Is Faith Dwindling?
A recent Pew Research survey indicates that faith is dwindling in America. It revealed that the percentage of Americans who claim to be Christians decreased by 8%. Meanwhile, the number who say they don’t have any religious affiliation increased by 16%.
While many of the unaffiliated are young adults who never expressed belief or who left the faith of their childhood after leaving home, the group also includes older adults who once confessed to be Christian.
That report is disturbing. I’d like to know why. I also wonder if those who left the faith ever had a vital relationship with the Lord.
It’s easy to identify as a Christian because you identify with people who go to church. It can be a social identity rather than an identity with Jesus Christ. But that isn’t God’s definition of being a Christian.
The only way to Christianity is through Jesus, and He wants to share life with us as with a friend. Revelation 3:20, tells us that Jesus is knocking at the door, waiting for us to open it so He can have an intimate visit with us.
God enjoyed communion with Adam and Eve in the garden, but it was spoiled by sin. He reestablished fellowship with Abraham, with Moses, and with David, but every time, God’s people kept straying, turning their backs on Him.
Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we could enjoy intimacy with God through Jesus Christ. It’s about a living, growing relationship, but if we don’t know the cultural history of biblical times, we can’t understand the richness and depth of the relationship He desires.
As God told Abram He would give him the land, rather than rejoice, in response Abram asked, “How can I know I can believe you?” (Gen. 15:8).
God answered by making a covenant with Abram. He said, “Get three animals and cut them in half and lay them beside each other.” Because he understood covenant symbolism , Abraham knew he could believe what God said. In the seven exchanges of covenant, God defined Who He is and what His commitment was to Abram.
God’s answer transformed Abram from worshiping idols to a father who had faith to lay his beloved son on the altar as a sacrifice. Because of their covenant relationship, he didn’t hesitate to lay his son on the altar because he had faith that God would be his protection and provision.
Our understanding is lacking if we aren’t familiar with the ancient covenant ritual and the symbolism in its exchanges. Covenant is central to the Bible. Familiarity to the ritual helps understand God’s Word to us.
In 1975, Robert and I began to learn about covenant and to study the ancient ritual, how it influenced men of the Bible, and what it means for us today.
It has revolutionized our lives, and we want the same for you.
What w
e have learned has just been released in a book, The Great Exchange:Bound by Blood.
If you (1) want to gain new insights in the Word, (2) desire a deeper faith, or (3) yearn for a closer relationship with God, check out The Great Exchange. Those are the three benefits we experienced and that we hear most often from others who have heard the teaching.
Abraham needed something solid to build his faith on. After God initiated the covenant, he learned to trust in a living, covenant-making, covenant-keeping God. We can see the results of faith in his actions.
The evidence of dwindling faith in our country and around the world indicate that today we need something to help build our faith. The Great Exchange: Bound by Blood is now available wherever books are sold.
Learn more about the blood covenant, about The Great Exchange, and what other people are saying about it.