10 Lies Our Culture Tells Us about God

Updated Nov 19, 2019
10 Lies Our Culture Tells Us about God

Since becoming a Christian in 1989, I’ve heard many lies about God: God isn’t real, we are gods, all gods are the same, Jesus is only a prophet, among many others. I’m convinced the world wants to negate the true and living God because they think doing so alleviates their responsibility to serve, worship, honor, and obey Him. Despite the world’s desire to deny God, He is real. And one day, the world will be forced to acknowledge that truth. 

Christians need to recognize lies about God and how to combat those lies. All lies originate from the devil. 

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1. God Doesn't Exist

1. God Doesn't Exist

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good.” (Psalm 53:1)

Society tells us God doesn’t exist. If He doesn’t exist, then we don’t need to obey the Bible, and there's no such thing as sin. If He doesn't exist, then we are free to live without any consequence for our actions. I've had multiple people challenge me by asking me to prove God exists. I counter their demand by asking them to prove He doesn't exist. They can't, or they point to all the evil in the world as proof that God isn't real. God is real, and one day in the future, God will shut the mouths of all those who say He doesn't exist. 

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2. God Doesn't Get Involved in Human Affairs

2. God Doesn't Get Involved in Human Affairs

“Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Some people believe in God, but they’ve bought into the lie that God doesn’t get involved in human affairs. They say God exists, but He doesn’t care who we marry, where we live, what we choose as a major in college, or which church we attend. Again, we are free to live our lives however we desire. This is another lie from the devil. He wants us to live in such a way that dishonors God. Satan wants us to live apart from God, so of course he would start the lie that God doesn't care about the details of our lives. God cares, and He gets involved, perhaps not in the minutiae of our lives, but He certainly cares and leads us by His Holy Spirit. 

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3. We Can Approach God However We Want

3. We Can Approach God However We Want

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” (Psalm 11:7)

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus provided a model that's still good for us to follow today. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” reminds us that God is our heavenly Father and that His name is sacred and holy. Just as we'd never approach a respected boss, celebrity, or other important figures disrespectfully, we mustn't approach God disrespectfully either. He is not the big man upstairs. Nor is He our buddy. He is God and deserves to be revered with all the honor due to His name. 

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4. There Is No One True God, Only a Higher Power, the Creator

4. There Is No One True God, Only a Higher Power, the Creator

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:24)

I see this one a lot. This lie says there is no one true God, only a higher power. Some people call that higher power the generic creator. Some people say it’s the universe, energy, or a force. Those who believe this lie will never seek a relationship with the universe. They will never love God because there’s nothing or no one to love. The universe just...is. This lie removes the possibility of the deepest, most meaningful relationship one will ever know or have. This lie leaves us unfulfilled. It's true there is a Creator, but He has a name and has made Himself known. Knowing and loving God has been one of the highlights of my life. I wouldn’t trade in my relationship with the Father for anything. 

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5. We Serve the "Same" God

5. We Serve the "Same" God

“Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders.” (Exodus 15:11)

Coming closely on the heels of the lie that there is no one true God, is the lie that we all serve the same God: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists—our God is the same. If this is true, then there's no need to be a Christian as there's no distinction between Christians and Muslims, Jews, etc. Oh, but there are many distinctions: Jesus Christ being fully God and fully man is the greatest distinction. The Christian God revealed Himself to man through Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 1). The Christian God created us. The Christian God isn't dead, lying in a tomb. Our God is alive, and He loves us. 

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6. We Are "Gods"

6. We Are "Gods"

"But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation." (Jeremiah 10:10)

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hath crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:4-5)

This lie says we are gods. Thus, we don't have to revere God. This lie says we are divine, forge our own paths, and are equal to god (if there is one). This lie allows us to walk arrogantly, pridefully, believing we are better than others. Believing this lie will result in people thinking they are superior to others. We are not gods or goddesses. We are human beings. 

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7. God Didn't Create the World

7. God Didn't Create the World

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

Another lie culture tells about God is that He didn't create the world. Indeed, there was a big bang that created the world and everything in it. The Big Bang theory is taught to our children in public schools. And colleges teach the Big Bang theory as though it's a fact. It's isn't. It's a theory. Don't be misled. God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). There was no big bang. There was a voice which said, "Let there be..."

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8. The Bible Isn't the Inspired Word of God

8. The Bible Isn't the Inspired Word of God

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I touched on this one earlier. People have denied God's voice and instructions since the beginning of time. People refuse to believe God provided a divinely inspired book full of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for His people. If the Bible is the lie some people want to believe it is, then they don’t have to obey or apply it to their lives. And they don't. God didn't make us robots. He gave us free will. We are free to make our own decisions and choices. However, we aren't free to choose the consequences of those decisions. The Bible is the Word of God, and He will hold us accountable for not applying it to our lives. 

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9. Jesus Isn't God nor the Son of God

9. Jesus Isn't God nor the Son of God

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

From the days Jesus walked the earth until now, people have debated Jesus’s divinity. He is not just another prophet. Jesus called God His Father. The religious elite bristled at Jesus’s words because those words meant Jesus was making Himself equal to God (see John 5:18). Furthermore, Jesus is the only way to God. Without Jesus, we cannot know God the Father (see John 14:6-7). Jesus is fully God and fully man, and He deserves to be revered and loved accordingly. 

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10. Marriage Is Man-Made

10. Marriage Is Man-Made

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:31-32)

God created the institution of marriage. Society wants us to believe that marriage is unimportant, unnecessary, and trivial. Marriage is none of those things. Marriage is as relevant and necessary now as when God presented Eve to Adam. Divorce rates and our aversion to marriage don't change God's design. God created marriage to be beautiful, to be the vehicle through which children are born and raised to know, honor, and serve God. Marriage is a physical representation of Christ’s marriage to the church and should be respected as such. 

As long as we live on the earth, we will hear lies about God. Some of the lies are close to the truth, and some people are fooled by them. Thus, it is imperative Christians know the truth, so the lies don't fool them. Prayer, personal Bible study, and knowing God's voice are three of the best tools we have to combat the lies. Teach your children the truth, teach them to put on the full armor of God so they can "stand against the wiles of the devil," (Ephesians 6:11). 

Aretha Grant serves her local church as a bible teacher and elder. She loves writing and is the author of Overcomer: 25 Keys to Walking VictoriouslyAretha resides in Hagerstown, MD with her husband and two youngest children. You can read Aretha’s blog at www.arethagrant.com.

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Originally published Monday, 18 November 2019.