Save America Ministries

Host: This is Viewpoint with attorney and author Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is a one-hour talk show confronting the issues of America's heart and home. And now with today's edition of Viewpoint, here is Chuck Crismier.

Host: Today we are going to learn a new word which will determine the future of America. This one word will determine the future of America. One way or the other, this one word will determine the future of America. Are you interested?

Thanks for joining us here on Viewpoint today. I'm Chuck Crismier, it's conversation with ever-increasing conviction. Talk that transforms. And today is no exception. In fact, today may prove your role in the future of America in a way perhaps that you never thought of.

No, we're not talking about making phone calls or sending letters or texts or marching down the streets of America, holding a flag or anything like that. We're not talking about that. We're talking about something so fundamental, so foundational that this one word will determine the future of America from God's viewpoint. You see, the only viewpoint that really matters is God's viewpoint, right?

It's not the viewpoint of the President, it's not the viewpoint of the Democrat Party, the Republican Party, or any other party. It's not the viewpoint of anyone but God. Not the viewpoint even of your pastor or of a parachurch leader or of a school teacher. It's the viewpoint of God, and that only is what matters.

So we say, "In God we trust." But do we? What does it mean to say, "In God we trust?" Maybe, just maybe, we haven't gotten it quite right. Maybe we didn't mean what we said. Maybe there is a word in the Bible that is so foundational to the future of America, and has been even up to this day, that we have forgotten or perhaps never knew or never fully understood. And today we're going to focus on it.

So, again, I welcome you to Viewpoint. We're confronting the deepest issues of America's heart and home from God's eternal perspective. And as we're right here on the edge of the official 250th anniversary of the political birth of the country, maybe, just maybe, this word, this one word, may make a difference for someone today. Maybe all the people that are listening today. Maybe people that are listening today who will communicate this to other people who aren't listening today, as we should be doing anyway. Because that's what this program is. It's designed to provide a foundation for touching the lives of every American, particularly every professing Christian American.

That's why we formed Save America Ministries in 1993. We dedicated to rebuilding the foundations of faith and freedom. First as a voice to the church, and then declaring vision for the nation in America's greatest crisis hour. That's why it's called Save America Ministries. It's not called Save America Ministries to save an institution called United States of America as a political institution. No, that's not the foundation of America. The foundation of America is much earlier than that, 150, 170 years earlier than that, back, some would say, 1607, certainly 1630, and 1620, with the Pilgrims and the Puritans.

But they have also forgotten this word. Maybe they never even really realized and knew this word. Maybe it was an attorney who understood this word before anyone else in this country. An attorney by the name of John Winthrop. So today on Viewpoint, hopefully we've salted the oats enough for you to stay listening to the entirety of the program. If you're not able to do so, I urge you to go back this evening when you're able and pick it up on our website, saveus.org, saveus.org, where you'll be able to listen to the program. You can also connect in by going to the website and sign up for podcast listenership where you can listen on your cell phone, whatever other device, anytime of the day or night, anywhere in the world.

So, that's where we are today. One word to determine the future of America. Now before we actually introduce that word to you, I want to share some facts with you that will help us to lead the way into this particular word. Here are some facts. And these come from the Barna Institute. George Barna has been probably the most recognized pollster to the church for the past 30-plus years, maybe 40 years. I have many of his early books, quoted him. He's been on this program before, and many pastors trust what he has to say out there analyzing the church, analyzing the church in the context of our country.

So here are the latest. Less than half of born-again Christians believe human life is sacred. Did you hear that? Less than half of professing born-again Christians believe that human life is sacred. Here's another one from George Barna. Most adolescents reject cornerstone beliefs needed for a biblical worldview. Next, 6%, only 6% of self-professed Christians hold a biblical worldview amid increasing syncretism in the United States. We're going to be talking about some depths, some facts that underlie these statements, these headlines here as we get on with the program.

