A survey by the Barna Research Group

[Johann]

A survey by the Barna Research Group suggests widespread confusion about the gospel - even among churchgoers who feel responsible to spread the gospel. Almost half of the respondents (46%) say they have a personal responsibility to explain their beliefs to others. Most of those “evangelizers” (81%) believe that the Bible is accurate in all its teachings and that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected (94%). But 48% of the evangelizers also believe that “if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others...they will earn places in heaven.” “There is plenty of reason for churches to worry if nearly one-half of their people who believe in evangelism also believe in salvation by works,” says George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group. “The central message of Protestantism is in salvation by faith alone in Christ, yet (many) Protestant evangelizers seem to be preaching a different message.” Respondents from “mainline” Protestant churches tended to believe in salvation by works more frequently than those from “evangelical” churches. Yet pastors from mainline churches seemed more confident in their members’ ability to evangelize. Almost half (46%) of mainline pastors believe their congregations are qualified to present the gospel, while only one-fourth (24%) of Baptist pastors do.

In a 1992 survey ~1/3 of born-again Christians (and 54% of all respondents including so called "born again") stated that all good people will go to heaven whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not. (They need to read Ro 3:19,20 & then Ro 3:21-4:25) Furthermore almost 25% of "born again" respondents said that while Jesus was on earth He sinned like other men!

G.K. Chesterton has said, “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”

A simple acrostic of FAITH:

F ~ FACTS. Faith is not based on a blind leap into the unknown and unknowable, as many liberal and neoorthodox theologians would have us believe. It is based on the facts of God's redeeming work through His Son Jesus Christ.

A ~ AGREEMENT. It is one thing to know the truth of the gospel; it is quite another to agree with it. The believing heart affirms the truth it receives from God's Word.

I ~ INTERNALIZATION = the inner desire of a believer to accept and apply the truth of the gospel to his own life. Internalization also involves the genuine desire to obey Christ as Lord. (John 8:31).

T ~ TRUST. In some ways and in some contexts, trust is a synonym for faith. But trust also carries the idea of having UNRESERVED CONFIDENCE in God to keep His promises to never forsake us as His children and to provide all our needs.

H ~ HOPE. Every believer is saved in the HOPE of going to live eternally with God in heaven, although he has never seen heaven or seen the Lord in whom he believes. The vast majority of those who have trusted in Christ over the centuries have never seen Him. Even those who saw Him after the resurrection and witnessed His ascent to heaven had only the HOPE, and not yet the reality, of their joining Him one day in heaven. Until he meets the Lord through death or by rapture, every believer must live in HOPE of that which he has not yet fully received

The Romans Road to Salvation | Precept Austin

www.preceptaustin.org

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

A survey by the Barna Research Group suggests widespread confusion about the gospel - even among churchgoers who feel responsible to spread the gospel. Almost half of the respondents (46%) say they have a personal responsibility to explain their beliefs to others. Most of those “evangelizers” (81%) believe that the Bible is accurate in all its teachings and that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected (94%). But 48% of the evangelizers also believe that “if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others...they will earn places in heaven.” “There is plenty of reason for churches to worry if nearly one-half of their people who believe in evangelism also believe in salvation by works,” says George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group. “The central message of Protestantism is in salvation by faith alone in Christ, yet (many) Protestant evangelizers seem to be preaching a different message.” Respondents from “mainline” Protestant churches tended to believe in salvation by works more frequently than those from “evangelical” churches. Yet pastors from mainline churches seemed more confident in their members’ ability to evangelize. Almost half (46%) of mainline pastors believe their congregations are qualified to present the gospel, while only one-fourth (24%) of Baptist pastors do.

In a 1992 survey ~1/3 of born-again Christians (and 54% of all respondents including so called "born again") stated that all good people will go to heaven whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not. (They need to read Ro 3:19,20 & then Ro 3:21-4:25) Furthermore almost 25% of "born again" respondents said that while Jesus was on earth He sinned like other men!

G.K. Chesterton has said, “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”

A simple acrostic of FAITH:

F ~ FACTS. Faith is not based on a blind leap into the unknown and unknowable, as many liberal and neoorthodox theologians would have us believe. It is based on the facts of God's redeeming work through His Son Jesus Christ.

A ~ AGREEMENT. It is one thing to know the truth of the gospel; it is quite another to agree with it. The believing heart affirms the truth it receives from God's Word.

I ~ INTERNALIZATION = the inner desire of a believer to accept and apply the truth of the gospel to his own life. Internalization also involves the genuine desire to obey Christ as Lord. (John 8:31).

T ~ TRUST. In some ways and in some contexts, trust is a synonym for faith. But trust also carries the idea of having UNRESERVED CONFIDENCE in God to keep His promises to never forsake us as His children and to provide all our needs.

