7 Biblical Harsh Truths You Need to Accept to Become a Better Christian

Do you know that there are harsh truths in the Bible that are just too hard for most people to accept? Let me show you 7 biblical truths that you should accept if you want to become a better Christian. Read on to learn more!

FREE EBOOK promo footnote.png

“Face the facts!”

That’s what most people say to others who don’t want to accept harsh truths.

There’s no doubt: sometimes, the truth hurts and when it does, you and I would rather deny it.

However, there are harsh truths in the Bible that we need to accept if we want to become a better Christian. Denying these harsh truths will only lead to procrastination and would eventually blind us to God’s plan, purpose, and will.

Here are the 7 Biblical truths you need to accept if you want to become a better Christian.

7 Biblical Harsh Truths You Need to Accept to Become a Better Christian

Harsh truth no. 1: Suffering is a normal part of life

If you are like most people, we like to have a comfortable life. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, you also need to realize that life isn’t always rainbows and cupcakes.

John 16:33 tells us:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Yahshua or Jesus Christ tells us that you NEED to expect that you will have tribulation and troubles in this world. As long as you are in this world, you can’t avoid the fact that pain, suffering, and trials are a normal part of life.

When you accept this fact, you can better prepare for the future. It is a fatal mistake for you to think that it will always be sunny. Time will come that it will also be rainy. It is not a matter of if, but when.

Thankfully, though this life is wrought with troubles, we can still be of good cheer. Why? As John 16:33 tells us, Christ has “overcome the world.” We can accept the truth that pain is a normal part of life, but at the same time, we can have the confidence that ultimately, God will be there to help us and go through this life.

[For more on this topic, please read, “What pain can teach us.”]

The ULTIMATE LIST of 50 Best_ Christian Books of All Time (leaderboard)

Harsh truth no. 2: You will die one day

While this truth is obvious, a lot of people today live their life as if they are immortals. They feel like they will live forever. Thus, they don’t value the life and time God has given them.

You and I know that life has an end. We even read this in Hebrews 9:27:

“And as it is appointed for men to die once…”

Don’t fool yourself by believing that you are in control. Life can be very unpredictable. You don’t have the GUARANTEE that you will still be alive tomorrow, next week, or next year. Yes, it’s a harsh truth, but it is something we need to accept.

So, how does accepting the harsh truth that you will die one day makes you a better Christian?

Psalm 90:12 tells us:

So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

We gain wisdom when we know that our life has an end. We do our best in not wasting our time because life won’t last forever.

When we know that we will one day die, we set our priorities straight. We stop chasing the wrong things in life. We make a decision that we put God first because, at the end of it all, that is all that matters in this life.

Harsh truth no. 3: We must endure to be saved

A lot of Christians today believe that all you need to do is accept Jesus in your heart and you will be saved. They even have this so-called belief known as “once saved, always saved” doctrine.

However, is this teaching true? Does this mean that once I accept Christ, but keep on committing the same sin over and over again without any intention to change, I will still be saved?

Obviously, there’s a problem in this doctrine.

Some people have this wrong connotation that being a Christian gives you the rights to enjoy God’s favor and thus, they don’t need to suffer anymore. The problem is that when the testing comes, they easily give up. What they thought to be easy, has turned into a difficult situation.

Now, here’s something that you should realize: if your Christian walk has been all too easy, think again because you might be taking the wrong path.

Acts 14:22 tells us:

“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

Christ even mentioned that “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

These verses, along with others, show us that the path to God’s kingdom isn’t a paved highway, but rather it would be a path filled with difficulties and hardships.

However, should this discourage you? Of course not!

Yes, the life of a Christian is not always sunny, however, even if you’re not happy, you will still be BLESSED. That’s how beautiful life is as a Christian. We can have the assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

When trials come, God gives us the strength to carry on. He doesn’t give us problems that we can’t handle (I Corinthians 10:13). He is ever faithful and has our best interest in mind. We can all rest in His promise of deliverance, comfort, and divine intervention.

The 25 Best Self-Help Books of All Time banner

Harsh truth no. 4: You won’t be happy by getting but by giving

In this world where the way of getting is glorified, many people are deceived into believing that the more you have, the happier you will be.

Commercialism takes advantage of human nature. Because of our tendency to become selfish, we thought that if we get something, that’s the only time when we become happy. TV commercials and media ads tell us that we need to get the latest mobile phone models, the latest car models, the biggest house, the most expensive shoes, jewelry, clothes, and the list just goes on and on.

However, at the end of the day, many people still feel empty even if they spent all their lives chasing the wrong things in life.

The Bible reveals the true path to happiness. We read what Christ taught:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

While this world tells you to get more, the Bible tells us to give more. It is a concept that is totally contradictory to our human nature.

The Bible tells us the truth that if you really want to be happy, you need to make other people happy.

If you want to be happy, you need to give more and get less.

This harsh truth may hurt our ego and self, but at the end of the day, our happiness is really not based on what we have, but what we give to others.

