When we talk about Christian growth, we almost always frame it in terms of learning: learning doctrine, learning Scripture, learning theology, learning how to live faithfully in the world. And all of that is good and necessary. The Christian life is a life of constant learning. We are taught by the Word, shaped by truth, and formed by sound teaching.

But there is another side of growth that is far less discussed and often far more painful.

Much of our growth in Christ does not come from learning something new. It comes from unlearning things we already believe, assume, or practice.

If learning is addition, unlearning is subtraction. And subtraction is usually harder.

Why Unlearning Is Necessary

The Bible never assumes that people come to Christ as blank slates. We arrive with instincts, habits, reflexes, and assumptions already in place. We have been discipled long before we were converted—by our families, our culture, our fears, our idols, and our sins.

Paul does not tell the Romans simply to “add Christian ideas” to their existing way of life. He tells them to be transformed by the renewal of their minds. Renewal implies replacement. Something old must give way to something new.

The gospel does not merely inform us; it confronts us. It does not merely expand our thinking; it corrects it. And correction always involves unlearning.

The Danger of Untested Assumptions

One of the great dangers in the Christian life is assuming that everything we believe feels biblical simply because it feels familiar. Familiarity is not faithfulness.

• We assume God works the way we would work.
• We assume obedience should be rewarded immediately.
• We assume suffering means something has gone wrong.
• We assume growth should be comfortable.
• We assume God’s priorities should align neatly with our preferences.

These assumptions often go unchallenged until God, in his mercy, disrupts them. Unlearning is God’s way of exposing what we believe without ever saying out loud.

Unlearning Through Scripture

The Word of God does more than teach; it undoes. Scripture dismantles false narratives we have told ourselves about God, ourselves, and the Christian life.

The Bible helps us unlearn:

• A performance-based view of righteousness
• A prosperity-shaped view of blessing
• A self-protective view of obedience
• A sentimental view of love
• A triumphalistic view of faith

Often, the most faithful response to Scripture is, “I was wrong.” That confession is not weakness. It is maturity.

Unlearning Through Suffering

At its core, unlearning is repentance at the level of the mind. Repentance is not merely turning from sin; it is turning from distorted ways of thinking that give sin room to breathe.

We repent not only of actions, but of:

• Proud independence
• Fear-driven control
• Self-justifying narratives
• Resentful interpretations of God’s providence

Repentance is painful because it forces us to admit that we have been confidently wrong. But it is freeing because it opens the door to deeper trust. You cannot cling to falsehood and walk in freedom at the same time.

The Humility Required to Unlearn

Unlearning requires humility. It requires a posture that says, “I am still being discipled by Jesus.” This is why spiritual pride is such a barrier to growth. Pride assumes we have arrived. Humility assumes we are still being shaped.

The most mature Christians are not those who think they know everything, but those who remain teachable, even when the lesson comes in the form of correction. God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. And His grace often comes in the form of unlearning.

Unlearning Together in the Church

God rarely intends us to unlearn alone. The local church is one of his primary instruments for correction and reformation.

• Faithful preaching exposes shared blind spots.
• Christian community challenges unspoken assumptions.
• Biblical accountability helps us see ourselves more clearly.

We need brothers and sisters who love us enough to say, “I don’t think that way of thinking is shaped by the gospel.” That kind of correction is not an attack; it is a gift.

The Goal of Unlearning

Unlearning is not an end in itself. The goal is not confusion but Christlikeness.

• We unlearn lies so that truth can take deeper root.
• We unlearn self-reliance so that faith can grow.
• We unlearn worldly definitions of success so that obedience can flourish.

In other words, unlearning clears the ground so that the Word of God can bear fruit.

A Final Encouragement

If God is exposing areas where you need to unlearn, that is not a sign of failure. It is a sign of grace. It means he is not finished with you yet. Growth in Christ often looks less like adding impressive knowledge and more like laying down cherished misconceptions. It is often slower, quieter, and transformative.

The discipline of unlearning may be uncomfortable, but it is one of the clearest evidences that the Spirit of God is actively at work renewing our minds, reshaping our hearts, and conforming us to the image of Christ.

And that is growth worth pursuing.