Addressing Misconceptions About God's Character in Evangelism
Evangelism begins with the announcement that a Savior has come into the world, a message the earliest Christian preachers called the evangelion, or "good message" [1]. Yet the content of that message—who God is and what He has done—is often distorted by misconceptions that obscure the character of the One being proclaimed. Addressing these distortions is not peripheral to evangelism but central to it, because a false portrait of God produces a false gospel.
The Biblical Foundation: God's Character Revealed in Christ
Scripture presents God's character through both direct declaration and the person of Christ, who is "the image of God" [4]. The New Testament identifies Christ as "God with us" [2], the one in whom "the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" [4] is made visible. This means that evangelistic proclamation must anchor itself in the biblical depiction of God as both holy and merciful, just and gracious. The holiness of God is presented as the standard for His people [3], yet this holiness is not a distant, arbitrary demand but the character of the One who calls humanity into relationship with Himself.
One common misconception treats God's holiness as incompatible with His love, as though divine justice and mercy stand in opposition. Yet the gospel message integrates both: God's anger is "the holy God's necessary response to sin" [9], not a capricious outburst, and it coexists with His redemptive purpose. The earliest gospel preachers proclaimed "Glory to God in the highest heavens, and on earth peace and good will among men" [10], a message that holds together divine transcendence and divine favor toward humanity.
Misconceptions About Sin and Human Nature
Evangelism often stumbles over the doctrine of sin. Some presentations minimize sin to the point of irrelevance, while others weaponize it to manipulate hearers. The biblical account is more nuanced: "All human beings are born sinners" [5], yet this does not mean that every person indulges their sinful nature equally. The godly "fight against it" [5], and the distinction between those who commit deliberate sins with an "insolent or arrogant attitude" [8] and those who struggle against their fallenness matters.
Another distortion treats sin as merely a list of bad behaviors rather than a condition of rebellion. The "great sin is rebellion" [8], a posture of the heart that prefers "the creature to the Creator" [7]. This rebellion is not a matter of genetic determinism imposed by the devil—"from the devil there is not generation, but corruption" [6]—but of imitation and allegiance. Those who persist in sin become "a son of the devil" not by birth but "by imitating him" [6]. Evangelistic speech that reduces sin to external infractions or that treats it as an inherited curse beyond human responsibility misrepresents the biblical diagnosis.
The Danger of Distorted Proclamation
When evangelists misrepresent God's character, they risk blinding rather than illuminating. Paul warns that "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving" [4], and distorted presentations of the true God can function similarly. A God portrayed as vindictive, capricious, or indifferent to justice does not resemble the God of Scripture. Conversely, a God stripped of holiness and reduced to therapeutic affirmation is equally foreign to the biblical witness.
The gospel is "the doctrine of God's eternal love to mankind" and must be "preached in love" [11]. This does not mean softening the truth but delivering it without "scolding and abuse" [11], which are "truly monstrous" [11] in matters of religion. The one who proclaims the gospel must embody the character of the message: truth spoken in love, holiness paired with mercy, justice integrated with grace.
The Standard and the Shepherd
Christ Himself is both the standard of holiness and the means of attaining it. "The character of Christ" is "the standard" [3] for believers, and He "desires" holiness for His people [3]. This dual role—exemplar and enabler—corrects the misconception that God demands what He does not provide. The gospel is not a set of impossible requirements but "the way" [3] to the holiness necessary to see God [3].
Evangelism that addresses misconceptions about God's character does not merely correct errors; it clears the path for the light of the gospel to dawn on those who hear [4]. The message remains what it has always been: the announcement of a Savior whose person and work reveal the true character of God.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matt. 4:23; Rom. 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion_ (= good message) were called _evangelistai (= evangelists) (Eph. 4:11; Acts 21:8). There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ: "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; th”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Emmanuel — God with us”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Holiness — Commanded -- Le 11:45; 20:7; Eph 5:8; Col 3:12; Ro 12:1. Christ Desires for his people. -- Joh 17:17. Effects, in his people. -- Eph 5:25-27. An example of. -- Heb 7:26; 1Pe 2:21,22. The character of God, the standard of -- Le 19:2; 1Pe 1:15,16; Eph 5:1. The character of Christ, the standard of -- Ro 8:29; 1Jo 2:6; Php 2:5. The gospel the way of -- Isa 35:8. Necessary to God's worship -- Ps 24:3,4. None shall see God without -- Eph 5:5; Heb 12:14. Saints Elected to. -- Ro 8:29; Eph 1:4. Called to. -- 1Th 4:7; 2Ti 1:9. New created in. -- Eph 4:24. Possess. ”
- 2 Corinthians “in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. -- 2 Corinthians 4:4”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
- Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 2:17: They made known abroad the saying - These shepherds were the first preachers of the Gospel of Christ: and what was their text? Why, Glory to God in the highest heavens, and on earth peace and good will among men. This is the elegant and energetic saying which comprises the sum and substance of the Gospel of God. This, and this only, is the message which all Christ's true pastors or shepherds bring to men. He who, while he professes the religion of Christ, disturbs society by his preachings or writings, who excludes from the salvation of God all who hold not his religi”
- Ephesians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ephesians 4:15: But, speaking the truth in love - The truth recommended by the apostle is the whole system of Gospel doctrine; this they are to teach and preach, and this is opposed to the deceit mentioned above. This truth, as it is the doctrine of God's eternal love to mankind, must be preached in love. Scolding and abuse from the pulpit or press, in matters of religion, are truly monstrous. He who has the truth of God has no need of any means to defend or propagate it, but those which love to God and man provides. Grow up into him - This is a continuance of the metaphor taken”