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.
There’s always been a division of ‘Grace,’ and ‘works,’ within the Christian community.
That’s a reason for many throughout Christian history doing one thing in their private life and doing a ‘good’ public deed. They believed/believe that the ‘good’ they do will outweigh the sinfulness of their nature.
It’s not just the Catholic Church, either. I was raised Catholic, so I was on the inside of that issue. ALL the religious institutions have folks within them that have believed/followed this false belief. Many, many of the large buildings, be they medical or religious or financial are built on the flawed premise of doing good deeds as a way to even out the sinful nature.
Unfortunately there are many who treat the Church as a social club rather than focusing on what to believe and why to believe it.
Ephesians 2:8 “For it is through grace you have been saved.”
He’s not that kind of God. He is only here to solve the most important problem in our lives. It is up to us to parlay that solution into solutions for all the other problems. He doesn’t stand in front of us every hour. As humans there is a place to find Him. We will most assuredly find Him there whenever we need Him.
That mindset sounds curiously like the medieval practice of buying indulgences which was one of the factors in bringing on the reformation. History is sometimes a circular timeline.
If Jesus Christ were the only way to heaven then you won’t find anyone there who got there more than 2000 years ago. I believe that being good and honest and basically obedient to the Nine Commandments you will be at peace at the end of your life. If there is heaven after that I doubt that even Jesus himself would turn you away.
NINE commandments?
Yikes
So they’re really Buddhist?
The kind and helpful will be in Hell with all those who reject the atonement of Christ.
There are two extremes in this. There are those who feel/think what the title of this thread says, and there are those who think that all one has to do is ask God for forgiveness - and they can then do what they want and still go to ‘heaven’.
Personally, I think the reality is somewhere in between, but that’s just me. Doing good works is necessary, but not sufficient. Grace is necessary, but also requires our ongoing efforts to do right in the world and to try to be better human beings. Asking God for forgiveness is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card for life no matter what you do from that point on. We all have a duty to work hard to do right and better ourselves spiritually.
Or they do not understand that grace alone will get them into heaven.
Being mean and nasty indicates you have never received Christ as your savior. You can be the nicest person in the world but not know Christ. In this case it is very much “who you know” that will get you into heaven.
RE: So they’re really Buddhist?
And Muslim and Hindus...
You are deluded. The Scriptures, breathed out by the Holy Spirit, confirm it to the MAX. Like everyone else you have a choice, and currently you are choosing The Lie (pretending you are “as God”, knowing good and evil when you know nothing). You can choose to listen to God via Scripture (primarily Paul the apostle) and get an attitude adjustment or you can test out your theory and face certain doom.
Jesus is the Way and every other way is not the Way.
Good works are not a requirement to get into Heaven, but if you have truly been born again, good works will come from you.
John 14:6
this is the thing ... and the day is coming. Feast of Trumpets - Marantha :)
How on earth do you know that YOU are saved?
Salvation is God's bailiwick, not yours.
Or does your branch of faith tell you that you are saved? Honest question.
“recent behavior”..
I hope He only considers my best behavior. Like the last 1.2 seconds of writing this post. Whoops...See I lied..
We don't know the entire life of the thief. No one is ENTIRELY good or bad.
The Romans were harsh rulers and condemning a THIEF to death WAS harsh.
Death by crucifixion for theft?
What branch of faith do you espouse that says all you need is faith? Sola fide?
.
Just curious. Can someone be "born again" more than once? If s/he is born again, then falls, gets reborn, then falls again, what are the chances s/he can be "reborn" a third, fourth, tenth time?
Since God created senses of humor He must think that it's important. You might have one foot in heaven already. :o)
...that whosoever BELIEVETH IN HIM shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.
No mention of works in that promise. Works may result in rewards, but do not impart salvation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.