Blood of Christ
In a spiritually encouraging Bible quote from Mark 4:9, Jesus tells His disciples: "whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."
It is not only non-Christians who sometimes have misconceptions about the Christian religion. Surprisingly enough, there are a few beliefs floating around in Christian circles about Christianity which are not all that accurate. Christians are, by and large, very much in tune with the basic and fundamental teachings of their faith, but, like people of all religions, are sometimes unclear on a few minor details. The following misconceptions do not make one any less of a Christian, but it is worthwhile to note and correct them:
1) The Immaculate Misconception
When they hear the phrase "Immaculate Conception," many Christians think of the birth of Jesus. Jesus, after all, was fathered by God and born without any sin. The correct term for Jesus' birth, however, is actually the "Virgin Birth." The Immaculate Conception refers to the birth of His mother, Mary. God allowed Mary to be born without the touch of original sin because only then would it be possible for her to bear the Son of God. Aside from being the Mother of God, Mary's blamelessness and spotlessness is also why Christians throughout the millennia have prayed to her and venerated her.
2) Bible Confusion
Christians belong to many different denominations around the world, but often assume that what ties them all together is their use of the very same Bible. While it is true that all Christians do center their faith on the Bible, it is not true that they all use an identical copy. There are Catholic Bibles, Orthodox Bibles, Coptic Bibles, and many different Protestant Bibles. Generally the differences between these Bibles boil down to which books have been added or removed. Some books that are a part of one tradition's Biblical canon may be a part of another tradition's Apocrypha.
3) Biblical Interpretation
There is a belief in some Christian circles that spiritual, metaphorical, or symbolic interpretation of scripture is a new phenomena, and that Christians of the past always interpreted the Bible literally. The truth is that Christians have never been in unanimous agreement on the matter. Symbolic interpretation of scripture goes back to before Jesus' time, and Jesus Himself continued to speak in metaphors. In a spiritually encouraging Bible quote from Mark 4:9, Jesus tells His disciples: "whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." This meant that only those who were able to look beyond the literal meaning of Jesus' words would truly be able to understand them.
Having previously held these three common misconceptions in no way makes you a bad Christian. All that matters to God is that you believe in Jesus and strive to follow His lead in your life. But, because your faith is important to you, it is also important to learn as much as you can about the history of your faith and about what certain beliefs and tenants mean. Gaining more knowledge about Christianity is a great way to deepen your faith and find even more spiritual inspiration and motivation in God's Word every single day.
Spiritual Prayer
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”