But here's another one that takes us out of the United States. Takes us to Scotland. The first, the former Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Kate Forbes, spoke at an Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, England, on June 25th, 2026. She spoke along these lines. She's a 32-year-old evangelical Christian, defending her faith from criticisms as she seeks to become the next First Minister of Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon, who has served as the head of the Scottish government and the leader of the Scottish National Party since 2014, announced her decision to resign. So, in comes Kate Forbes, seeking that position.

When she was pressed for her views on same-sex marriage, Forbes indicated that she would have voted against legalizing same-sex marriage if she had been a member of the Scottish Parliament when the issue came before the legislative body, nearly a decade ago. While Forbes stressed that she views equal marriage as a right, a legal right, she could defend to the hilt, she still sees marriage as a question of conscience. She said, "I would have voted in line with my conscience on a position which is actually equal across most major faiths."

She says, "As a practicing Christian," notice the word practicing, "as a practicing Christian, I can tell you what I practice, which is that marriage is between a man and a woman." "Politicians," she said, "should have integrity to say what they believe, how they believe it, and to act on it." Notice the word, "act on it." Notice the word as a "practicing Christian." What does it mean to be a practicing Christian? We used to hear that term more often. These days we just hear, "a Christian," or "a born-again Christian." Sometimes you'll hear the word, you used to hear the word, "a committed Christian," not so much anymore.

So what do all these things have to do with the future of America? Oh, they have everything to do with the future of America and this unique word that we're going to introduce in a few moments. Stay tuned. This is Viewpoint.

Audio Segment: Once upon a time, children could pray and read their Bibles in school. Divorces were practically unknown, as was child abuse. In our once great America, virginity and chastity were popular virtues, and homosexuality was an abomination. So what happened in just one generation? Hi, I'm Chuck Crismier, and I urge you to join me daily on Viewpoint, where we discuss the most challenging issues touching our hearts and homes. Could America's moral slide relate to the Fourth Commandment? Listen to Viewpoint on this radio station, or anytime at saveus.org.

Host: There is a fascinating word in the Old Testament that actually is carried over in the New Testament by the Greek translation that will determine the future of America. In fact, it'll determine your future. It really will. And what determines your future will also determine the future of America, define the future of every person in America, and quite frankly, every person on the planet.

The word is Emunah. It's spelled E-M-U-N-A-H. It's pronounced Emunah. It's a Hebrew word most commonly translated as "faith" or "belief." But its true meaning is not the way we think of the words "faith" or "belief" in America or in the Western world. Its true meaning is deeply action-oriented and translated closer to "steadfast trust," "loyalty," and "faithfulness." Now that having been introduced, we are going to build on that. It stems from a Hebrew word "Aman" which means to support, to be firm, or to uphold like a steady pillar or a parent carrying a child. It is the foundation for the word "Amen" or "Amen," which we in the Western world use oftentimes in our services, or which you will find sometimes in the scriptures. The word "Amen" or "Amen."

The biblical Greek translation of the Hebrew Emunah is the word "Pistis," P-I-S-T-I-S, which English translations often render as "faith." But in biblical context, both Emunah and Pistis more accurately represent faithfulness, steadfastness, and reliable trust. Notice that the real implication of these words, Emunah and Pistis, is not what I think in my mind, it's not a testimony to agreement, intellectual agreement with certain facts or religious facts that we say we believe in. No, its actual meaning and implication is that we actually believe and act upon it.

In other words, they are words of action. They require action, not some idle cognitive assertion that yes, I believe in certain religious facts or like believing that God exists. The Bible says, yes, we should believe that God exists, in fact, it's almost impossible not to believe that God exists. But that we should also believe that He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. You see, the word "believe" from the Hebrew version or, yes, the Greek version of Pistis actually means to take God at His word and conduct your life accordingly.

So if we as Americans, to set the stage here, if we as Americans, having begun based upon establishing God in our country, back in 1607, then 1630, for instance, and 1620, with the Pilgrims and the Puritans, that was the foundation. The very first document, the Mayflower Compact, began, "In the name of God, Amen," or "so be it." In other words, "In the name of God, Emunah," our faith and our belief is going to be put into steadfast action and trust. That's how America began.

