Post by Watchman on Aug 30, 2005 12:47:09 GMT -5
"Survey: Two-Thirds of Evangelicals Doubt Jesus' Words Regarding Salvation Thru Him Alone", Agape Press, August 23, 2005
There's a new poll out which points to a growing rejection among Evangelicals that Jesus is the only way of salvation. For years, most evangelical Christians have been taught and accepted the words of Jesus in John 14:6, where He states, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but my Me." But now a new Newsweek/Beliefnet poll is showing a shocking number of people who call themselves evangelical and born-again have come to reject those words.
"According to the poll results of more than 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older, 68 percent of evangelical Christians believe 'good' people of other faiths can also go to heaven. Nationally, 79 percent of those surveyed said the same thing, with an 'astounding' 91 percent agreement among Catholics ... Evangelicals are among the most churchgoing and religiously attentive people in the United States', Waldman writes, 'and one of the ideas they're most likely to hear from the minister at church on a given Sunday is that the path to salvation is through Jesus."
This statistic is exceedingly shocking. For 2,000 years, the genuine Christian Church held as a core doctrine -- on which there could be no compromise -- that Jesus Christ was the only way to the Father in Heaven. The Reformation was launched on the basis of this creed, plus the doctrine that salvation was by faith alone, without relying upon any human works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Roman Catholic Church slaughtered 70 million Protestants in 1,200 years based upon steadfast adherence to these two doctrines (NOTE: 70 million martyrs figure is found -- The Great Apostasy, Identical With Papal Rome; Or An Exposition of the Mystery of Iniquity, and the Marks and Doom of Antichrist, by Joseph Berg, (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1842) pp. 139-140, 167)
But now, the spiritual descendents of these brave martyrs sit in church pews nearly every Sunday, believing that "good people" of other faiths can go to Heaven. But, the most staggering result of this poll is the realization that a "shocking number of people who call themselves evangelical and born-again" do not believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and that salvation is through Him alone. How can this be? The author of this article gets very close to the truth.
"Waldman believes the best explanation is found in the Newsweek cover story that grew out of the survey. The conclusion it draws is that Americans have become so focused on a very personal style of worship -- that is, forging a direct relationship with God -- that spiritual experience has begun to supplant dogma, or teaching based on the authority of the Bible." (Ibid.)
Amen! We completely concur. For decades, Fundamental Christians have been warning that a "feel-good" mentality had replaced hard doctrinal truth in the hearts and minds of too many pastors who were too eager to fill their pews every Sunday rather than teach the "whole counsel of God". Doctrine gave way to emotion. Faith anchored securely in firm doctrine gave way to feelings. In seeking a "personal relationship" with Jesus, these pastors and people lost sight of the fact that a person can travel down this road only on the basis of believing and adhering to fundamental doctrinal Biblical Truth.
Today, preachers get up and promise their people that they are not going to teach "boring doctrine". Yet, Biblical doctrine is the anchor to the soul, it provides personal assurance of eternal salvation, and it opens the door of peace with Jesus -- the very goal these Liberals seek but cannot find because they are trying to achieve it on their terms, not the Savior's terms.
In his book, Cutting Edge author, Mac Dominick, quotes a survey taken recently, asking the question as to who the most influential Protestant preachers are of the past quarter-century. The answer was: Billy Graham and Rick Warren. More people have been tutored by one of these two men, and by the books and resources their organizations have published, than any other preachers.
But, now we see the evil spiritual fruits of their labors: Many Evangelicals no longer believe Jesus is the only way to Heaven, nor do they believe that salvation is by faith alone. How shocking, and how sad.
However, if there is any silver lining to this absurd news, it is that this terrible and deep falling away from previously held Biblical Truth (Apostasy) is one of the major "signs of the times" which were to indicate to the people living at that time that the appearance of Jesus Christ is very close. Listen:
"Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom, of perdition.." (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary)
Jesus Himself alluded to this great falling away when He lamented: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
This silver lining is the only hope from this awful reality: this apostasy means that the return of Jesus Christ is very close.
