The Deception of American Christians – Part Two

In The Deception of American Christians – Part Two I will be sharing with you the top 10 most unbiblical Ideas that Americans embrace. As well as the scriptures that speak to the false belief.

In part one I shared a very condensed analysis of the data from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University concerning what those who claim to be “Christians” believed and did not believe.

I am an unashamed follower of Jesus Christ or as Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center calls believers like me, an “Integrated disciple” of Jesus.

According to Dr. Barna, only (6%) of American adults possess a biblical worldview and demonstrate a consistent understanding and application of biblical principles. I found this to be heartbreaking.

The Data Verified the Word of God

As a number’s person, the numbers clearly verified what the Word of God states:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts… 2 Peter 3:3

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron – 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first… 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

176 million People

In this country, 69% of adults self-identify as Christians. That is 176 million people. However, only 46% who describe themselves as “Christian” expect to experience eternal salvation because of their confession of sin and acceptance of Christ as their Savior.

That leaves us with 54% that apparently think they are getting into heaven by unscriptural means. In other words, they:

• Haven’t read the bible to learn what God has said,
• Or have been deceived into not believing what God has clearly stated.

Either way, this is a master deception from the “Master of Deception” aka the father of lies, Satan, and his demonic realm.

Moreover, the AWVI 2021: Top 10 Most Seductive Unbiblical Ideas Embraced by Americans (06-22-2021) survey shows that even the 6% of adults who have a biblical worldview harbor many of these counter-biblical ideas as part of their personal philosophy of life. Everyone can be deceived. If you think you cannot, you have just proved that you are.

Top 10 Most Seductive Unbiblical Ideas Americans Adopt

		Biblical	Worldview?
Summary Description of The Unbiblical Idea	All Adults	Yes	No
Believe in karma	57%	33%	58%
Having some faith matters more than which faith	62	42	62
Premarital sex between unmarried people who love each other is morally acceptable	74	4	77
Absolute moral truth does not exist	67	14	69
People are basically good	69	52	71
All religious faiths are of equal value	62	9	64
The most trusted personal source of moral guidance is something other than the Bible	69	4	71
Personal wealth is to be used to achieve outcomes other than advancing God’s purposes	81	19	83
Success is about happiness, fulfillment, good health, higher consciousness, goodness, or productivity	79	2	82
People are not born into sin and therefore do not need to be saved by Jesus Christ	75	3	77
Source: American Worldview Inventory 2021, February 2021, N=2,000 adults 18+, conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.

But What is the Truth?

The number one lie that those who claim to be “Christian” is that the Bible is just a bunch of fictional stories. However, the Bible is totally true and in fact, God reveals even the things that most people want to keep hidden in the closet.

He created us in His image and He has given us everything we need to live healthy productive lives under His authority. Like a parent, He gives us guidelines on how to mature into all He has for us.

When we chose to “do life our way” then we set ourselves up for failure. We in essence are saying that we ourselves are gods.

And that is the greatest deception that Satan has used since the Garden of Eden. And once you take the tiniest bite of the “apple” and swallow his lie he continues to give you more and more lies until you are drowning in deception.

The Life Preserver

There is only One who can rescue you from the prison that has become your life. There is hope only in One person. Moreover, it is only this One person that satan wants you to stay away from. Jesus Christ is the only way to escape the lies and deceptions of the demonic realm.

Only in the Word of God, will you learn the truth. This is Spiritual Warfare! The souls of mankind are at stake. Your soul is at stake. Your eternity is at stake.

This is why my heart breaks for those who call themselves “Christians” and do not believe the Word of God.

Satan has blinded you to the truth. He has many “secret agents” masquerading as pastors, teachers, and “spiritual” leaders. He uses his demonic influences throughout the media that most are continually glued to. The more he can keep you away from his Creator and yours, the better he can seduce and convince you of the many lies like those listed in the table above.

