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Only one in three Americans now believes salvation is through Christ alone

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A recent survey has found that only 35% of Americans believe salvation is obtained through faith in Christ alone, while 48% believe salvation can be earned through being a good person, Arizona Christian University (ACU) reports.

The survey of 2,000 American adults conducted by the Cultural Research Center at ACU showed that just one in three Americans now agrees with the statement: “You consider yourself to be a Christian; and when you die you will go to Heaven only because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior.” The poll also found that 52% of people who identify as Christian believe “works” can be a means to obtain God’s salvation.

Moreover, the poll found, large numbers of people attending churches whose doctrine teaches salvation comes only through faith in Christ still believe someone can be saved through being a good person. Those adopting this view include 46% of Pentecostals, 44% of mainline Protestants (44%), and 42% of evangelicals. Seventy percent of Catholics share that view, the poll found.

According to ACU, the survey demonstrates a steep drop in the number of Americans who now believe Christ is the only way to salvation, when compared to previous generations. “This lack of understanding of basic Christian theology is stunning, with potentially devastating consequences for individual souls and really for all aspects of American life and culture,” ACU President Len Munsil said in a statement on the university website.

“It’s a wakeup call for the church, and for leaders in all areas of influence, to speak, teach, and work to restore biblical truth,” Munsil added. “Many souls will be lost if people are misled by the false notion that we can earn our way to heaven, rather than recognizing the truth that Christ alone and His righteousness are the basis for our salvation.”