H ~ HOPE. Every believer is saved in the HOPE of going to live eternally with God in heaven, although he has never seen heaven or seen the Lord in whom he believes. The vast majority of those who have trusted in Christ over the centuries have never seen Him. Even those who saw Him after the resurrection and witnessed His ascent to heaven had only the HOPE, and not yet the reality, of their joining Him one day in heaven. Until he meets the Lord through death or by rapture, every believer must live in HOPE of that which he has not yet fully received

The Romans Road to Salvation | Precept Austin

www.preceptaustin.org

We are saved by grace through faith alone; but we recognize the fruit that we see in others: the love, joy, kindness, gentleness, patience, goodness, self control, faith, peace. God works on these attributes, grows them within us throughout our lives. The conundrum is that He has you on His list _ in the Book of Life _ to be saved _ before you were born. So He works in each of us differently, some get saved in their youth and some close to death. So we actually see Him working in the lives of unbelievers who actually bear fruit long before they are saved. Seems backwards doesn't it? Some are first and some are last. Still it is not their works that save them. We look at them and have this inner sense that this person is on God's list to be saved. Ultimately they will be drawn to Christ, the only way to salvation, after they sort it out.
In a Christian nation, we think this way, because we were brought this way with Biblical principles whether we realize them or not. But in India or China, this concept recognizing God's elect based on fruit in their lives doesn"t seem applicable. Their cultures, government, laws, ways and beliefs do not resemble the same path to God and so the Gospel is more crucial. In the west we are brought with Christ, we celebrate holidays and see churches at every turn; not so in other countries. In the back of our lost, rebellious minds we know the story - just haven't accepted it yet. Imagine being brought with the idea we all reincarnate after we die and sometimes into animals or animals into humans? And this concept of Karma dictates where we go. Or as in a Muslum nation, they are taught to follow the Quran and Mohammed is tue greatest prophet. Is fruit prevalent in those countries.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

A survey by the Barna Research Group suggests widespread confusion about the gospel - even among churchgoers who feel responsible to spread the gospel. Almost half of the respondents (46%) say they have a personal responsibility to explain their beliefs to others. Most of those “evangelizers” (81%) believe that the Bible is accurate in all its teachings and that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected (94%). But 48% of the evangelizers also believe that “if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others...they will earn places in heaven.” “There is plenty of reason for churches to worry if nearly one-half of their people who believe in evangelism also believe in salvation by works,” says George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group. “The central message of Protestantism is in salvation by faith alone in Christ, yet (many) Protestant evangelizers seem to be preaching a different message.” Respondents from “mainline” Protestant churches tended to believe in salvation by works more frequently than those from “evangelical” churches. Yet pastors from mainline churches seemed more confident in their members’ ability to evangelize. Almost half (46%) of mainline pastors believe their congregations are qualified to present the gospel, while only one-fourth (24%) of Baptist pastors do.

In a 1992 survey ~1/3 of born-again Christians (and 54% of all respondents including so called "born again") stated that all good people will go to heaven whether they have embraced Jesus Christ or not. (They need to read Ro 3:19,20 & then Ro 3:21-4:25) Furthermore almost 25% of "born again" respondents said that while Jesus was on earth He sinned like other men!

G.K. Chesterton has said, “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”

A simple acrostic of FAITH:

F ~ FACTS. Faith is not based on a blind leap into the unknown and unknowable, as many liberal and neoorthodox theologians would have us believe. It is based on the facts of God's redeeming work through His Son Jesus Christ.

A ~ AGREEMENT. It is one thing to know the truth of the gospel; it is quite another to agree with it. The believing heart affirms the truth it receives from God's Word.

I ~ INTERNALIZATION = the inner desire of a believer to accept and apply the truth of the gospel to his own life. Internalization also involves the genuine desire to obey Christ as Lord. (John 8:31).

T ~ TRUST. In some ways and in some contexts, trust is a synonym for faith. But trust also carries the idea of having UNRESERVED CONFIDENCE in God to keep His promises to never forsake us as His children and to provide all our needs.

H ~ HOPE. Every believer is saved in the HOPE of going to live eternally with God in heaven, although he has never seen heaven or seen the Lord in whom he believes. The vast majority of those who have trusted in Christ over the centuries have never seen Him. Even those who saw Him after the resurrection and witnessed His ascent to heaven had only the HOPE, and not yet the reality, of their joining Him one day in heaven. Until he meets the Lord through death or by rapture, every believer must live in HOPE of that which he has not yet fully received

The Romans Road to Salvation | Precept Austin

www.preceptaustin.org

We are saved by grace through faith alone; but we recognize the fruit that we see in others: the love, joy, kindness, gentleness, patience, goodness, self control, faith, peace. God works on these attributes, grows them within us throughout our lives. The conundrum is that He has His chosen on His list _ in the Book of Life _ to be saved _ before we were born. So He works in each of us differently, some get saved in their youth and some close to death. So we actually see Him working in the lives of unbelievers who actually bear fruit long before they are saved. Seems backwards doesn't it? Some are first and some are last. Still it is not their works that save them. We look at them and have this inner sense that this person is on God's list to be saved. Ultimately they will be drawn to Christ, the only way to salvation, after they sort it out.
In a Christian nation, we think this way, because we were brought up this way with Biblical principles whether we realize them or not. But in India, China, or a Muslim nation, this concept recognizing God's elect based on fruit in their lives doesn"t seem applicable. Their cultures, government, laws, ways and beliefs do not resemble the same path to God and so the Gospel is more crucial. In the western nations we are brought up with Christ, we celebrate holidays and see churches at every turn; but this is not so in other countries. Still Christian principles have permeated the world, the Gospel has been preached to every nation. So most have at least heard the story of Christ and in the back of their lost, confused, rebellious minds, lies this dormant seed, they just haven't accepted it yet.
Jesus died for our sns and was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. To believe that, the lost souls need to hear the rest of the story and be guided by God.