Light Unto My Path

The Bible indicates to all that we are sinners and we need a Savior; and that there is one way to God the Father, and that is through Jesus, who declared Himself to be the way, the truth, and the life.  We read in Romans 6:
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

World religions point out a way they believe that leads to God or a higher power, yet they do not contain the hope of a risen Savior.  It's been said that the bodies of the leaders of other religions are buried; our Savior is risen from the dead; He verified His claims by dying and then being resurrected from the dead, so that we by identifying with His death and resurrection can experience new life, with a new heart completely transformed by the power of Almighty God.

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In Romans 3, we find a passage that underscores the spiritual condition of humanity without Christ.
We can read:
(9b) ...we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."

Hope is later in the chapter, where we read:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...

So, what do you believe?  And, why do you believe it?  Can you back it up with Scripture?

It's important that we study the Word of God as a guidebook for our daily lives, not merely a tool, but a means by which we experience the power of God.  Jesus was the Word Who became flesh, and when we study the Scriptures, we have the potential to experience His presence.

The Word can shape our worldview, and exposure to and embracing good theology leads to right thinking and acting.  Ligonier Ministries has announced the findings of its biennial State of Theology study, described on its website: "Every two years, we take the theological temperature of the United States to help Christians better understand today’s culture and equip the church with better insights for discipleship."

There was a total of 34 statements, and respondents were asked if they agreed with them, and to what degree.  The front page of the website deals with the evangelical response to certain key questions.  The site says: "although evangelicals believe that Jesus died on the cross for their salvation...many do not fully understand the gravity of sin."

For instance, over half, 52%, of evangelicals agree with this blatantly non-Biblical statement: "
Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature."  The summary states: "This idea flatly contradicts the Bible, which teaches the radical corruption of every human being and declares that no one does good by nature (Rom. 3:10–12). This is why we need the gospel in the first place—because none of us is good."

The website goes on to say that, "Evangelicals are also confused about the exclusivity of Christianity and its objective claims to truth." Example: 51% of evangelicals agree that, "God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam."

But, the survey didn't just include evangelicals. The study summary stated:

When it comes to U.S. adults overall, a clear majority agree with well-known doctrines of the Christian faith. But beneath the surface, they hold these truths loosely. In particular, Americans do not seem to grasp the reality of God’s holiness.

An alarming 69% of people disagree that even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation, with 58% strongly disagreeing.

There was also a disturbing response to this statement: "Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth."  6-in-10 Americans overall agree with that statement, including almost a third of evangelicals.

The site relates:

If Christianity and its doctrines, such as the holiness of God and the resurrection of Christ, are merely matters of personal opinion, then we are truly lost. This statistic is a reminder that Christians must contend for the “true truth” of Christianity when engaging with the culture. Jesus believed in absolute truth, and He said that the truth would set people free (John 8:32).

One more area of discussion.  The survey summary states:

There has been a significant change for the better among Millennials across a range of questions when compared to previous State of Theology surveys—so much so that they score higher than any other age group in several areas. Whether this is an anomaly or will continue unabated in future years remains to be seen.

The percentage of those in this age range having evangelical beliefs rose significantly to 18% in 2018 (up from 14% in 2016).

There was also a large increase in the percentage of Millennials affirming that salvation is found in Christ alone and that Jesus Christ will return to judge the world.

62% of young adults ages 18-34 agree with this statement, "Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation." This is up from 53% two years ago.

A Christianity Today piece quotes leaders of Ligonier Ministries, which was founded by the late R.C. Sproul:

“The State of Theology survey highlights the urgent need for courageous ministry that faithfully teaches the historic Christian faith,” stated Chris Larson, president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries. “It’s never been popular to talk about mankind’s sinfulness or the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ. But at a time when a darkened world needs the light of the gospel, it’s disheartening to see many within the evangelical church confused about what the Bible teaches.”

“These results are a serious cause for concern,” said Stephen Nichols, Ligonier’s chief academic officer and president of Reformation Bible College. “… The evangelical world is in great danger of slipping into irrelevance when it casually forgets the Bible’s doctrine.”

There are a number of points to consider.   First of all, we can determine what it is we actually believe: we can define our personal theology, making sure that we are allowing it to be shaped by God's Word.  So often, it seems, people self-style a particular theology that may sound good, but contradicts Scripture.  We have to make sure our beliefs line up with the Word.

This survey actually measured the views of respondents about the nature of sin.  In this world, when humanity looks at itself as highly developed and the source of its own truth, the Bible teaches that we are hopelessly separated from God, and we need a Savior - and that's a key component of the gospel message: we each have to recognize our need for a Savior.  We cannot save ourselves; our insufficient, human-centered philosophy cannot produce ultimate redemption.

In addition to recognizing that need, we can reflect on the importance of repenting from sin.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and empowers us to go the other direction.  If we are unrepentant of the sins we commit, we cannot experience the fullness of what God has in store for us.

And, we can be diligent in renewing our minds to the Scriptures.  The teachings of the Bible will illuminate our minds and sensitize us to God's truth, truth that can govern our thoughts and deeds and enable us to produce spiritual fruit to the glory of God.