No Other

In Acts 19, we read about mighty works that God did through the apostle Paul and about the impostors who attempted to deal with evil spirits incorrectly - one possessed man actually attacked these so-called exorcists and drove them away.  It was a disturbing supernatural expression, and we read later in the chapter:
17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

We can develop discernment based on the Scriptures so that we can readily identify teaching that lines up with God's Word and that does not.  There are a number of non-Biblical ideas that masquerade under the banner of being "spiritual," but do not reflect the nature and glory of Almighty God.  We have to be careful not to mix Biblical instruction with human religious ideas and allow practices that do not reflect Christ to infiltrate our lives and churches.

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The Ten Commandments tell us to have no other gods before the one true God.  In Leviticus 19,
we can read the reflection of the heart of God regarding a host of issues. Here is an excerpt:
30 'You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.
31 'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

The landscape of religion, or the practice of faith in America, certainly reflects a diversity of ideas, but also represents a number of people who have mixed a variety of beliefs together, including professing Christians who adhere to a "Bible-plus" philosophy.

Witness the results of a fairly new poll taken by the Pew Research organization that classifies religious and non-religious people into seven categories.  The survey summary at Pew's website states:

The new typology sorts Americans into seven groups based on the religious and spiritual beliefs they share, how actively they practice their faith, the value they place on their religion, and the other sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

So, let's walk through these categories and maybe you will discover the one with which you identify best.  The "most religious group," according to Pew, is the Sunday Stalwarts.  This group represents 17% of those surveyed, and is one of three groups in the "Highly Religious" categories.  There are also the God-and-Country Believers, at 12%, and the Diversely Devout, at 11%.  This group could be characterized as being traditionally devout, but allows some influences such as psychics, reincarnation, and spiritual energy to be part of their belief system.

Then, you have the 17% of Americans who are Relaxed Religious - they hold to some religious beliefs but don't think you have to believe in God to be a "moral person."  This category is part of the "Somewhat Religious" group.  Also, in this umbrella group is the Spiritually Awake, at 15%, who believe in Heaven and Hell, but also embrace some New Age elements.

The "Highly Religious" comprise 39% of the population, the "Somewhat Religious" are at 32, and then there is the Non-Religious," at 29 percent.  The Religion Resisters believe that "religion does more harm than good," and comprise 12% of respondents.  Then, you have the Solidly Secular, at 17%, with no religious or even New Age beliefs whatsoever.

Here are a couple of observations by Pew:

Outside of the Sunday Stalwarts, relatively few Americans – even those who otherwise hold strong religious beliefs – frequently attend religious services or read scripture. About eight-in-ten Sunday Stalwarts attend religious services at least once a week – three times greater than the share of frequent attenders among God-and-Country Believers, and roughly seven times larger than the proportion of the Diversely Devout who are as observant. A similar pattern exists among the groups in the share who regularly read the Bible or other holy scriptures.

And, that leads to a drift from Biblical moorings, which is revealed in this observation:

New Age beliefs are common, even among Americans who are highly religious in traditional ways. For example, about three-in-ten Sunday Stalwarts believe in psychics, and a similar share say that spiritual energy can be located in physical objects such as mountains, trees and crystals. Smaller shares believe in reincarnation and astrology. Overall, half of Sunday Stalwarts and God-and-Country Believers and nearly all of the Diversely Devout affirm at least one of these four New Age beliefs.

Religion News Service had a story about this survey, and related these, among other, notations:

Overall, only 23 percent of Americans attend worship services weekly, and only one group — the “Sunday Stalwarts,” who make up about 17 percent of the population — attend in overwhelming numbers. These include mostly Christians but also Jews, Muslims and Hindus who may attend on other holy days.

In addition, the number of Americans who say they read Scripture daily, at only 11 percent, is strikingly low, and those who say religion is the most important source of meaning in their lives make up only 20 percent of the population.

For me, in looking over some of this data, the biggest concern to me is the mix.  That is, the mix of Biblical ideas with concepts that contradict the Scriptures.  There are forms of so-called "worship" that take the emphasis off Almighty God and place it on spiritual forces that are not of Him: psychics, for instance, the identification of "spiritual energy" from inanimate objects, including the belief in crystals.  The belief in reincarnation, which is in direct contrast with Biblical teaching on one physical death, followed by judgment, and astrology, looking to stars to govern our lives, have apparently crept in and are part of a religious menu that is practiced by even the most devout.  But, keep in mind, even the Sunday Stalwarts are not all Christians.

But, if we are not grounded in the Scriptures, we become vulnerable to teachings that are not of Him. It is critical to our spiritual health and our devotion to God's truth to make sure we are in the Word, and we are called in Hebrews not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together; i.e. regular church attendance.  And, Faith Radio is here to help you, through strong Bible teaching, to grow in your walk with the Lord; however, we are not a substitute for personal time in the Word and time with fellow believers in a local church body.  We need the accountability that comes from knowing God's truth and being connected to the body of Christ.

It's no surprise the culture is in the mess we're in when you look at these survey results.  But, it also presents an opportunity for believers to be salt and light and to seek, speak, and practice the truth of the Scriptures.