Posted on 08/11/2020 7:12:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Less than half of U.S. Christians expect to experience eternal salvation because of their confession of sin and acceptance of Christ as their Savior, while a larger number of professing Christians believe good works will get them into Heaven, a new survey has found.
The American Worldview Inventory 2020 survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance.
In contrast, a minority of adults (46%) who describe themselves as “Christian” expect to experience eternal salvation because of their confession of sin and acceptance of Christ as their savior.
The study also found that “huge proportions of people” associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from embracing Jesus Christ as savior “believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. A much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view.
The survey of 2,000 individuals found that one in three Americans (33%) say they consider themselves to be a Christian and affirm the statement that “when you die you will go to heaven only because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior.”
Len Munsil, president of Arizona Christian University, said the “lack of understanding of basic Christian theology is stunning,” with “potentially devastating consequences for individual souls and really for all aspects of American life and culture.”
“It’s a wakeup call for the church, and for leaders in all areas of influence, to speak, teach and work to restore biblical truth,” Munsil said. “Many souls will be lost if people are misled by the false notion that we can earn our way to heaven, rather than recognizing the truth that Christ alone and His righteousness are the basis for our salvation.”
Overall, 54% of U.S. adults believe they will get to Heaven after they die and only 2% believe they are going to hell. Additionally, 63% of adults believe “having faith matters more than which faith you have.”
George Barna, director of research for the Cultural Research Center, said Americans are “in an ‘anything goes’ mindset when it comes to faith, morals, values and lifestyle.”
“Americans appear to be creating unique, highly customized worldviews based on feelings, experiences and opportunities rather than working within the boundaries of a comprehensive, time-tested, consistent worldview,” he said.
“... By abandoning our moral standards and traditions, and replacing them with inclusive and conditional preferences, we are losing the foundations that have enabled the ‘American experiment’ to succeed for more than two centuries,” Barna added.
“We can only hope that our critical moral institutions — particularly the family and churches — will wake up and help the nation to get back on track.”
The survey corroborates a previous report released by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society which found that Scripture engagement is on the decline, with U.S. adults who say they read the Bible daily dropping from 14% to 9% between early 2019 and 2020.
Another recent poll from LifeWay Research, in partnership with Explore the Bible, found that 57% of Protestant churchgoers say the Bible is “challenging” when read alone.
In recent years, a number of pastors have stressed the importance of discipleship within churches amid a nationwide decline in biblical literacy.
“You and I are so overstimulated, you and I are so overwhelmed with fast-paced, energized entertainment that we have developed a real idealized sense of life with a real low pain tolerance,” megachurch Pastor Matt Chandler said in a sermon last year. “The Church herself no longer is about discipleship, no longer is about being shaped, no longer is it about being formed. It’s about being entertained in the gathering.”
Chandler noted that in Acts, Paul warns the Ephesians, “After I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”
“How do you fight that? You walk with one another in community, you encourage one another in your giftedness, and you embrace that you’ve been called a minister of reconciliation and an ambassador of Christ for the building up of the body,” he said.
Pastor H.B. Charles Jr. told The Christian Post that every aspect of corporate worship should be a means of “making disciples of Jesus Christ,” from the preaching of the Word to singing.
“Faithful shepherds are needed to oversee the worship life of the Church to keep the Church focused on the Word of God,” he said. “Every element of a worship service must be geared around the Word of God so that we sing the Scriptures, read the Scriptures, pray the Scriptures, preach the Scriptures and enact the Scriptures in prayer and the ministry of the word.”
“We need to build safeguards around the Church so that the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ are central,” Charles added.
Context. While Paul in Rm. 4 is dealing with whether works themselves justify one before God as meriting salvation, versus Abrahamic faith, James is opposing inert faith, vs. salvific effectual faith which effects obedience, and in that sense works is faith in action and justifies a person as a believer, versus teaching that one merits salvation by doing enough good things vs bad.
Like as in Mark 2:1-16, since cause and effect go together, then works and faith can sometimes be used interchangeably, yet effect is not to made the cause. For example,
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. (Mark 2:8-11)
Since forgiveness effected healing, thus the Lord could tell the palsied man to do what required and enabled forgiveness, and likewise to be believe is to obey. however, The effect is not to made the cause.
