Article by site founder, Connie Rice
It’s no wonder that evil is rising and people are fearful, confused, and deceived! A recent Lifeway Research article reveals this statistic – not 31% of the population or 31% of U.S. adults or 31% of all churchgoers; only 31% of regular churchgoers! One needs to start by defining the term “regular churchgoer”, which for the purposes of the study by Lifeway Research, were those who attended a Protestant church at least once a month. That alone is telling – I would like to know what the statistic is for people who attend church weekly, and again what percentage of those “regular churchgoers” serve the Lord regularly in a ministry. Hopefully, the percentage of daily Bible reading would be much higher within that segment of Christians. I’m also curious of what the statistics are for others who claim the Bible as foundational to their faith (Mormon, Jewish with Old Testament, etc.). However, the statistics of this study do solve the mystery of why so many self-professing Christians have opinions all over the map regarding the issues of our day and can gravitate to what “sounds good and/or compassionate/loving” even if it clearly conflicts with what God teaches in Scripture.
“I want to know one thing, the way to heaven: how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He has written it down in a book! Oh, give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be: “A man of one book.”
John Wesley
“So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society.”
John Quincy Adams
Although God has made Himself known through all He has made and recent discoveries continue to support the teachings of Scripture, we cannot really know God outside of His Word. Where does our understanding of who God is coming from? Is it who we would like Him to be? Is it who the world says He is? Are we blaming God for the challenges and suffering we experience in this earthly life even though He told us that evil and suffering is because Satan is the prince of this broken world brought about by the sin of Adam and Eve? Satan continually works to deceive people and destroy life and the good that God brings about. God did not have to reveal Himself to us through the gift of His Word, but knew that we could not save ourselves. Out of His love for sinful human beings, He chose to reveal Himself to us through the Bible and provided us with the ability to know what is true as well as enjoy a personal relationship with Himself through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His victory over both sin and death. Through Him, we have hope for eternity and righteousness before a holy God – not our own righteousness, but Jesus’ righteousness that covers those who repent of their sins and choose to allow Him to be Lord of their lives. We are given power from the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible, have a life with God’s peace and supernatural strength to overcome sin in our lives – in doing so, we bring God the glory He so deserves.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me’. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
John 1:1-18
The more we know God’s Word by reading it every day, all the way through, repeatedly throughout our lives, the easier it is to navigate the world with discernment. I’ve found that the more I know God through His Word, there are several things that stand out, making it easier to discern importan issues of our day:
- Since God is the Author of life and death entered the perfect world He created because Satan deceived Adam & Eve – if an issue of our day leads to life (babies being born, etc.), it’s from God and if it leads to death (abortion, euthenasia, etc.) – it’s from Satan.
- Since God is light and in Him is no darkness at all – if an issue of our day leads to light (freedom of religion, freedom of speech, neighborhoods and cities being safe, etc.), it’s from God and if it leads to darkness (more crime, oppression, censorship, depression, addiction, sexual violence, anxiety, etc.) – it’s from Satan.
Basic principles are clearly taught in the beginning of Scripture (it’s why Satan has been attacking the book of Genesis for decades) and supported by other areas of Scripture:
- God created the institution of marriage between a man and a woman and that has been the best foundation for healthy societies in human history and has been proven again and again to be best for children.
“Children Do Better When Raised in Intact, Two-Parent Homes” is the title of a National Review article.
- God created humans to be male and female and does not make mistakes, so the ideology that some are born in the wrong body is false. Jesus Himself repeats Genesis 1:27 when answering a question about divoce. It is not compassionate to encourage someone (especially a child) to take dangerous drugs and non-reversible surgeries (having healthy body parts removed because they are uncomfortable with puberty – the body is in transition, so it is not uncommon for kids to feel uncomfortable with the process; it’s an awkward time). The answer is help them affirm their biological gender while providing support for them with any other emotional, mental, environmental, or societal or possible abuse issues that may have contributed to their feelings.
“Now that I’m no longer a trans woman, I’m free from crushing disappointment. The relief of reclaiming my identity as Jonathan and turning back the efforts to become a different person was uplifting, emotionally and physically. I’m also relieved because people I thought I might have let down by turning away from my transgender identity—such as my parents—instead support me. Now I want to be an activist in support of “detransitioners”—people moving back to their birth sex. I want to warn people about the pain and disappointment I experienced. And I want to help them accept the value and beauty they naturally possess. While I’ve abandoned part of my life’s journey, a life in Christ will bring the healing my transgender experience failed to accomplish. Jesus’s work on the cross has saved my life, turned me away from my pain, and provided the transformation necessary to share my testimony with the world.”
Jonathan Gass quote from his article, “Finally Transformed: From Transgender to Christian” for “The Gospel Coalition”
Biblical principles are what made Americans the most free, responsible, hard-working, prosperous, generous, and compassionate individuals in all of human history. May all of us see the importance of Bible literacy and commit to reading and studying the Bible daily throughout the rest of our lives. An article by the Christian History Institute may be a good place to start to better understand the importance of this endeavor: “Applying Biblical Principles to Social Issues”. Satan would like nothing better than to keep people away from knowing their Creator and living in a way that reflects Jesus to the rest of the nation and the world. A healthy fear of God makes us better people, citizens, neighbors, parents, siblings, etc. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to make a positive difference with our lives. To God be the glory!
© Constance Rice 2026
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