Comparing Belief to the Truth

Karma

• The Belief  – There is such thing as karma
  • God’s Word States: …Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people… – Hebrews 9:27-28
  • Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. – Galatians 6:7-8 NLT

Karma is not a biblical perspective. Many people contend that karma is a valid and spiritually harmless principle. It refers to cause and effect; what you have done in the past or present will determine your future. It is related to the idea of reincarnation; what you do in this life will determine the nature of your next life, after your “rebirth.”

While karma is inescapable—you get what you give—the Bible suggests that because God will forgive those who earnestly seek His grace, our physical actions do not result in inevitable spiritual outcomes. Karma teaches that an impersonal force is behind our future, and reality shows that people sometimes get what they deserve—but sometimes they do not.

In contrast, the Bible teaches that a personal, engaged Creator uniquely and predictably rewards and punishes every individual based upon His explicit life principles, leaving nothing to chance. In other words, in a world driven by karma, man determines his own future; in God’s universe, everyone’s future is in His hands.

Sexual Relations

• The Belief – Premarital sex between unmarried people who love each other is morally acceptable
  • God’s Word States: …Because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. – 1 Corinthians 7:2 NLT
  • Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
  • So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. – 1 Corinthians 7:8-9

While American culture has become increasingly comfortable and casual regarding sexual relations, the Bible is clear that such relations are to occur only within the context of marriage. Sexual relations among people who are married, but not to each other, are also forbidden, commonly known as adultery.

Absolute Moral Truth & Guidance

• The Belief – Absolute moral truth does not exist
  • God’s Word States: Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. – John 17:17

Indisputably, millions of Americans have moved away from believing that the Bible contains relevant and reliable moral absolutes for their life. Most people (70%) rely upon their feelings, experiences, or the council of family and friends to decide what is right and wrong.

• The Belief – Most trusted personal source of moral guidance is something other than the Bible
  • God’s Word States: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. – 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

Relatively few (31%) identify the Bible as their primary source of moral guidance. This situation is reminiscent of the scriptural passage that cautioned that people abandoned God’s truth and did what seemed right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6).

Yet the Bible explains that it is God’s guidance, suitable to affect every dimension of our life with His truth (2 Tim. 3:16). To prepare His people to live successful lives, God provided us with everything required to live a godly life, including the Bible (2 Peter 1:3-7) (2 Peter 1:19-21). We are assured that His Law is right and true and serves our best interests when it is followed (John 17:17, Romans 7:12).

All Faiths are Not Equal

• The Belief – Having some faith matters more than which faith
  • God’s Word States: Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11
  • This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:11-12

• The Belief – All religious faiths are of equal value
  • God’s Word States: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6
  • Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12

Without the Bible as a guidebook for life, it is not surprising that people are confused about how life works. Worldviews that conflict with the biblical perspective deny or downplay sin. For instance,

• Marxism teaches that people were originally good but were corrupted by society.
• Secular humanism posits that people are neither good nor bad, they are who they are.
• Eastern Mysticism states that everyone is a divine creature engaged in the eternal pursuit of unity and a perfected consciousness, but certainly not inherently sinful.

People are Not Basically Good

The biblical narrative tells a different story, describing how Adam and Eve sinned and passed along a heritage of sinfulness to all of humanity.

• The Belief – People are basically good
  • God’s Word States: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. – Luke 18:19
  • The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! – Psalm 14:2-3

• The Belief – People are not born into sin and therefore do not need to be saved by Jesus Christ
  • God’s Word States: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. – Romans 5:12
  • Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. – Romans 5:18
  • For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. – Psalm 51:5

The result is that no one is protected from having a sinful nature. We cannot overcome the effects of sin without appropriating the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our personal spiritual, eternal redemption.

Yet most Americans believe in their own goodness and are not overly concerned about the effects of sin… if it even exists.