However, if Abraham was justified by works in the sense of obtaining salvation when he offered Isaac his son on the altar in Genesis 22, rather than Genesis 15:6 when he believed in the Lord ("that what He [God' had promised [And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be: Genesis 15:5], he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness:" Romans 4:21-22), then James is contradicting both Moses, Paul and God.
As explained in my prior posts, salvation is by faith, versus earning or actually deserving it by works, yet since faith and works go together (all they we choose to do is a result of what we truly believe, at least at the moment), then a work that requires as well as testifies to faith can be required, but not as earning or actually deserving salvation by works:
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
Since to be baptized - a "sinner's prayer" in "body language" means to believe, then this command is essentially the same as exhorting souls to confess the Lord Jesus with their mouth, expressing what is in their heart, thus testifying to and affirming saving faith.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)
And interpretive of Acts 2:38:
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43) While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:44-47)
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe . And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith . (Acts 15:7-9)
Like as in Mark 2:1-16, where forgiveness effected healing, thus the Lord could tell the palsied man to do (walk) what forgiveness enabled, likewise to believe is to obey. However, The effect is not to made the cause.
And thus,
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)
It helps to remember that all believers continue to sin and to varying degrees refuse to give up their worldly lives.
A believer is not one that will-fully continues in known sin once he/she is convicted of it, and to do so is to deny the faith and forfeit what it obtained, departing from the living God, making Christ to not profit, to no effect, falling from grace, drawing back to perdition. (Gal. 5:1-4; Heb. 3:12; 6:1-8; 10:26-39) Against which we are warned.
MYOB
Is that 'half' CATHOLIC?
Or were Mormons included in this 'study'; too??
All it takes to separate someone from God is ONE sin. Adam and Eve disobeyed just one simple command and that was it. Sin and death entered the world and they needed a redeemer.
The good news, however, is that Jesus already took care of that. He died in your place so you don't have to. The record of your sin debt to God can be erased and you can have right standing before God.
Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Trust in Jesus to save you instead of your own works and He will.
Acts 16:27-31 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Romans 10:9-13 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
A simple search of the Bible could have revealed this!!
Matthew 7:13-14
Well; kinda depends on what Christ taught; doesn't it!
Matthew 23:15, 33
15. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
33. "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
I shudda read ahead!
Done and done...
1 Timothy 2:3-4 kjv
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Done and done...
1 Timothy 2:3-4 kjv
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Shush!!
You'll alert them to what we are up to!
John 14:6
Couple this with the churches today. We have left our Presbyterian (PCA) church because their focus has shifted from preaching the gospel to doing good in our community. The last straw was when the precher minimized homosexuality as any other typical sin; contorting Romans 1 to fit his purpose. The new church slogan is to engage our community. Consequently they are “teaming up” with other more secular churches and organizations in the neighborhood to do good for the community. It sounds very nice but preaching the Word is minimized because it's offensive. The pastor even felt compelled to write on his blog that they weren't becoming a social gospel church. So it must not be just me that feels this way.
People don't want to hear that they are sinners in need of a Savior. It's not a popular message. It's more easier for a church to go out and do really nice things for people. But that won't keep them out of hell or transfer them into the Kingdom of God.
BTW-As a very stanch Calvinist (thanks to many here) it is all in God's hands. BUT-we are called to faithfully preached the word of God. When we fail to do that, then we are not being obedient to God's calling. May God help all of us to be ever obedient to this charge. To paraphrase Augustine: Command what You will, and grant what You command.
Acts 16:29-31 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Indeed - so true!
It boils down to pride.
Your statement here makes me think you are part of the OTHER half.
Paul would be banned from FR for saying something like that!
I suppose a DIRECT question needs to be asked; if we are going to get a DIRECT answer; right??
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
HMMMmmm…
That's interesting.
26. "Gens quæ non servierit illi, peribit; gentes destitutæ tantæ Matris auxilio, destituuntur auxilio Filii et totius curi’‘ coelestis."— De Laud. B. M. I. 4.
Cardinal Hugo http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg3.asp
Translation: "that those who do not serve Mary will not be saved; for those who are deprived of the help of this great Mother are also deprived of that of Her Son and of the whole court of heaven."
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