When you go to 1630, and we've talked about this before, John Winthrop, the famous godly attorney, who left not so jolly old England at 40 years of age, and came over to invest in launching a country and a people group who would carry out what churches in the past and their belief systems had not done. He said, "We are going to do that which the churches have not done. We're even going to do what Israel did not do, even though they claimed that they were doing it as the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He said, "We're actually going to do it. We're actually going to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves."

So if you were to read his seven or eight-page Model of Christian Charity, which is in the appendix of my book, Renewing the Soul of America, you would find that the very root and foundation of the future of the country was predicated on the meaning of the word Emunah. And he didn't even use that word. He didn't have to, because what he did was give the functional meaning of the word Emunah or the Greek corresponding word Pistis in the way they would live out their life in faithfulness and steadfastness so that they would be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving their own selves.

Now I want to urge you at this time. Here we are at the 250th anniversary of the political anniversary of our country. But I want to introduce you to both that and how that was played out following the spiritual birth of the country, in my book, Renewing the Soul of America. There's a reason why 38 national Christian leaders endorsed this book, because there's never been anything like it. Ever. Never been another book like it. Why is that? Because this book is not just about information. It's not just about things we say we believe in. It's about our life that shows what we believe in and why. In other words, that we really do believe.

And it helps to lead us through what that looks like in each one of our lives. In chapters such as, uh, our search for leaders, restoring the American vision, a matter of principle, nothing but the truth, our sacred honor, a lamp of virtue, taking courage, Semper Fi, or faithfulness. All of these things go to the very heart of what this country was about in the life of the people, not in what we said we believed, but in what we did. How we lived, or didn't.

So the first two-thirds of the book leads us through all of that, and helps us to understand how we ended up with an integrity gap in our country. Because we said one thing, but did something else. We said we believed in certain things, but it didn't pan out that way in the way we lived. And so the country over time, gradually drifted away from the foundations of both faith and freedom. So, uh, 33 years ago, when the Lord spoke to my heart, right there in my law office, saying, "Son, you've been pleading the cause of men long enough. I want you to plead My cause in the land as a voice to the church, declaring vision for the nation in America's greatest crisis hour." I said, "Yes, sir," and we formed Save America Ministries, right there in October, the final formation was in October of 1993. 33 years ago.

Ever since then, having left the practice of law to plead this ultimate cause in the land, we are now going to culminate it, in one sense. I'm not saying we're quitting. This is like a culmination of focus to help us to understand the simplicity and yet the depth of this one word, Emunah. If you want to use the Greek word, you can use the word Pistis. But together, Pistis was a Greek effort to translate the Hebrew word Emunah. Which means not just belief in facts, not just assent to "I believe in God," or "I believe in Jesus," or "I believe that we need to be saved," and so on. No, it's about living a life that is consistent with what we say we believe.

So when we see the word "believe," for instance, in the New Testament, we see Paul saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you should be saved and your house." For the Greek, for the Greco-Roman mind, like ours, to us that means, believe that Jesus is, believe that He's the Son of God, believe that God exists, believe that we're sinners, believe that we need to be saved, and that Jesus is the savior. No. That is only an elementary part of what it means to believe. What Paul really meant was, believe, in other words, give assent, yes, to those facts, but now live your life from here on out according to those facts. Otherwise you don't really believe. Otherwise you don't really believe.

Now James, the brother of Jesus, saw it exactly that way. Remember? Right there in James chapter 2. In fact, Martin Luther didn't like the book of James precisely because of this. He did not understand the nature of Emunah and Pistis and what they really meant. He had a Greco-Roman viewpoint. And he thought that it was just enough to believe, supposedly, by faith. But what was faith? You see, faith and belief and trust are the three legs of the Christian stool. Without those three legs, you do not have the Christian faith. But without one further ingredient, the Christian faith collapses, and that's what we're seeing happen in America. We've been watching it happen for the past two generations or three. That one further ingredient is the word "obey." Obedience.

