The portion of born-again Christians who believe Jesus was sinless during His time on earth has declined significantly, according to a new survey.
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The American Worldview Inventory 2023 found just 44% of born-again Christians believe Jesus didn’t commit any sins during His life on earth, down from 58% in 2020, The Christian Post reported.
The survey, conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, also yielded a number of other troubling results.
But the rejection of the sinless nature of Christ — a metric that experienced a 14-point shift — is a finding that directly violates Scripture.
The Bible proclaims in 1 Peter 2:22 (NIV), “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” And 1 John 3:5 (NIV) adds, “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.” There are also other Scriptures affirming similar sentiments, including 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Portions of the American Worldview Inventory assessed Americans’ changes in religious devotion overall, though statistics focused on born-again Christians are perhaps among the most alarming.
Two of the biggest negative transformations surround assessments of God’s calling and a deep commitment to one’s personal faith.
“The percentage of born-again adults who believe that they have a unique, God-given calling or purpose for their life has been cut nearly in half, from 88% to 46%,” read a statement announcing the results. “The second major reorientation was a 35-point swing regarding born-again individuals claiming that they are deeply committed to practicing their faith.”
It continued, “The proportion dropped from a very robust 85% in 2020 to merely half of the group (50%) in 2023.”
Another disturbing trend was the decrease among born-again Christians in the belief human life is sacred. Sixty percent of Christians answered affirmatively in 2020, with that proportion decreasing 12 points to 48% in 2023.
There was even a six-point decrease in the belief “God is the basis of all truth,” down to 63% in 2023 from 69% in 2020.
However, there were some metrics on biblical beliefs that did improve — and two areas where this was observed involved purpose and obedience.
Overall, 65% of born-again Christians agreed that the “purpose of life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Just 56% said the same in 2020.
Also, there was a five percentage point increase among Christians who believe success is best described as “consistent obedience to God” (45% in 2020 versus 50% in 2023).
The negative shifts, though, are certain to capture attention. Dr. George Barna, director of the Cultural Research Center, said the pandemic likely expedited some of these changes among believers.
“The impact of the pandemic and the strong-arm tactics of government during the lockdown years may have shaken the faith of many Christians,” he said. “The huge drop in foundational perspectives among born-again adults may foretell local churches being less able to rely on the active and reliable support of that critical niche of the church body.”
Barna continued, “This is a time when pastors would be wise to return to many basic Christian principles to rebuild the spiritual foundation of their congregants.”
Overall, among all U.S. adults, the percentage of the population with a biblical worldview has decreased 6% to 4%, shedding further light on the lostness of the culture.
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