Research: Majority of Americans Believe Works Are the Key to Salvation

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crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#1
Nov 24, 2012
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#1
Here are some of the shocking (to me) findings in the poll (2020) cited below...

"A majority of Americans, a new survey finds, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal salvation. Faith (generally) and good works, they say, will do the trick "

"Equally as startling, it was found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) believe that a person can gain eternal salvation by “being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. As expected, a much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view."

This salvation-can-be-earned perspective, Barna says, fits well with other widely held views identified in the American Worldview Inventory 2020 that are at odds with biblical teaching.
Those have included:


• There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
• Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
• Right/wrong determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
• The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
• People are basically good (69%)

"“If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,” Barna says. “Most people contend that all faiths are of equal value, that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.”

more at: https://outreachmagazine.com/resour...s-believe-works-are-the-key-to-salvation.html

No wonder this country is in the mess it's in.
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

Senior Member
#2
Jul 2, 2011
21,427
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#2
Faith, without works, is no faith at all. When one claims to believe,, and he truly does, it is works given by the Father. No man has faisth without works even if it is simply believing on the Son of the our Father. Think on Abraham how it was imputed to him as righteousness because he believed. Going through all of the Word there are countless examples of those who believe doing workdsgiven them by the Father. It is all to glorify Him, not us.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#3
Nov 24, 2012
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#3
JaumeJ said:
No man has faisth without works even if it is simply believing on the Son of the our Father. .
Click to expand...
I’m sorry but this is a mass of confusion to conflate believing/faith with our works. It is simply Anti-Gospel…
Here we see the two don’t mix…

Galatians 2:16 CSB
[16] and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

Even James would disagree…

James 2:17 CSB
[17] In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Our faith rests in His works.
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

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#4
Jul 2, 2011
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crossnote said:
I’m sorry but this is a mass of confusion to conflate believing/faith with our works. It is simply Anti-Gospel…
Here we see the two don’t mix…

Galatians 2:16 CSB
[16] and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

Even James would disagree…

James 2:17 CSB
[17] In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Our faith rests in His works.
Click to expand...
You are pushing works of the law. I am not. No man who says he has faith ih and is truthful cannot abide by living an idle life. Our faith is like the talents giventhe servants in theparable. If we receive it, and do nothing, it is given to others who have been moved by faith to act upon it.

Continue calling good works as being under the law, and it is you who are perverting the grace of our Father.

You live to bring up the law without justice and mercy. Sorry, you do not seem to understand and you have been brandishing this against others who believe in good works for many years.

You ae in my prayers for understanding. If by sharing the Word we ar3e under the law, then we are truly guitty, however we share the Word out of Love, His Love, for He is Love.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#5
Apr 5, 2022
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#5
:D Subscribed to another salvation thread.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#6
Sep 4, 2013
30,677
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#6
The majority of Americans and the World are dead wrong!

DEAD WRONG!
 
G

Grandpa

Senior Member
#7
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
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#7
It doesn't seem all that shocking to me.

I have found that very few people understand what Christianity even is.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

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#8
Apr 21, 2021
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#8
The difference between faith and belief is faith is an action word (even demons believe). Faith without works is dead. I can believe a chair will support me if I sit down on it; but it requires faith to act on that belief and sit down.

I believe the confusion arises from the idea that salvation is like a magic formula: say a few magic words and *poof*, you're in the club. This couldn't be more wrong. Saving faith is accompanied by acts of obedience—ongoing acts of obedience.

But it's also wrong to think that works alone can save.
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#9
#9
crossnote said:
Here are some of the shocking (to me) findings in the poll (2020) cited below...

"A majority of Americans, a new survey finds, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal salvation. Faith (generally) and good works, they say, will do the trick "

"Equally as startling, it was found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) believe that a person can gain eternal salvation by “being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. As expected, a much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view."