Those three legs, belief, trust, and faith, are linked by the word "obey" or "obedience." That is what holds them together and gives the firmness and stability and dependency of the Christian faith in our own individual lives, in our families, in our congregations, and yes, in our nation. But when the word "obedience" begins to be carved away, so do the other elements, the legs of the stool, and the stool begins to collapse. And that's what's happening in America.

So the only way to restore the strength and stability of the country is to go back and repair and rebuild the stool. The three elements, legs, belief, trust, and, uh, faith, faith, trust, and belief, they're all facets of the same thing. Not the same thing, but facets of the same thing, coupled with obedience. Now why is obedience necessary? Because unless you act upon what you say you believe, upon the faith that you say you have, you don't really trust God at all.

It's a figment of your imagination. You're playing a ruse with God. You're a hypocrite. And that's what's happened to America, we've become hypocrites. Terrifying hypocrites. And then we come to justify it in order to blend in with the culture that does not embrace the foundations of that faith, trust, and belief, because they reject the word "obedience" as a hateful word. A restrictive word. And so, in the church today, across almost all denominations or non-denominations, the word "obey" has become the most despised word in the church today. Because we don't like it.

Why don't we like it? Because it requires that we conform to what we say we believe, in word, in behavior, in thought, in action. And so James, the brother of Jesus, said, "Don't talk to me about your faith. Don't tell me what great faith you have. Faith without works is dead or worthless or just totally hypocritical. You show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works," he said, "because faith without works or the works of faith is a foolish, hypocritical stance."

That's the brother of Jesus. And Martin Luther hated the book of James for that reason. He wanted to cut it out of the Bible. And so do we today. We don't like it. People will say, "Well, that's a gospel of works." No, it's not a gospel of works. It's a gospel of trust, a gospel of faith, a gospel of belief. For if you don't do the will of God, you don't love Him. If we don't do the will of God, we don't trust Him. If we don't do the will of God, we don't have faith in Him. If we don't do the will of God, we don't believe Him. We don't have Emunah. We don't have legitimate Pistis. We don't have those elements. We're pretenders.

And that's what America's become. A nation that pretends to be under God, but isn't. What are we going to do about it? Now you say, "Well, what can I do about it?" It begins at home. It begins in your mind and heart. My mind and heart. That's where it begins.

Audio Segment: Will it begin? There is so much more about Chuck Crismier and Save America Ministries. On our website, saveus.org. For example, under the Marriage section, God has marriage on his mind. Chuck has some great resources to strengthen your marriage. First off, a fact sheet on the state of the marital union, a fact sheet on the state of ministry, marriage, and morals. Saveus.org. Marriage, divorce, and remarriage. What does the Bible really teach about this? Find all of this at saveus.org. Also, a letter to pastors, the Hosea project, saveus.org, and many more resources to strengthen your marriage. It's all on Chuck's website, saveus.org. Again, you can listen to Chuck's Viewpoint broadcast live and archive, Save America Ministries website at saveus.org.

Host: Again, I welcome you back to Viewpoint. I'm Chuck Crismier. Today we're taking a look at a word that perhaps you have never heard. It's called Emunah, E-M-U-N-A-H. Emunah. It's a Hebrew word. And the Greek translation of that word is Pistis. Both of them meaning the same thing, and that is steadfast faith revealed in trust and obedience. That's what Jesus had. And that's why Jesus could be our savior.

Jesus could be our savior because He lived out Emunah. He lived out the professed love of the Father, love of God, through faithfulness, without wavering, no matter what the pressures were, no matter what His feelings were, no matter what the culture was saying, no matter what the rabbis were saying. He was willing to do what God said, and conduct His life accordingly. It's as simple as that. Jesus said, "I came to do the will of My Father." So I ask you the question today, what are you claiming to do? Really, in all honesty, what are you claiming to do? And while I'm using the word "you," I'm also pointing the finger back at me. Chuck, what are you able to do? What are you willing to do?

