I read through this study done by the Barna Group and the result were not incredibly surprising to me. Basically, a solid majority of Christians polled did not believe in the existence of Satan and a huge chunk believed did not believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit.
As a true believer in the living God, I am really not at all surprised by this study. Too many Christians in America have let the secular and postmodern influences creep into their lives and let it corrupt their ideas and thinking.
If you are Catholic or Anglican, you are sure to recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday. It is a very simple, straightforward statement of faith and is probably the foundation of Christian faith.
You cannot claim to be a Christian simply because you were raised in a Christian family. God does not have grandchildren, only children. Attending church is also not an indicator that you are a Christian. Simply praying the sinner’s prayer does not mean much either. Baptism does not save you from damnation either.
The only way to become a true believer is to accept Jesus, God’s only Son, as the savior of your life. And you must do it within your heart because words and deeds mean nothing without the heart behind it. God judges based on your heart and nothing else.
Although the results of the study run by the Barna Group does not surprise me all that much, I am saddened that probably many people who claim to be Christians are nothing more than misguided fools. It makes the whole experience, the whole lifestyle appear to be trite and pointless.
When you do not believe the foundational doctrines of your religion, then what good is it really? You may as well abandon your faith in favor of worldly things because God does not appreciate lukewarm Christianity. He has stated that he would rather see you fall to this world than try and have it both ways.
As someone who is a member of struggling church that left the Episcopal Church over these very fundamental doctrines, I take this very seriously.
I would like to call all true believing pastors to elaborate the fundamental truths of their beliefs to their congregation, especially those who are leaders. Everyone attending any Christian church needs to know and understand what the truth is, even if they do not like it (and there are many). If you lose members, let them go. Their life is not your responsibility, spiritual or otherwise. Your job is to keep them on track in their faith as best you can.
And for everyone who is not a Christian, please understand that many of those in America who claim to be Christian are really not. It is very obvious among those who are, provided you fully understand the fundamental beliefs of the Christianity.