There's a new poll out which points to a growing rejection among Evangelicals that Jesus is the only way of salvation. For years, most evangelical Christians have been taught and accepted the words of Jesus in John 14:6, where He states, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but my Me." But now a new Newsweek/Beliefnet poll is showing a shocking number of people who call themselves evangelical and born-again have come to reject those words.
"According to the poll results of more than 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older, 68 percent of evangelical Christians believe 'good' people of other faiths can also go to heaven. Nationally, 79 percent of those surveyed said the same thing, with an 'astounding' 91 percent agreement among Catholics ... Evangelicals are among the most churchgoing and religiously attentive people in the United States', Waldman writes, 'and one of the ideas they're most likely to hear from the minister at church on a given Sunday is that the path to salvation is through Jesus."
This statistic is exceedingly shocking. For 2,000 years, the genuine Christian Church held as a core doctrine -- on which there could be no compromise -- that Jesus Christ was the only way to the Father in Heaven. The Reformation was launched on the basis of this creed, plus the doctrine that salvation was by faith alone, without relying upon any human works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Roman Catholic Church slaughtered 70 million Protestants in 1,200 years based upon steadfast adherence to these two doctrines (NOTE: 70 million martyrs figure is found -- The Great Apostasy, Identical With Papal Rome; Or An Exposition of the Mystery of Iniquity, and the Marks and Doom of Antichrist, by Joseph Berg, (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1842) pp. 139-140, 167)
But now, the spiritual descendents of these brave martyrs sit in church pews nearly every Sunday, believing that "good people" of other faiths can go to Heaven. But, the most staggering result of this poll is the realization that a "shocking number of people who call themselves evangelical and born-again" do not believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and that salvation is through Him alone. How can this be? The author of this article gets very close to the truth.
"Waldman believes the best explanation is found in the Newsweek cover story that grew out of the survey. The conclusion it draws is that Americans have become so focused on a very personal style of worship -- that is, forging a direct relationship with God -- that spiritual experience has begun to supplant dogma, or teaching based on the authority of the Bible." (Ibid.)
Amen! We completely concur. For decades, Fundamental Christians have been warning that a "feel-good" mentality had replaced hard doctrinal truth in the hearts and minds of too many pastors who were too eager to fill their pews every Sunday rather than teach the "whole counsel of God". Doctrine gave way to emotion. Faith anchored securely in firm doctrine gave way to feelings. In seeking a "personal relationship" with Jesus, these pastors and people lost sight of the fact that a person can travel down this road only on the basis of believing and adhering to fundamental doctrinal Biblical Truth.
Today, preachers get up and promise their people that they are not going to teach "boring doctrine". Yet, Biblical doctrine is the anchor to the soul, it provides personal assurance of eternal salvation, and it opens the door of peace with Jesus -- the very goal these Liberals seek but cannot find because they are trying to achieve it on their terms, not the Savior's terms.
In his book, Cutting Edge author, Mac Dominick, quotes a survey taken recently, asking the question as to who the most influential Protestant preachers are of the past quarter-century. The answer was: Billy Graham and Rick Warren. More people have been tutored by one of these two men, and by the books and resources their organizations have published, than any other preachers.
But, now we see the evil spiritual fruits of their labors: Many Evangelicals no longer believe Jesus is the only way to Heaven, nor do they believe that salvation is by faith alone. How shocking, and how sad.
However, if there is any silver lining to this absurd news, it is that this terrible and deep falling away from previously held Biblical Truth (Apostasy) is one of the major "signs of the times" which were to indicate to the people living at that time that the appearance of Jesus Christ is very close. Listen:
"Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom, of perdition.." (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary)
Jesus Himself alluded to this great falling away when He lamented: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
This silver lining is the only hope from this awful reality: this apostasy means that the return of Jesus Christ is very close.