Wealth & Success

• The Belief – Personal wealth is to be used to achieve outcomes other than advancing God’s purposes
  • God’s Word States: Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – Matthew 19:21
• The Belief – Success is about happiness, fulfillment, good health, higher consciousness, goodness, or productivity
  • God’s Word States: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. – Joshua 1:8

Interestingly, when it comes to life outcomes the views of people who have a biblical worldview and those who don’t are diametrically opposed.

For instance, four out of five people with a biblical worldview believe that the personal accumulation of wealth has been entrusted to them by God to manage for His purposes (81%). However, just one out of five other adults (19%) embrace that belief.

Adults with a biblical worldview were nearly universally agreed that success is best indicated by consistent obedience to God (98%).

Across the nation, though, just one out of five people (21%) bought that perspective. In their minds, success was more like to be defined as being a “good person” (a chief ideal of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism), experiencing happiness or freedom (a view pushed by Postmodernism), or living a healthy and productive life without economic oppression (a Marxist objective).

Wealth is an Illusion of Security

⁵ Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? ⁶ They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. ⁷ Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. ⁸ Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough ⁹ to live forever and never see the grave.

¹⁰ Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. ¹¹ The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, ¹² but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. ¹³ This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude

¹⁴ Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates. ¹⁵ But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

¹⁶ So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. ¹⁷ For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. ¹⁸ In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. ¹⁹ But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day. ²⁰ People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.

Psalm 49:5-20

A Call to Return to the Lord

“In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you…² If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul…⁹ “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do… ¹⁰ The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

Deuteronomy 30:1-10

The Choice of Life or Death

¹¹ “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach…¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you…

¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Two Common Factors

According to George Barna, who directed and analyzed the data, these most seductive unbiblical perspectives have two factors in common. Control and pleasure.

Barna explained. “Whether we are taking charge of our destiny, our spirituality, boundaries dictated by truth, moral behaviors, or wealth management strategies, Americans are largely driven by a need to have control of every aspect of their lives.

“Biblical Christianity threatens that self-interest by requiring us to deliver control of our lives to God,” Barna said. “It is clear from the research that most individuals—even a large majority of those who consider themselves to be Christian, and who participate in Christian activities—are unwilling to surrender the reins of their life to a God whom they do not personally know, understand, or trust.”

Barna suggested that the other seductive life views center on experiencing pleasure. several of the most seductive unbiblical worldviews focus on providing the individual with pleasure through sexual, material, or relational means.

“Biblical Christianity is about giving God control, making choices that reflect His prescribed ways of life. That’s hard for Americans to embrace,” Barna commented. “A faith that esteems brokenness, submission, surrender, sacrifice, and simplicity is in some ways antithetical to the American ideal. But that is the ultimate choice that every one of us has to make.”

Please Do not be Deceived any Longer

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸ But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²² Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 1

God’s Judgment of Sin

⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

⁵ But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

⁶ He will judge everyone according to what they have done. ⁷ He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

⁸ But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. ⁹ There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.

¹⁰ But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism.

Romans 2

All People Are Sinners

⁹ Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. ¹⁰ As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous— not even one. ¹¹ No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. ¹² All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ¹³ “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” ¹⁴  “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵ “They rush to commit murder. ¹⁶ Destruction and misery always follow them. ¹⁷ They don’t know where to find peace.” ¹⁸ “They have no fear of God at all.”

²² We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴ Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…

Romans 3

Christ Died for Sinners

⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Romans 5

The Holy Spirit Filled Christian

⁵ Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

⁶ So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

⁹ But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

¹⁰ And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. ¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

¹² Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die.

But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8

Please Be Very Sure of Your Eternal Destiny

I pray that you would make sure that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and you live your life based on His Word alone. Do not allow anyone to lead you astray. The consequences of not knowing the truth as revealed only in the Word of God are terrifying.

Eternity in hell along with Satan and his demonic realm is unnecessary. Jesus Christ gave His life for you! Satan hasn’t, nor any New Age guru. Mohamed did not die for you, nor Budah or any other entity. Only Jesus Christ.