Last night, we watched a Joyce Meyer episode in which she spoke on “Religious Attitudes” (which could be a whole post series) but she gave this staggering statistic (at least on the surface):
“Only 13% of all “Christians” believe that the Word of God is absolute truth.”
Now, go back and re-read this statistic, this statement. It’s not 100%, 75% or even 50%….but 13%! It’s not that only 13% atheists, sinners or non-believers don’t believe that the Word of God is the absolute truth but Christians. Does it surprise you, shock you, anger you or sadden you? Personally, it doesn’t surprise me or shock me, it saddens me and it angers me. We have been given God Himself through His Word, and yet we treat it like it’s a children’s fable. We put more faith in the worldly magazines we read, and the words of “wisdom” found on talk shows like Oprah than we do the living, divinely-inspired and written Word of God.
There can be no half-truths or selective belief when it comes to God and His Word, His Truth: you either believe it completely, fully, totally and unconditionally or you don’t believe it at all. God isn’t going to force us to believe but He is going to force us to commit to our belief. So, what do you believe as a “christian” and if you do believe, are you willing to place it at the center of your life and live by it, in all its glory, power, authority, mercy, grace and love?
Personally, I believe 100% that the Bible is the absolute, living, divinely-inspired and inerrant Word and Truth of God. My little mind may have a hard time comprehending it all but that doesn’t change whether it’s true or not. Now, the difficult part….living like I believe it is the absolute truth of God. How dangerous would I be if I actually acted as if I believe it? How dangerous will you be? How dangerous as a church will we be? I don’t think we can truly fathom how dangerous we would be but satan does and it causes him to shiver.
I’d like to know where that statistic came from because I simply do not believe that it is true. I believe that this “statistic” is false. Let me explain. What was the standard for determining the term “Christian” in that statistic? Where they true Christians are were many of them only claiming to be Christians when this poll (I’m guessing this information was gathered from a poll) was taken.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ (23) And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
We see here in this passage in Matthew those who are claiming to be Jesus’ followers but Jesus says that He never knew them.
What I am saying is how can a true Christian deny the authority of scripture, which is the infallible Word of God?
Jesus said: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Mat 5:18)
And also the apostle Paul wrote under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit: ALL Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
A true believer cannot deny this. Along the same lines is those “statistics” you hear that the divorce rate for Christians and non-Christians are practically the same. Again, I call into question the truth of that so-called statistic. See this post for more on the divorce discussion and “Christian statistics”: http://micah7.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/divorcing-fact-from-fiction/
By: Micah Thornton on July 9, 2009
at 10:51 pm
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By: Posts about Holy Spirit as of July 10, 2009 | PRAYtheREVOLUTION on July 10, 2009
at 12:22 pm
Micah, don’t know were Joyce got it from but I’d bet it’s a reliable stat on the surface. As far as whether everyone who participated are geniune Christians, I believe that is debatable. That was why I added my own emphasis, “christians.” I agree that many people who call themselves christians in our world are not true followers of Christ. Their actions and beliefs don’t reflect their words…think obama. He can talk it all day to gain votes but his “fruit” screams otherwise. Also true of many in our own churches.
And as you state, it’s in our actions and how we live our lives that define us a disciples of Christ. And I also agree that if you don’t believe that the Bible is the absolute truth, then you don’t believe in the True God or the crucified or resurrected Christ.
Nonetheless, it think it’s a telling stat. Thanks for stopping by and please visit anytime. I checked out your blog. I enjoyed reading it.
By: patrickandchristy on July 10, 2009
at 12:37 pm
Micah, you just up the road in Rincon?
By: patrickandchristy on July 10, 2009
at 12:39 pm
Ah yes, the “fruit” is so telling isn’t it? While the world will say, “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover”, scripture teaches otherwise. When you come to an apple tree and you see apples, it doesn’t take long before you come to the conclusion that it is, in fact, an apple tree. So you will know them by their fruits:
Matthew 7:16-20 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (17) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. (18) A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
And to answer your question, yes my church is in Rincon, on Goshen Road, which I am sure you no doubt discerned from my links; and I myself live in Garden City.
By: Micah Thornton on July 10, 2009
at 3:37 pm
Hey Micah, good to see a local visiting. We attend The Sanctuary here in Savannah. Good example but how often do we as a Christian church try to convince the world that we are one thing when in fact we’re the complete opposite. Again, thanks for your input.
By: patrickandchristy on July 11, 2009
at 12:45 am
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