This morning as my wife and I were together over the word and in prayer, as we are every single morning, and have for 25, 30 years now, together. We were talking about this. What does God require of us? You can say, "Well, Micah said, God requires us to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly." So I had that passage in a beautiful frame plaque on my law office wall. Every client that I ever had had to walk past that plaque coming into my office. What does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.

But what does that mean? What does it mean to walk humbly? Well, the most foundational meaning of "to walk humbly" is to agree with God and His viewpoint without exception. In other words, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due season. But we don't think of it that way. We think of it as an attitude of our mind and heart to think of ourselves less than we ought to think, or to think lowly about ourselves, that that's walking humbly. That isn't what God is talking about though, not really, not foundationally. If we would walk humbly before men, we have to first walk humbly before God. And the way we do that is to agree with His viewpoint without resistance.

When we agree with God's viewpoint on all of the issues of life which He has written about, given us in His word that will change not. Then we have a foundation upon which to build a life, to build a family, to build a congregation, and to build a nation. When those things are missing in whole or in part, to some degree, things begin to deteriorate. And the greater the degree that they're missing, the greater the deterioration. So I mentioned the book, Renewing the Soul of America, which I think will help every listener to capture in this unique moment of our history, an understanding of the implications and application for our lives. It's not written in a theological way. That's not how this book is written. It's written in a very practical way. We can really understand. It can touch our minds and our hearts. Someone, several people said, actually, just reading the very first chapter, they broke down and wept. Why did they do that? Because it gripped their heart. It wasn't a theological treatise. But it gripped their heart.

$15 will put it in your hands. It's on our website, saveus.org, saveus.org. You can give us a call at 1-800-SAVE-USA, 1-800-SAVE-USA. You can write to us at Save America Ministries, P.O. Box 70879, Richmond, Virginia 23255, writing a check at $6 for postage and handling. In the final third of the book, we talk about our heritage. Heritage is important. It's what we had in the past. But we can't just live on our heritage, friends. The heart of our heritage reveals the hope of our healing. If we can't get back to the foundation of our heritage, forget it.

So, heritage and hope. The next chapter is called, "A Hope and a Purpose." Heritage is the past without, heritage in the past, without purpose in the present, destroys the hope for the future. It's true. You can rely upon the godly heritage all you want. But God wants us to live today according to the precepts of that heritage, which was supposedly rooted in Emunah and Pistis. In other words, true faith, belief, and trust.

The next chapter, "Decision and Destiny." If America's soul is to be renewed, my soul must be renewed. Notice the personal nature of this. It's not about them out there. This isn't a book about politics. This is a book about people. This is about the way God looks at our country, the way God looks at us. Then, the next chapter, "Changing Course Can a Nation Shipwreck?" The answer is yes. A person can shipwreck, and a nation can shipwreck. If America is to correct her course, I must correct my course. Notice again, the personal nature of the response.

It's not about Democrats changing their course or Republicans changing their course. It's about me correcting my course, according to what standard? According to God's standard. Not the culture's standpoint, not our denomination's standpoint. God doesn't care about your denomination. He didn't ordain it, and He doesn't care about your denomination. He did not set them up. We set them up. They're human institutions. The next chapter, "The Lighthouse." If I would see the light, I must be the light. Well, how is God going to see us as the light if I'm not doing the will of the Father? Jesus said, "While I'm on the earth, I'm the light of the world." But then He said, "I'm leaving. Now you're the light of the world." Oh, okay, we like to quote that, "We're the light of the world." Yes, but Jesus then said, "But if the light that is in you be darkness, then how great is that darkness?" That's the position we're in today. We do not have Emunah faith, belief, and trust. We do not have Pistis faith and trust and belief today. We have figurative, theoretical views of those things, but not reality. We're living in a fool's paradise, and we're fooling ourselves.

The last chapter of the book is called, "An American Parable." If America has a prayer, it will depend upon your prayer. The last chapter is an amazing chapter. It go, it uses a story, one of the most famous disaster or infamous disasters in American history, the tremendous flood that took place in Pennsylvania back in 1889. The book is worth the price for that chapter alone, in my opinion. That chapter, like the Titanic, speaks to life of our country in ways that otherwise we might not be able to hit. It's called the Johnstown Flood. Anybody in Pennsylvania knows about it. We once went up and visited the area of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I spoke there and, uh, visited that and were just greatly, greatly moved by what happened there. It speaks to us, our to our lives today.

