We often hear we need to follow Jesus, but this is not the most accurate way to portray our relationship with Him. The term “follow” insinuates an external following of Jesus rather than an internal leading of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 5:19-23). For the believer, relating to Jesus is about living from one’s spiritual union with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) and being led internally by His Spirit (Galatians 5:18).

Many teach the importance of a second blessing from God or the need for a special anointing. However, this is inconsistent with the Gospel. When we believe in Jesus, we are given everything we need for life and godliness including the fullness of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:3, 13-14).

Some wrongly claim that Christians no longer commit sins. However, Scripture is clear that Christians can and do still sin. Our confidence should not be in the illusion of sinless performance but in the forgiveness and righteousness we’ve been given freely by God’s grace.

Some teach that Romans 7 is a description of Paul’s struggle as a believer. From there, they conclude that any true and consistent victory over sin on this side of heaven is unlikely. However, context makes it clear that Paul was referring to his attempts at keeping the Law before his conversion. In Romans 7, Paul is describing the normal Law-centered life, but not the normal Christ-centered life.

We believers say “no” to sin by recognizing sinful thoughts do not come from us and that sin has no power over us (Romans 6:11-12). When sinful thoughts or temptations come our way, we can make the conscious decision to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. In this way, we express our genuine self (the new self) and we express Jesus at the same time.

There are many false teachings that go against the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we’re told to combat these false teachings by taking every thought captive. We’re invited to make every thought obedient to Christ. This means we make the conscious decision to reject lies and embrace the truth of God’s grace. This keeps the finished work of Christ in focus in our attitudes and belief systems.

While the idea that Christians have a sinful nature is rampant throughout Christian teaching, the Bible does not actually teach this concept. Instead, it teaches we believers have a brand new, righteous self through the resurrection of Christ (2 Peter 1:4; Colossians 3:1; Romans 6:18). Even though we still sin, we are not sinful by nature at our core anymore. We have been born again, and we are now the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)!

While some associate the flesh with the nature of the Christian, Scripture teaches the flesh is a way of walking and thinking independently of Christ. It is not us, but it is an attitude present within us at times. While believers no longer live by the flesh (Romans 8:5, 9), we can still walk by the flesh at times (Galatians 5:19-23).

The flesh is the old sinful attitudes and mindsets to which we were enslaved before we believed in Jesus. When we believed, we were taken out of the flesh and placed into the Spirit (Romans 8:9). Still, we believers “walk by the flesh” when we choose to think and act in the old way rather than allowing God’s Spirit to inspire us.

Popular religious teaching suggests that believers need to take up their cross daily in order to follow Jesus. While it’s true that Jesus taught the importance of denying oneself and taking up their cross (Matthew 16:24-26), He was not speaking of an ongoing act after salvation. He was inviting people to follow Him into His death so that they might be raised to newness of life and be saved (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:1-12). This is what happens to every believer at salvation.