Crisis of Faith: 4 Reasons for the Decline of Christianity

The church is in ruins but all hope is not lost

March 29, 2024

By Jesse Smith

Reprinted from Truth Unmuted

Our recent article, The Nero Trap: The Plot to Extinguish Christianity focused on attempts to destroy Christendom through external enemies, namely the government, media, and intelligence agencies. This commentary focuses on the internal enemies accelerating the crisis of faith many Americans and Westerners are experiencing.

A recent Pew survey documenting the decline of Christianity found that 80% of U.S. adults say religion’s role in American life is shrinking, up from 74% in 2022. The percentage is as high as it has ever been. The survey results are not entirely negative, but there are some startling responses. The trends disclose that:

• Only 28% of Americans believe the Bible should have more influence than the will of the people if the two conflict.
• 41% say that when they disagree with someone about religion, the best thing to do is to avoid discussing religion at all, up from 33% who said this in 2019.
• Just 5% say the best approach is to try and persuade the other person to change their mind (about religion).

The results demonstrate that most Americans don’t want religion featured in the public arena. They also provide clarity on why we are being governed in this fashion, as radical leftist ideologies have taken hold of our institutions, replacing Christian values and influence.

Over the years, previous surveys have documented the mass exodus from Christendom. These facts are still being corroborated as recent headlines reveal.

• The Great Dechurching looks at why people are leaving churches
• In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace
• Decline of Christianity Shows No Signs of Stopping
• Losing their religion: why US churches are on the decline
• Why Gen Z is leaving Christianity – YouTube
• Church Attendance Has Declined in Most U.S. Religious Groups
• Everyone Is Leaving Christianity. Few Know Where They’re Going

Despite the overwhelming evidence, I believe some of the reporting is skewed because of one often missed fact: many Americans identify as Christians because they were raised in religious households and/or it is part of the culture, not because they truly follow Christ. It is not surprising for “cultural Christians” to walk away from a faith they may have never have truly embraced. Nevertheless, the loss of Christian belief and societal influence is a growing trend.

Surveys reveal what is taking place but don’t often examine why a particular phenomenon is occurring. Asking why is critical to understanding and correcting the problem. Some in the Church have done this, but the tide has not been stemmed. Based on my observations, the reasons are numerous, but can be condensed to four critical issues.

1. The Gospel has been perverted

America’s brand of Christianity has degenerated into a system largely designed to keep attendees entertained and dependent. It exists chiefly to fill the treasuries of the myriad of churches dotting the landscape of every city, town, and countryside. The once vibrant, all-consuming Christian life that transformed the world under Roman dictators now equates to repeating the sinner’s prayer, attending church services, and paying tithes and offerings. Is this really the essence of Christian life?

An unbiblical replica of Jesus has taken center stage functioning merely as a life preserver, able to rescue from drowning. However, His lordship and guidance in daily living has largely gone untaught and untested. As a result, too many are stuck in the life preserver waiting to be overcome by raging waters or hungry sharks.

Being a Christian means being like Christ. Mere belief is simply the beginning. The goal is to do what he did and live as he lived. Jesus overcame sin and remained victorious through various trials, temptations, and opposition because he never strayed from willing submission and intimate communion with his Heavenly Father. He provided the pattern that his followers must emulate. He provides the means and strength to accomplish the task by dwelling within through His spirit. But today’s Church emphasizes seeker friendly teachings and methods that don’t encourage picking up one’s cross and following Jesus daily.

Divine life cannot be obtained through church attendance, good works, correct doctrine, submission to leaders, or even studying the scriptures. The life Jesus invites us to share in only comes from quiet communion with and submission to the giver of all life.

When Christianity prioritizes rote tradition and strict adherence to rules and regulations you find many dissatisfied, disillusioned believers wondering what they got themselves into. When it prioritizes emotions and experiences you find instability as life is dictated based on feelings which often sway like a pendulum. Both extremes lead to cynicism and despair and when taken to the extreme, complete abandonment. In contrast, when Christianity makes genuine, personal, and intimate relationship with the Author of our faith the priority, you find life, hope, love, and victory. God through Christ is our tree of life and river of living water. If we don’t eat from his tree and drink from his well, we simply do not possess life!

