The State of Theology

Remember that as it is Christ’s work to teach, it is yours to hear and read and study and pray and practice what you hear. Do your part, then, if you expect the benefit. You come not to the school of Christ to be idle. Knowledge drops not into the sleepy dreamer’s mouth, dig for it, as for silver, and search for it in the scriptures as for a hidden treasure

Puritan, Richard Baxter

For quite a few years R.C. Sprouls Ligonier Ministries conducted a survey among Americans. The survey was for those in the church and those outside the church. It was simple questions based on biblical doctrines as a test to see what people believe compared to what scripture teaches.

This survey, as far as I know, began in 2014 and was done every two years until it ended in 2022. The results are terrible and show a real lack of knowledge and also just pure unbelief of scripture within the Evangelicalism. And in many cases those outside the church did far better than those in church.

We live in a world that very technologically advanced, and America would be far more advanced than most other countries, if not all of them. Every cell phone, tablet, and home computer has the ability to have multiple bibles downloaded to it. But within American evangelicalism there is a great deal ignorance concerning God, who God is, salvation, Jesus Christ, ethics and the Bible.

Some lifelong professing believers who grew up in church deny the very truths in the book they claim to live by. This is partly due to a failure in the preaching in my opinion, but also has a lot to do with the lazy attitude of those people. Either way the responsibility remains in the hand of each believer to study diligently and pray for more and more discernment.

In 2022 the question was asked: Does God learn and adapt to different circumstances? 51% of the people outside the church agree. And 48% of professing believers agree. 48% of believers think God is wrong when He states He never changes. And they believe He is wrong when He says He is all knowing!

Another statement in the survey was : Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God. 71% outside the church and 65% of professing believers agreed with that statement. Completely dismissing verses such as Psalms 51:5 and Romans 5:12. Again, the majority of believers thinks scripture is wrong.

Another statement: God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. 56% of professing believers agreed with this. Extremely sad.

The last statement I will mention is: Jesus was a great teacher but he was not God. 46% of those who profess belief in Jesus Christ also profess he in not God!

This survey shows a terrible reality in Evangelicalism, the reality that almost half believe in heresy. Getting up, showering, getting the kids ready, getting dressed and showing up for service every Sunday has done nothing for these people. And many of the statements showed those outside of Christianity believe more of the bible than those who claim to be christian.

Many see theology as a bad thing. I have had people tell me “I don’t need theology” or “I don’t do that theology stuff” and it’s evident. The easy believism church methodology, come up front, repeat after me and get your ticket punched is a theology, but it’s a terrible one. When you speak of God you are involved in theology. The evidence truly does show that the American church, not God’s true church, has a sad, heretical state of theology. And from 2014 till now, it’s only gotten worse.