't have to'.

The truth is that all of us must be concerned about our spiritual condition. The only one who has the power to make a decision to be saved is YOU. No one else can make that decision on your behalf - not your brother, grandmother or aunt who is a Christian, not your pastor, not your neighbor, not your friend. It is up to you to answer the call to be reconciled to God through Christ and be saved from eternal hell. Doing so does not make you 'religious' or put you a step closer to being a pastor or missionary. Most people can't come to grips with the fact that all Christians, including pastors and missionaries, ARE 'ordinary people' just like everyone else!

It's true that there is a chance that God is planning to make me a pastor or a missionary. I don't know if it will happen or not, it's up to God. But you need to realize that the same is true of you! God wants you to be saved just as much as He does me. And if and when you come to Christ, God may want YOU to be a pastor or missionary!

My point is that all human beings are in an equal plane. The Bible says that God has no favorites, and wants ALL people to come to Him and be saved. And once they come to Him, God is capable of using any of us in any part of His work - no matter what our personality, skill level or intelligence may be.

Coming to Christ doesn't mean you automatically get on the road to being a pastor or minister. God uses in some way every person who comes to Him. For instance, I may not be a pastor, but God is using me, an ordinary guy, to spread the gospel through the internet. That's an important job that most pastors don't have time or the ability to do. God can use you in your school, your job, or your home just as much as He can use a pastor. The Bible says that God gives every Christian a purpose to fulfill.

I cringe at this one. Let me answer that in three parts:

1.) What I'm saying (and other Christians are saying) are not our personal beliefs or opinions. We're talking about reality - the "way it is". God is real, that is a fact. We are sinners, that is a fact. Jesus Christ is real and He died for our sins - that is a fact. It's not a personal opinion or a belief, it's reality. What the Bible says really is so. God has proven Himself in many ways (creation itself, changed lives of Christians, etc.). I do have personal opinions and beliefs about many things - about politics, the best color of a car, the best baseball team, the nicest restaraunts. But something I know to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt isn't a personal opinion or belief. Who would have the nerve to force their opinions on someone? Probably very few people. But if you found the cure for cancer, you'd shout it on the hilltops, call the news media, take it to all the hospitals in the world. You'd probably even be very vocal in situations where you knew someone's life depended on your information. You see, it's not a belief or an opinion. It's a very real solution (the only one) to a very real situation.

2.) My aim isn't to 'push'. My aim is to inform. Just like if I'd found the cure for cancer and wanted to get the message out. I'd do whatever it takes, motivated by the lives that would be saved by the news. Analogies aside, the Gospel message is actually that important. It's bigger than the cure for cancer - it can save the eternity of those who respond to God's call to salvation. But, the choice to respond lies with the hearer, not the speaker. No one, especially me, will force you to come to God. But I will do everything I can to get the message out to others. It is real, it has changed my life and changed my eternity.

3.) My motivation is for your benefit, not to earn brownie points with God. I want you to have what I have, see what I see. It can only happen if you hear the message and respond.

Hopefully our rational sensibilities will stay away from such stereotypes and labels. Yes, there are some Christians that act that way. I believe they are in error for doing so. But just like anything else, you can't apply such a sweeping label to all Christians.

Sincere Christians are to seek to follow the example of Christ himself. Reading through the New Testament, you will find that Christ was nothing like an angry, right-wing, hard-hearted conservative.

This doesn't mean that it is wrong to stand up for what you know is true when truth is being challenged. Jesus did this many times - doing so doesn't make you a narrow-minded, hard-hearted conservative.

Believe me, no one could have been less holy than me. The reason I needed Christ in the first place was that I, like all of us, was a sinner on my way to hell because of my sin.

The reason sin must be addressed is that most of us do not realize the seriousness of sin. It causes us to be separated from God, ultimately for eternity. And because of that, you have to take it seriously. Sin has consequences, both on earth and eternally. No one can understand why they need Jesus Christ unless they know that their sin has put them on the road to hell. Do you tell a guy on the railroad tracks that he needs to get off the tracks because a train is about to hit him, or do you try to lure him off the tracks with a bunch of positive stuff, like promising him filet mignons and a Lamborghini?

Committing sin hurts you and those around you, both physically and spiritually. God didn't just make up rules arbitrarily, they are all for our benefit. It's just like your parents set boundaries for you when you were a child. You may not have understood them, maybe even resented them for it. But in the end, it was because they loved you and wanted the best for you.

Stoplights on the road are to keep you from getting into an accident. Breaking God's rules gets you in trouble. I have run a few 'red lights' myself in my lifetime, and paid the price. If you run a red light, and I tell you, "hey, watch out, that'll get you into trouble", why does that make me holier than thou? I'm not trying to lift myself above you, but I have a Biblical responsibility to warn those around me, especially those who I care about the most, who are about to make a bad decision. We are all human and equal in the eyes of God, but we have the freedom to make choices - bad or good.

Sincere Christians have no hate towards anyone. Homosexuals shouldn't be singled out for their sin. The Bible says we all have sinned, and are headed for the same place - no matter what particular sins we have committed.

The main concern Christians have is with the homosexual and sexual 'freedom' movements that say that these things are 'okay' and permissable.

For instance, few will argue that theft, murder and adultery are wrong. You don't see Christians leading campaigns denouncing theives and murderers in our community, in fact, Christians are actively ministering to these people in prison. But what if theives began banding together, pushing the agenda that theft is 'okay' and that we should be accepting and tolerant of theives and their acts? It wouldn't be so much that thieves exist, it would be that they are saying what they are doing is right. Today at least most theives admit that what they are doing is wrong.

The Bible clearly and repeatedly says that homosexuality and sexual perversion is a sin that harms the sinner and those around him/her. The issue isn't that homosexuality, perversions, and premarital sex exist. People make mistakes in their lives, and that's understandable. No sincere Christian intends to bash people for sinning, because we all have sinned in one way or another. But the problem comes when people start banding together and say 'this is not wrong, it's okay'. The issue is that something devistatingly wrong is being presented as right - in our schools, in our government, in our communities.

That's why Christians get upset at the homosexual and the 'anything goes' sexual conduct agenda. Not because someone is sinning, come on, we all sin. The issue is that this sin is being made out to be something good, when in reality it is harming people, families and those around them. Yes, the debate does get heated at times, but it has nothing to do with hate. The issue is about calling sin 'sin', it's not about hate for anyone.

Part II - Why Jesus? >

-Dan Robinson
Storm Highway