Date posted: 11-17-2022
Estimated Reading Time : 4:00
Jesus called believers to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13-16) and influence culture. However, recent studies reveal that American Christians are increasingly influenced by the world around them and not the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The most recent biannual State of Theology study by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research contains serious warning signs to the American Church.
The survey examines topics like God’s nature, the authority of the scriptures, homosexuality, salvation, and more. American evangelicals were asked the same questions as the general public and the results were astounding. For example, a whopping 43 percent of evangelicals agreed, “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God,” an outright contradiction of Jesus’ references to Himself (John 4:26, John 8:24, and John 18:4) as the same “I AM” God of Exodus 3.
Another alarming result was the response to the survey statement, “God accepts worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” An only slightly higher percentage of evangelicals strongly agreed with this statement (46 percent) than non-evangelicals (45 percent)! Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). The Bible also teaches unequivocally that all have sinned (Rom. 3:23) and are under judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), and that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
About 28 percent of evangelicals surveyed agreed with the statement, “The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today.” That is up dramatically from 11 percent in 2020. Also troubling was that 37 percent of evangelicals agreed with the claim that, “Gender identity is a matter of choice.” That is an increase from 21 percent just two years ago.
According to the Bible, sex was designed for men and women and confined by God to the lifelong covenant of marriage (Matt. 19:4-6). All other sexual activity—including all homosexuality—is sin and is condemned by God (Heb. 13:4). We are called to live out our purpose as God-designed men and women, and not to confuse the genders (Lev. 18:22 and 20:13).
The declining health of the American Church finds corroboration in a study released earlier this year by the Institute for Family Studies, which showed that church attendance has been declining over the past decade. Data from the Barna Group shows that one in three practicing Christians dropped out of church completely during COVID-19.
With research revealing self-identified Christians denying the divinity of Christ, not making a distinction between Jesus and the false god of Islam, and not seeing the relevance of belonging to a church family, a significant percentage of American evangelicals and the general U.S. population are essentially equivalent in their worldview.
Everyone has a worldview—a lens through which they see the world. These studies appear to confirm that only a small percentage of people, including Christians, have a biblical worldview. People can call themselves Christians, and they may be converts, but not all of them are disciples—not everyone is learning the truth of God’s Word.
Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel and discipling nations.
Historically, for many, obeying the Great Commission to disciple nations has involved sending missionaries from local churches or relying on evangelists and pastors to get the job done. It’s now time for Christians to influence their culture, impact their communities, and make a difference by sharing biblical truth in the public square.
Truth & Liberty Coalition is working to equip Christians with biblical truth to change the culture—not be influenced by it. Truth & Liberty has numerous resources to help you develop and share a biblical worldview on topics like sexuality, socialism, and other foundational truths.
During this year’s Truth & Liberty Coalition Conference, Richard Harris gave a clarion call to rebuild God’s house and manifest His glory. Andrew Wommack called it one of the best messages he’d ever heard. Will you heed the call to disciple the nations in your sphere of influence? Will you allow God to stir your heart with love for those who are still in darkness and those who need discipleship?
Learn More
Visit the Truth & Liberty website. Visit our Research Center for great practical resources. Also, learn how you can become a Truth & Liberty Coalition member and join us in standing for truth in the public square.