This is where much of Christianity is amiss. Busyness has replaced intimacy. A disproportionate number are focused on horizontal relationships while neglecting a vertical relationship with our Creator. How many sing songs, read scriptures, recite prayers, and hear sermons Sunday after Sunday but in between develop no relationship with Jesus?

The gospel has been cheapened. The Church has transitioned from making lifelong, cross-bearing disciples, to lukewarm converts lacking commitment, knowledge, and true love for God. Far too many leaders are more concerned with church growth and increased wealth than equipping believers to live the Christian life.

So many converts remain in infancy, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:6-8). They are stuck drinking milk, partially because they are not taught properly by leaders and partly because there is no true desire to make Jesus the lord of their lives. Let’s face it, many Christians want to have their cake and eat it too. They want all the wonderful promises of God, but don’t want to abandon worldly desires and pursuits.

The gospel preached throughout much of Christendom is not the same gospel that Jesus and his apostles preached. Its diluted message of cheap grace enables its converts to live however they please while still claiming Christ’s name. As a result, outsiders have been poisoned as well. When they see Christian marriages ending in divorce as often as non-Christians, where is the hope? When they see Christian leaders imitating the lavish lifestyles of worldly moguls while many congregants are barely surviving, does this endear them to Jesus?

Unfortunately, many church shepherds have become part salesman, part motivational speaker and part CEO while building their own earthly kingdoms. Outsiders see through the chicanery and tend to harden their hearts towards God even more. Sincere, discerning members leave one place for another but often find themselves jumping from the pot to the frying pan.

The Church has morphed from a Spirit-led living organism that at one time held all things in common, into an organization with a vast array of chieftains vowing for supremacy over man-made fiefdoms. This transition is leading to rising apathy, atheism, and agnosticism. Others are embracing the occult, witchcraft, and pantheistic religions quicker than you can say apostasy.

2. The Church is full of hypocrites

In my view, the second major reason for Christianity’s decline lies in the scriptural meaning of two words: extortion and excess. Here are the original Greek language definitions for those terms.

Extortion
Greek translation: harpagē
Definition: the act of plundering, robbery

Excess
Greek translation: akrasia
Definition: want of self-control, incontinence, intemperance

For additional clarity, let’s look at a couple more scriptures containing these words.

For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering (harpagē) of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. (Hebrews 10:34)

Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (akrasia). (I Corinthians 7:5)

In the first example, the writer praises the saints for their willingness to suffer the loss of material possessions for Christ. The second scripture reveals that married couples should not deprive one another of sexual fulfillment, except when mutually agreed upon. Paul implies that prolonged abstinence within a marriage can lead to temptation because of a lack of self-control.

With these two additional verses in mind, it seems like Jesus accused the religious leaders of being thieves who lacked self-control relating to sexual desires. I dare say that two of the most prevalent offenses causing people to leave the church are financial corruption (extortion) and sexual abuse (lack of self-control)! How many scandals have church leaders been involved in over the years resulting from these sins? How many victims have they left in the wake of these travesties?

Unfortunately, people have a difficult time separating the hypocrisy of God’s people from the actions and character of God himself. Church has become a bad word in today’s post-Christian world. Church hurt causes more people to walk away from God than just about anything else. Thousands are no longer willing to tolerate the plundering of their goods to feed the self-indulgent appetites of their “leaders.” They will no longer tolerate being seduced by predators who have not had their fleshly lusts crucified.

Statistics prove the mass Christian exodus true and rapid societal decay is the result. The sheep are being scattered largely because the shepherds have been derelict in their duties. Evil men have crept into the church and have used it as a business venture and instead of a living, breathing community of people committed to Christ and sharing in divine life.

3. Satan knows his time is short

The third reason for the decline of Christianity is because of direct satanic attack. We have now arrived at a time when the hypocritical false doctrines of religious leaders have leavened the whole lump of American Christianity especially, and all of Western Christianity generally.