Dr. Henry Blackaby, the co-author of the phenomenally popular Experiencing God series, uh, crossed most denominational lines. And in 1999, he spoke at the Billy Graham Training Center at Cove at the Cove in North Carolina. Someone asked him, "What do you see as the future of the United States?" Here's what his answer was. "If you put the U.S. up against the scriptures, we're in trouble. I think we're very close to the judgment of God." So I ask you, what do you think? That was in 1999, friends. Well, guess what happened when I wrote this book, Renewing the Soul of America. Here is what several of the 38 national Christian leaders said about this book and our country at that time.

Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the largest ministries in the world. He said, "As a country and as individuals, we stand at crossroads to continue on a path to godlessness or to return to the way of righteousness. In his powerful new book, Renewing the Soul of America, Chuck Crismier shows us how we can make decisions that enable us to reclaim our destiny." Pat Robertson, chairman of the board of the Christian Broadcasting Network said, "What will happen to America and to the world if the people of this generation rediscover our spiritual heritage, and," here's the here's the message, "commit their lives and the life of this nation to it." That's Emunah. "Chuck Crismier tells us in Renewing the Soul of America what can be done if we have the courage to make the right decisions." We haven't had that courage, friends. Nowhere near, not even partially.

D. James Kennedy. With an insightful grasp on the history of our nation's founding, added to a deep understanding of the judgment God has imposed upon nations outside of His holy will, Chuck Crismier clearly and crisply enunciates the choices facing not only America, but Americans, in this dangerous period of our God-blessed, but God-warned country. Now those are just four out of 38. It should give you a sense of how serious these leaders in our country viewed our situation then. And now, it's ten times worse. And the final portion of the book is the appendix. John Winthrop's Model of Christian Charity. The book is worth itself just for that appendix alone. A model of what life in America was meant to be, from God's viewpoint. It's amazing. Get a copy of the book, friends, if you don't have it, $15 will put it in your hands. It's on our website.

Audio Segment: Have you ever considered what the early church was like? Many people are developing a heart longing for a greater fulfillment in our practices as Christians. A recent study showed 53,000 people a week are leaving the back door of America's churches in frustration. What is going on? Why has there not been even a 1% gain among followers of Christ in the last 25 years? Could it be that God is seeking to restore first-century Christianity for the 21st century? Jesus said, "I'll build my church." Is Christ by his spirit stirring to prepare the church for the 21st century? The early church prayed together and broke bread from house to house. They were family, and it was said by all who observed, "Behold how they love one another." Incredible. But the same can be found right now. Go to saveus.org and click "Sell Church." We can revive first-century Christianity for the 21st century. It's about people, not programs. It's about a body, not a building. That's saveus.org. Click "Sell Church."

Host: Emunah. That's the word. The word of the hour. The word of the day. The word that by itself will change the future of our country, your future, the future of your family, your congregation. It's the Hebrew word meaning genuine trust, belief, and faith in God, proven by how we live. Not proven by what we say we think we believe in, but what how we actually prove that by our lives. You can't be saved by your works, but you can't be saved without the proof that they reveal what you say you really believe. You see, words are cheap. Jesus said, "By our words we will be justified, and by our words we will be condemned."

The Bible says, "Every word of God is pure." He's a shield unto those who put their trust, their absolute trust in Him. So don't add to His words or take away from them, lest you be found a liar. This word Emunah is at the very root of what God requires of us. Of what He wants. You say, "Well, doesn't God want us to love Him?" Yes. But don't say you love Him if you don't obey Him. Can you say you love your parents and then disobey them? Did you know that God Himself, as a loving Father, portrayed a death penalty on children who would not obey their parents? They could say they loved their parents, but they wouldn't obey them. Because to not do what you say is so destructive as to defile not only your own family, but the whole people group. And that's what's happening in our country.