This salvation-can-be-earned perspective, Barna says, fits well with other widely held views identified in the American Worldview Inventory 2020 that are at odds with biblical teaching.
Those have included:


• There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
• Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
• Right/wrong determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
• The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
• People are basically good (69%)

"“If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,” Barna says. “Most people contend that all faiths are of equal value, that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.”

more at: https://outreachmagazine.com/resour...s-believe-works-are-the-key-to-salvation.html

No wonder this country is in the mess it's in.
Click to expand...
Excellent post here brother. Ive been watching this trend for sometime now. Very prevalent in social media as well as in our society .
This is the famine in the land "Gods truth" because nobody accepts accountability.
Ive noticed that most organizations that say they are to help their fellow man fly under the banner of pride.
The preaching of self love , positive thinking, and entitlement has swept across this land.
Good is called evil and evil good.
Most churches care more about filling the pews than the health of the sheep. Entertainment has taken the place of true worship, making a market place of the house of God.
This is the time that those of the truth need to be stedfast, bold, fearless, for we are called to be ambassadors, of christ. Rightly dividing the word of truth.

For i believe that each one of us were born for such a time as this.
 
A

arthurfleminger

Well-known member
#10
Aug 18, 2021
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#10
JaumeJ said:
Faith, without works, is no faith at all. When one claims to believe,, and he truly does, it is works given by the Father. No man has faisth without works even if it is simply believing on the Son of the our Father. Think on Abraham how it was imputed to him as righteousness because he believed. Going through all of the Word there are countless examples of those who believe doing workdsgiven them by the Father. It is all to glorify Him, not us.
Click to expand...

Your post is correct.

The Bible says many times that we are saved through faith in Christ. So the first step we have to ask ourselves is, "What is faith in Christ?"

Many Christians have a very truncated view of the definition of 'faith in Christ'. This intellectual viewpoint is that, "I believe that Jesus is God and is my Savior, therefore I'm saved, I need do nothing else and my salvation can't be taken from me."

A more appropriate view of 'faith in Christ' is believing that Jesus is God, that He is our Savior, and by obeying His commandments and following His teachings.

There are many sections in the Bible in which Jesus informs us that we must do something in order to cooperate with His gift of salvation. All the references below involve acts/works on our part and were taught by Jesus.

1. Love one another as I have loved you
2. Only those that do the Father's will shall be saved
3. How can you say you love Me if you don't obey My commandments
4. Jesus tells us we must show our love for our fellow brothers/sisters in Matthew's Judgement of Nations
5. Be not hearers of the word but doers
6. He that hears My Word but doesn't act upon them has a faith built on weak and shifting sand
7. Jeuse taught us the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Will be done"
8. Love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself and you shall have eternal live
9. Many other examples that I haven't cited here but all involve doing something to cooperate with our salvation.

The bible cites faith in Jesus many times, but in fact the Bible never says faith alone. Of faith, hope, and charity; charity is the greatest and without charity your faith is but a clanging gong, faith without works is dead.

So, each of us must define, what is faith in Jesus. Is it just an intellectual acceptance of Jesus as God and Savior, or is it an acceptance of all that Jesus taught us?
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

Senior Member
#11
Jul 2, 2011
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#11
Yes, Jesus Yeshi Yah has taught all any need know. Actually once one comes to the realization and belief in Him and all He has done, it would be ingracious not to act, and probably impossible not to act.

Why is obedience of the Maker Who is Love, so difficult for some?
 
JTB

JTB

Well-known member
#12
Aug 31, 2021
2,253
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#12
crossnote said:
Here are some of the shocking (to me) findings in the poll (2020) cited below...

"A majority of Americans, a new survey finds, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal salvation. Faith (generally) and good works, they say, will do the trick "

"Equally as startling, it was found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) believe that a person can gain eternal salvation by “being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. As expected, a much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view."

This salvation-can-be-earned perspective, Barna says, fits well with other widely held views identified in the American Worldview Inventory 2020 that are at odds with biblical teaching.
Those have included:


• There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
• Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
• Right/wrong determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
• The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
• People are basically good (69%)

"“If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,” Barna says. “Most people contend that all faiths are of equal value, that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.”

more at: https://outreachmagazine.com/resour...s-believe-works-are-the-key-to-salvation.html

No wonder this country is in the mess it's in.
Click to expand...
God told us thousands of years ago that even His own would turn away from His truth.

We shouldn't be surprised by this.
 
A

Amanuensis

Well-known member
#13
Jun 12, 2021
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#13
If most people think we are saved by good works, then why aren't they doing them? :unsure:

My guess is that most Church folks think they are saved without good works or without needing to give up all vices of the flesh either.

That is more like how most church folks live.

How we live demonstrates what we really believe regardless of what we put down as answers to a survey.
 
crossnote

crossnote

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#14
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
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#14
JaumeJ said:
You are pushing works of the law. I am not. No man who says he has faith ih and is truthful cannot abide by living an idle life. Our faith is like the talents giventhe servants in theparable. If we receive it, and do nothing, it is given to others who have been moved by faith to act upon it.

