Why I still believe in Jesus after church hurt (10 Reasons)
why I still believe in Jesus
…after church hurt (10 REASONS)
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic…or else he would be the Devil of Hell.”
Have you suffered from a bad church experience?
The pain and disillusionment of a bad church experience can make you question everything you once believed. When a church or a leader breaks your trust, it can feel like God has let you down too. And you might even begin to doubt if God exists.
I’ve had plenty of reasons to give up on God based on the hurts and disillusionment that I’ve experienced with church as well as the experiences that my readers regularly share with me. But the thing that has kept my faith in God is an unshakeable belief that Jesus is who he said he was… God in the flesh, who came to reveal himself to the world and show us how life was meant to be lived.
With this in mind, I want to share with you ten reasons why I still believe in Jesus in spite of the negative church experiences that I’ve had. My hope is to help those who might be tempted to give up on their faith.
Ten Reasons I still Believe in Jesus
1. The New Testament documents are reliable.
The New Testament documents that tell the story of Jesus are well documented as authentic and reliable. I can’t take the space to prove that to you here, but there are many books that can do that for you if you are willing to take the time.
The Jesus story isn’t a myth to make people feel good. Jesus was a historical figure who was well known in his time.
2. Jesus claimed to be God.
If I accept that the New Testament documents as reliable, then I’m faced with a decision: Is Jesus God in the flesh, as he claimed to be, or not?
C.S. Lewis said it well from his book, Mere Christianity:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic…or else he would be the Devil of Hell…but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us…Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, …I have to accept the view that He was and is God.
I have to agree with Lewis. I can’t ignore Jesus’ claims.
I’ve chosen to believe him.
3. Jesus’ words ring true.
The Bible lays out a worldview that makes sense to me. It tells us that we are all flawed.
Absolutely. That’s easy to see. I see it every day, in myself and others.
It tells us that we need an intervention… we need saving from ourselves to live the life that we desire.
Isn’t that what therapy, religion, yoga, supplements, education, etc. are all trying to do in some form?
And it tells us that God loved us so much that he entered the world to provide us with that intervention. He came to rescue us.
I’ve seen God do just that in the lives of so many people.
Jesus’ teachings on love and forgiveness speak to our deepest needs as humans and have proven to be life-changing in countless lives.
4. Jesus’ miracles showed that he had power over nature.
Jesus didn’t just claim to be God, he validated his claim by his actions; healing people and even raising them from the dead.
5. Jesus didn’t come to create a religion but a relationship with God.
Jesus’ harshest words were for religious people who prevented spiritual seekers from knowing God with their rules and rituals.
Having heard from countless people about their spiritual abuse and church hurt, I share the same passion to expose toxic religion.
Jesus’ teachings were never meant to create a religion but a path to know God that makes God relevant in daily life.
6. Jesus’ followers revealed their weaknesses.
If the New Testament writers were making up a story, it doesn’t make sense that they would show themselves to be so foolish and lacking in faith. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:
The disciples argued with each other over who was the greatest.
They failed to pray when Jesus needed them the most.
Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide.
Peter disowned Jesus along with the other disciples.
Jesus often challenged his followers for their lack of faith.
And even after all of Jesus’ miracles and resurrection, there was still only a small number of followers.
These honest portrayals of their weaknesses add strength to the validity of the New Testament writings.
7. The resurrection of Jesus proved his claim to be God.
It’s easy to dismiss the resurrection of Jesus as a story made up by early believers. But the sightings of the resurrected Jesus were widespread. This is what the apostle Paul said about the witnesses to the resurrection:
4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 1 Corinthians 15:6-8
Paul couldn’t have made this claim when there were plenty of people who could have disproved it if it wasn’t true.
8. Jesus’ apostles all died telling their story.
Some people might be willing to die for a false story told to them by another. But no one is willing to die for a story that they made up themselves.
The fact that Jesus’ followers were willing to suffer and eventually be killed for their faith may be the strongest proof of Jesus’ resurrection and his claim to be God. They saw the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes and were compelled to tell the story, even at the risk of death.
9. Following Jesus changed my life.
On a personal note…when I came to believe that Jesus was God and started to put his teachings into practice, it was like my life was set on a solid foundation. The insecurity that I once had left me over time. I sensed that God was with me and directing my life for a purpose.
Plus, I’ve sensed that God has used me to help others, sometimes in dramatic ways, through my ministry as both pastor and author.
It’s hard for me to explain these things away and not attribute them to God working in my life.
10. The true believers have done much good in the world.
Many people have done terrible things in God’s name. No doubt. But they are imposters.
True followers of Jesus have championed the development of hospitals, education, women’s rights and justice of all kinds. Christian organizations are often on the forefront of helping people to recover from suffering and tragedy. They are willing to lay down their lives for others, just like Jesus did for them.
I believe this compassion and willingness to sacrifice their lives comes from the heart of God.
Seek Jesus in Spite of church hurt
I don’t know if any of my reasons resonate with you. But I pass them on hoping that, even though you may have been deeply hurt by a spiritually abusive experience, or at least disappointed and disillusioned by the hypocrisy you see in the church and church people, you will still seek to follow Jesus.
Ideally, a good church can help you with this. I hope you can find one.
But even if you can't, you can still invite Jesus to walk with you every day, fill you with the presence of his Spirit, and help you to bring the love and generosity of his kingdom to earth in practical ways.
Rather than reject your faith, why not seek to live out the faith of a true believer.
A Resource for Healing
If you're ready to start healing, you can find more resources on my blog here, my YouTube channel, or in my book, Broken Trust. It’s a guide to understanding spiritual abuse, recovering from it, and rebuilding your life. Here is just one review from a reader of Broken Trust: (see cover below)
Having just gone through a heartbreaking situation in our church home of nearly 30 years, I needed to hear advice that was directed by God, but not "churchy". This book accurately described how spiritual abuse takes place and the various forms of it. Hearing that other people have dealt with this kind of situation helped me realize we are not alone.
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