Many New Testament verses serve as warnings about false brethren creeping into the church to pervert its mission. The books penned by Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John all contain frequent references to a time when the church would be overrun with wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jude called them “wells without water” and “grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts… flattering people to gain advantage.” Peter calls them “presumptuous and self-willed” adding, “many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” In Acts 20:30 Paul states plainly, “also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

Satan’s ministers have transformed themselves into angels of light on an unsuspecting population of self-indulgent, immature, and spiritually unaware Christians. One of the adversary’s greatest deceptions is fostering the belief than one can be a Christian without following Christ. It is the great lie that teaches Christ’s lordship is optional. However, unless we commit our all to Jesus we remain outside of His guidance, protection, and blessing. Christ is our life, not a mere component!

Jesus’ mandate was to abide in Him and serves as the only way to grown and bear fruit. He said, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). He also said that there will be many claiming to have done great things in His name, to which he will reply “I never knew you, depart from me…” (Matthew 7:23). There is no divine life apart from an abiding relationship with its Author. A one-time confession of belief followed by a lifetime of independence and indifference won’t cut it.

Paul told Timothy that some would be seduced by evil spirits and defect from the faith. Our exposé on the occult influence on the United Nations confirms this defection has quickened within the last century. All the modern research conducted by groups like Barna, Pew, etc. also confirm Paul’s warning.

Satan’s ministers have infiltrated the church and performed a (mostly) successful coup. On the surface this seems contradictory to Jesus’ assurance that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. His statement couldn’t be truer. However, much of what is labelled Christian does not represent his Church. Copious amounts of information that Christians consume comes from the mouths of seducing spirits speaking through pastors, bishops, elders, prophets, apostles, teachers, etc. Misled and unaware, they are listening to another spirit, believing another gospel, and following a different Jesus (2 Corinth 11:4). Those standing on the rock of Christ don’t listen to these voices and remain like an impenetrable fortress.

This false brand of self-aggrandizing Christianity is enticing to the lukewarm, worldly, and naive. It’s glitzy, glamorous, and promises wealth, health, and God’s best right now. It treats suffering, persecution, and tribulation as if they were solely the devil’s curses. It loves to rub shoulders with people in high places. It flatters and beguiles its followers into forking over their wealth to keep it prosperous. It is full of hypocrisy, extortion, and excess. It is not the faith that was entrusted to the saints long ago. Its name is Ichabod (the glory of God has departed).

This warped version of Christianity is causing the way of truth to be blasphemed. The results are evident in the lawless, decadent society growing more hostile to Jesus and his followers. False shepherds with the key of knowledge are constantly placing obstacles in the path of those desiring to follow the way of truth. In my opinion, it’s better to have never heard the name of Jesus than to believe in the false Christ being exalted throughout the West.

4. Jesus is separating the sheep from the goats

The church is obsessed with numbers but from God’s perspective quality trumps quantity. Bigger does not always equal better. Gideon began with an army of more than 30,000. God deemed only 300 of them fit for battle.

There are wise and foolish believers. Chaff must be separated from wheat. Gold must be refined by fire. The broad path claims many while few walk the straight and narrow. A strong delusion is claiming those unfit to engage in the ongoing, intensified spiritual battle. Nevertheless, Jesus can take a small remnant and defeat a great army.

Perhaps God is allowing this separation ­­– and reduction in numbers – to show the world his true glory once again? Perhaps the Church is experiencing the same judgments God laid against ancient Israel and Judah when they were conquered by their enemies? Perhaps it’s time for the faith of Western believers to be tested like their brethren abroad in authoritarian, anti-Christ regimes? While Christians in countries like China, North Korea, Nigeria, and Iran face open hostility, harsh persecution, imprisonment, and even death, Western believers have had it relatively easy. Allowing the Western Church to be overcome by its enemies could serve the purpose of divine discipline but also spiritual refinement and hope.

Despite the enemy’s encroachment and the dire state of contemporary Christianity, God knows his own. Our Father can feed his precious ones like the ravens fed Elijah during a famine. Elijah’s famine was due to lack of rain, our famine is due to lack of hearing the words of the Lord.

We serve a Mighty God who is willing and able to care for his sheep. He will protect us from every trick of the enemy if we only follow his lead! “…All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even as hostility escalates, and statistics don’t favor His cause, God’s purposes and people will prevail. Don’t fear for Jesus has already won the battle!