While the ever changing results of surveys give us a glimpse of the direction of things, it does not quite unpack what that means. For example, in The Barna Groups report New Research: Belief in Jesus Rises, Fueled by Younger Adults, it would seem that there is something of a renewal going on in America. Barna asked how many agree with this statement: “I have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus that is still important in my life today.” The answer today is that 66% of Americans say that they have made such a commitment -- up 12 points since 2021 but still down from the high of 77% that made the claim in 2009. Sounds good, right? Well, maybe.
First of all we have no idea how that 66% defines Jesus. Is He the God enfleshed Savior sent to fulfill the eternal promise of Eden that He would save His people from their sins or is He a moral leader who exemplifies right and wrong or is He a selfless example of love without limits or is He the advocate for the poor and oppressed or is He something different? Who knows? There is little unanimity in the definition of who Jesus is and where He is leading among the denominations so there is even less among individuals who see Jesus through their own lens even more so than through the Scriptures.
Second is the question of whether or not this constitutes faith. You do not have to believe what Jesus claims about Himself in order to see some wisdom or virtue in His lifestyle. It could very well be that people reject the very claims that Jesus has made and creeds confess about Him in favor of admiration or adulation or hero-worship. Scripture would ask it differently. Do they believe Jesus is LORD -- not lordly or master but THE Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who called all things into being, became man for us and our salvation, paid the price of our redemption with His suffering and death, and rose again to lead us home to the Father.
Third is the fact that while we all say we want to follow Jesus, the reality is that we want Jesus to follow us. We substitute our own views and values for His and look to Him to endorse them and us in the process. We substitute our own goals and ways for His and expect Him to adopt our agenda and agree with our purposes. We look for a Jesus who cleans up our messes and waits upon us rather than a God whom we would serve. We say we want to walk with Jesus but we expect to be at least equal partners in the way, in the conversation, and in the determination of the endpoint.
All in all, I do think it is better that more people say they want to follow Jesus than did a year or more ago. I am not quite ready to clap my hands and call this a spiritual renewal blowing across the land but I suspect the Holy Spirit can work in this some good for the sake of the Kingdom. That said, the Kingdom of God is hard to poll and always has been. This is especially true for a church that says, I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him... Yup, I think it is better to have more people say they want to walk with Jesus along the way of their lives but, nope, I am not ready to call that a spiritual resurgence across the land. When that happens, we will know it by the rash of people who ask "What then must I do to be saved" and by the splash of many baptismal waters answering that call with the power of God unto salvation.
2 comments:
Sometimes surveys do not give us enough information to draw accurate and substantive conclusions about issues, since the sampling might be skewed, the questions weighted one way or the other, or the analysis cannot be corroborated. I think that Barna’s survey does show that the American people, worn down by years of stifling progressive values, and woke ideology, have begun to rebel by searching for something positive to fill the emptiness that a secular and godless society fosters. Perhaps, many who have begun the faith journey towards a deep relationship with their Lord and Savior are still babes in the flesh, and will need time to learn about the meaning of their redemption and the impact of sin. Many people begin their spiritual journey with a wrong understanding of Jesus, but as the Holy Spirit moves them, they grow. We all needed time to grow, and even when we are old, we are still learning and growing, being tested, maturing in our faith. True enough, some begin the journey well, but do not count the cost, and fall away. Those who are elect cannot lose their salvation, because the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness secures them. But we might say that this idea affirms what the Bible teaches about election. Election and predestination, as taught in God’s word, gives some theologians a lot of problems. They will diligently seek verses that will disprove it. Lutherans believe in predestination, but not in double predestination. It is a problematic verse. I am not uncomfortable with it. The Bible affirms God’s sovereignty to choose people and nations, and to pass over others. One can spin Bible verses to make them more palatable to our thinking, but one cannot ever be so bold as to question God’s sovereignty over His creation. Therefore, if a current survey shows an increase or decrease in numbers of people coming to Jesus, this too, is under the will of God, and His sovereign plan will go forward.
Soli Deo Gloria
There is actually a song called, “I want Jesus to walk with me.” I heard it in a Lutheran church recently; I really had to suppress the anti-peristalsis reflex. The pastor did not check any of the music that was played in this congregation.
Secondly, here is the full answer to the question, “What then must I do to be saved? Acts 1:3, just one little verse, but the power of it exceeds that of a nuclear bomb, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Peace and Joy!
George A. Marquart
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