April 15, 2026

I am sure we have all said or heard or thought that there are things in the Bible that are not or things in the Bible taken out of context. I decided to think of ones I have heard and find the best picture to go with each one. How many of these things that are so easily said because it sounds nice but is it biblical? They may be good phrases, and nothing wrong with saying some of them but need to be careful how we are saying them.

Jesus is IN my heart.

If you think about it, this could be a confusing and possibly a bit scary for a child to hear. I remember hearing the phrase and I used it myself. The truth of the matter is we really need to let everyone know that we are followers of Christ and when we share Him, we want to make sure we use the correct wording. When I am sharing Christ, I need to think about what I am saying. When a person is asked if they want to be a follower of Christ, they will understand this is a commitment and take time to know what this looks like, what they are giving up to follow Him. Then if they decide to, this is when the Spirit will live within them.

God told me….

I hear so many people say this, and I have had to be careful of the words I use as well. God speaks to us through His Word period. Many times when a person says this, it is because they are telling themselves that it is God to justify whatever it is they say or do “in Jesus’ Name”. There are many times I have said, I wish God would just come into my living room and tell me what to do. We have the freedom to have His Word in every part of our home. When we read it, we learn more about Who He is and what He wants us to do. The Spirit can guide us. The only time the Spirit speaks is when we don’t know what to say, He translates our tears and our cries for God to understand. Jesus also prays for us, but we don’t hear from him casually as you would someone you can see. Many false teachers will use this phrase, which seems so innocent, but it’s leading people astray.

God is Love

This verse IS in the Bible, though many take it out of context. This doesn’t mean we have the right to live however we please. When everyone starts doing what is right in their own eyes, if there is no moral standard, we are in trouble. God is a just Judge and desires order and living as He would have us to.

“God is love” is about sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. God’s love is for everyone, even though there are some who don’t love Him because they don’t know Him yet.

God helps those who help themselves.

People have taken this phrase from verses in the Bible that talk about our work ethic, working hard, laziness, etc. In fact the Bible actually talks about helping those, the widows the orphans, those in need, who cannot help themselves.

This phrase was actually popularized by Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard’s Almanac. This is like saying God cannot help you if you don’t do the work. A great example is if a person needed a job and just sat home and waited for the job to come to them, didn’t fill out any applications, chances are they will remain unemployed. There are things we need to DO, but God is faithful even when we are not.

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

THANK GOD this is not in the Bible or I would not have an ounce of godly in me. This is actually a quote from one of John Wesley’s sermons in the 1700s. Funny it has stuck around so long. The Bible does talk about spiritual cleansing in quite a bit of verses.

I have held to the idea that if I am not happy about cleaning, I will not do it. I like when my family can see me happy when doing chores. I was then asked, “who dusts?” No one. if I see something dusty I will just wipe it clean with my hand unless there is a lot of build up I may grab a cloth. That’s that. haha

There is a verse in the Bible about cleaning the outside of a cup but the inside is filthy. I would rather the inside of my cup be clean versus the outside. I would rather the inside of me be clean (spiritually) than the outside. Does that mean I should remain dirty on the outside? NO! We still need to care for ourselves as we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. I also find when I am keeping my home picked up and looking nice, I feel better mentally, but my home has never nor will ever look like a museum. It looks very lived in, and that’s okay.

Hate the sin, love the sinner.

This is not in the Bible but it is a good practice. We should never identify ourselves or anyone with their sins. Something I would tell my kiddos as they grew is I may not like what they said or did but I love who they are.

Gandhi actually came up with this saying, “Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which, though easy to understand, is rarely practiced”. Again it is easier to love the ones who haven’t sinned against you, which is why we can be easier to treat strangers better than the people we are closest to as well as take the ones we are closest to for granted.

This too shall pass.

This phrase is quoted by many, my husband and I included, but it is not in the Bible. In God’s word it talks about our troubles are just for a time as well as God numbering our days. Hard things won’t last forever. There are many different seasons of life.

“This too shall pass” is a source of comfort during tough times. It reminds us that hardships are temporary and encourages faith and perseverance. Embracing this mindset helps us appreciate the present, growing in our unique journey through life’s challenges.

The lion will lay down with the lamb

Believe it or not, this is not in the Bible. Many lions are mentioned in the Bible as well as many lambs, but not together. The closest thing to this is a wolf with a lamb or a lion with a calf.

This phrase, though, is a powerful imagery of harmony and peace. In the Garden of Eden, everything was perfect so I am sure all creation was getting along well. Someday it will be like this again.

Was it an apple that tempted Eve?

I am not sure how this came about but an apple is never mentioned in the Bible with Eve. Sometime way back when, someone ran with the tree, making it an apple. Since then, any pictures depicted of the Garden of Eden are usually an apple tree….unless you go to the Creation Museum.

The apples mentioned in the Bible are the verses about keeping God’s Word as the apple of our eye and when David asks the Lord to keep him as the apple of His eye. Another verse talks about God’s people being the apple of His eye. Then in Song of Solomon, he compares his wife to an apple tree which is so romantic…..NOT.

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