If you want to be happy, accept this harsh truth and give more.

Harsh truth no. 5: Satan is the god of this world

Do you know why there is a lot of suffering in this world?

Let me tell you this harsh truth: Satan is the god of this world.

The Bible tells us:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

[For more on this topic, please read, “Who Is REALLY The God Of This World? 6 Scriptures Show the Answer.”]

This is the harsh truth that we need to face. It is sad to see how God has taken the blame when something bad happens. It is sad to see how many people get angry with God when they face troubles in life.

In truth, this world is ruled by Satan and thankfully, it is not going to be the case for all eternity. God will one day intervene by sending back His Son to defeat Satan and finally, establish God’s kingdom on this earth.

When we realize that this world is ruled by Satan, we understand why this world is in such a mess. Thankfully, we can look forward to the time when Yahshua or Jesus will return.

We can have the blessed hope that in spite of the bad things happening today, there will still be a happy ending at the end of it all. We can have the confidence that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28) and God is always in complete control.

20 Best Daily Devotionals You Should Read Right Now banner

Harsh truth no 6: We reap what we sow

You can’t escape this truth: we reap what we sow. God sets this spiritual law in motion and it will be reinforced whether you like it or not.

The simple fact is this: you can choose your actions, but you can’t choose the consequence of your action.

If you reap good seeds, you will reap good harvests. If you reap bad seeds, then you will reap bad harvests.

As simple as that.

The Bible tells us:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:7-8).

Accepting this harsh truth helps you make the right decision in life. Don’t fool yourself and say that you can escape the consequences of your actions.

No matter how small a sin is, you can’t escape its penalty. In the same way, no matter how small your good deeds, it will be rewarded.

The Apostle Paul continues:

AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:9-10).

Yes, there are negative consequences that we will reap when we do bad things in life. However, we must also remember that there are also rewards and positive consequences that we will reap when we do good things.

It’s just a matter of choice. The harsh truth that we reap what we sow works in both negative and positive ways. So, choose carefully.

The 20 Best Christian Books on Marriage You Should Read Next (1)

Harsh truth no 7: There’s no substitute to hard work

A lot of things has been said about success in life. Those who choose the easy path find themselves sitting in failure. Why? Because they don’t want to exert the effort. They don’t want to sacrifice what it takes to be successful in life.

No matter who you are, this harsh truth stands true: there’s no substitute to hard work.

There are numerous passages in the Bible that show us the importance of hard work. These are some of them:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).

“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Proverbs 13:4).

I believe these passages are enough to reinforce the harsh truth that you need to work hard in order to succeed in life. That’s just how life work.

Some people are content with their lives. They don’t see the need to work hard. They don’t have the motivation to do better, but instead, they just give mediocre effort.

Now, the Bible tells us that being content with what we have is important and a key to a happy life. However, some people simply become content while forgetting that there’s one thing they shouldn’t lack while being content.

What’s that? I Timothy 6:6 tells us:

“But GODLINESS with contentment is great gain.”

Thus, we need to add godliness to our contentment. What does this mean? It means that you can’t be lazy or not do your best in life simply because you’re content. You can’t simply live an ordinary and mediocre life in the name of contentment.

Godliness with contentment means that you are content, but you are also doing your best at the same time.

Living a lazy and average life is selfish. You are just living your life for yourself. You don’t think about how you can help other people.

You don’t work simply for yourself, but you also work for other people. One of the best reasons for you to work harder and do better in your life is for the people around you.

How can God bless your life if you don’t let Him bless you? How can God use you as a channel of blessing when you spend your time in laziness and procrastination?

Friends, the harsh truth is that you need to sacrifice your time, ability, and energy to gain something and use that gain to help other people as well. Hard work is needed to be successful in life.

Success does not come overnight and it is definitely not coming by accident. It happens through purposeful and conscious effort of making the most of each day God has given you!

Accept these harsh truths

Whether you like it or not, some people would see these truths as harsh and something they don’t want to deal with. However, the best way to handle these truths are not to deny them, but to accept them. These seven biblical harsh truth may hurt, but they are definitely important for our spiritual growth.

How about you? Do you have anything to add to my list? If yes, let me know by leaving a comment below. Once again, share this post to your friends if you find it helpful. 🙂


Featured book…

The Purpose Driven Life footnote

6 thoughts on “7 Biblical Harsh Truths You Need to Accept to Become a Better Christian

  1. Hi Joshua….
    Thank you. Very well explained. I like detailed explanation, it helps me understand. The Bible always interests me. I am learning a lot from you. If there’s anything I need to know surely I will ask you. God bless.

  2. You’ll want to fix “If you reap good seeds, you will reap good seeds. If you reap bad seeds, then you will reap bad seeds.” Entirely too much reaping.

  3. Wow, thank you for this work. I’m working on a word to share with our church, i had titled it “The hard truth about Christianity.”

    This work you have shared helps me a lot and puts perspective into what I’m working on. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Leave a Reply