Continue calling good works as being under the law, and it is you who are perverting the grace of our Father.

You live to bring up the law without justice and mercy. Sorry, you do not seem to understand and you have been brandishing this against others who believe in good works for many years.

You ae in my prayers for understanding. If by sharing the Word we ar3e under the law, then we are truly guitty, however we share the Word out of Love, His Love, for He is Love.
Click to expand...
It was my reaction to one who equates believing to works. Scripture does no such thing to the gift of faith.
You seem to have a mental block in understanding that...
works/law is something we must do in order to attain/merit.
grace is given on account of what Jesus has done...i.e. fulfilled all righteousness in our stead.
Believing, as a gift takes hold of grace...not works/law etc.

Romans 4:16 (KJV) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Galatians 3:12 (KJV) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#15
Nov 24, 2012
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#15
JTB said:
God told us thousands of years ago that even His own would turn away from His truth.

We shouldn't be surprised by this.
Click to expand...
yes, and partially because...

1 John 2:19 (KJV) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
 
crossnote

crossnote

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#16
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
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#16
Amanuensis said:
If most people think we are saved by good works, then why aren't they doing them? :unsure:
Click to expand...
Perhaps they aren't born again and have no Life in them?

Amanuensis said:
My guess is that most Church folks think they are saved without good works or without needing to give up all vices of the flesh either.
Click to expand...
My guess is that most people think they are saved while rejecting the sufficiency of Christ's Work to atone for their sin and continue in self effort holiness, devoid of the Spirit.

Amanuensis said:
How we live demonstrates what we really believe regardless of what we put down as answers to a survey.
Click to expand...
I take it you reject the findings of this survey? The Pew Research has found similar results.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

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#17
Apr 21, 2021
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#17
crossnote said:
yes, and partially because...

1 John 2:19 (KJV) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Click to expand...
You seem to be missing one important point. The ones who stayed were walking in the truth; they were obeying the Lord, doing His will. Those who went out did so because they wanted to go their own way, they didn't want to keep on walking.

"I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father."—2 John 1:4
 
JTB

JTB

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Aug 31, 2021
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#18
ResidentAlien said:
You seem to be missing one important point. The ones who stayed were walking in the truth; they were obeying the Lord, doing His will. Those who went out did so because they wanted to go their own way, they didn't want to keep on walking.

"I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father."—2 John 1:4
Click to expand...
Kinda. The passage of 1 John 2 does talk about those who turned away from Christ (apostasy). The issue of this thread is people who still claim to be of Christ, but are not walking in His truth.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

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#19
Apr 21, 2021
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#19
JTB said:
Kinda. The passage of 1 John 2 does talk about those who turned away from Christ (apostasy). The issue of this thread is people who still claim to be of Christ, but are not walking in His truth.
Click to expand...
I'm not talking about what is the issue of the thread, I was responding to a post someone else posted.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

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#20
Jul 18, 2017
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Majority of Americans Believe Works Are the Key to Salvation
Click to expand...
Since the majority of Americans (or people of any nation) are not saved, this is nothing remarkable. Even many "Christian" groups believe in a salvation of grace + works, or faith + baptism, or some other unbiblical idea. Even many people on Christian forums (including this one) have such false notions. The sad fact is that the true Gospel is not being generally preached.

The Gospel of Christ goes totally against humanistic beliefs and ideas. The supreme sacrifice of Christ also goes totally against what people believe generally about God and Christ. So it is not surprising to see so much spiritual confusion. Then we have theologically liberalism undermining the Gospel and promoting a "Social Gospel". Calvinism is also "another Gospel". Then we have sacramentalism as a means of salvation.

The antidote to all this nonsense is the Bible itself. Now that the Bible is freely available in any language through the internet, people should be encouraged to read the New Testament for themselves and see exactly what is written. That salvation is by God's infinite grace through faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption. PLUS NOTHING. That God justifies the one who believes, and imputes righteousness to the one who believes God and trusts solely in Christ Himself as our Salvation.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our Salvation, our Resurrection, and our Life, when we receive Him as Lord and Savior. He said that He is the Bread of Life, and that eternal life is God's gift to the one who repents and believes and receives Him by faith.
 
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