That's what's happening among our youth. In 2009, Michael Spencer wrote a piece called, "The Coming Evangelical Collapse." He said, "An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. We're on the verge of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity." I'm going to tell you that that major collapse is already taking place, and is happening not because we don't believe or agree with certain facts of the scripture, but because we don't live accordingly. We decided it's not important to live according to what God says. It's not important to keep faithful in your marriage. It's not important if Jesus says, "Whoever divorces his spouse causes him to commit adultery, and whoever marries the one so divorced commits adultery," we say, "Yes, but."

Our feelings have become lord. The culture has become a replacement for Christ. Christ has become little more than a mascot. It's a joke. We've become a joke to the world. And if we're a joke to the world, just think what we are to God. Less than half of born-again Christians believe human life is sacred. 44% of theologically identified born-again Christians, a term referring to those who believe they will go to Heaven when they die because they've confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, believe human life is sacred. In other words, 56% of Americans do not. Really? Yet in 1993, 92% of Americans claimed to believe in God. 80-some percent claimed to be born-again Christians. About 45 to 50% claimed to be evangelical Christians. Now those numbers are nearly cut in half. Just in one generation. Just during the period of time since we formed Save America Ministries.

Most adolescents reject cornerstone beliefs needed for a biblical worldview. They don't subscribe to the cornerstone beliefs associated with biblical worldview. Now again, these beliefs, friends, are assent, mental assent to certain facts or beliefs. It's not about whether they're living them out now. This is just a matter of whether they believe in them or agree to them. A biblical worldview is a means of experiencing, interpreting, and responding to reality in light of biblical perspectives. Each choice we make may be consistent with God's principles and commands. While a majority of adolescents, 69%, believe that God exists, is the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect creator and ruler of the universe, much smaller percentages of young Americans subscribe to other cornerstone beliefs. Just 36% of those surveyed agree that as a sinner, the only solution to the consequences of sin is to acknowledge your sins, ask God to forgive you through Jesus Christ. 36%. That means 67% don't believe you need to have your sins forgiven.

Only 27% identified their most important reason for living as to do what God wants. That means 73% of America's young people do not believe that a fundamental basis for their life is to please God or do what God wants. In other words, to obey Him. While 25% state that they trust the Bible because it's completely true and personally relevant to their lives. But even the 25% that they say they trust the Bible because it's completely true, are not obeying the Bible either. Because we don't have Emunah. We don't have true Pistis faith. We do not think that somehow behavior has to be linked to belief to make belief have any integrity in it. God's interested in the integrity of our belief, not what we say with our mouth.

67% say they believe that after a person dies, they either go to heaven or hell based upon how they live their life and what they believed about Jesus Christ. 30% of children aged 8 to 11 noted their uncertainty that dropped to just half as many, 15% among 12-year-olds. America's children are in the process of adopting what George Barna calls syncretism as their dominant worldview. They're following in the footsteps of their parents, that is, the millennials, only 2% whom have a biblical worldview, and 96% of whom are syncretistic. So what is a syncretist? You know, it's kind of like the bumper sticker that says, "If it feels good, do it." Well, today, we don't say, "If it feels good, do it." We just say, "If it feels good, it must be true, it must be right." So people have defined faith according to their feelings. Feelings have become the final arbiter of truth. Therefore, we reject what God says that doesn't align with our feelings. You see our problem. It is a very serious problem that goes to the very root of what we say we are as a people in this country. And the world looks at us, they say, "You have this model in God we trust. You have the Ten Commandments emblazoned there in bas-relief over the Supreme Court justices, and you call yourself a Christian nation? What a crock of garbage!" That's how people look at us. Let's be honest about it.

When the divorce rate in the church has nearly equaled that of the nation as a whole, when the divorce rate among pastors, according to a Hartford Seminary study, was equal to that of their parishioners. What do you think God is saying and thinking about us as a people? When you have 13, I believe it is, major, major ministries in the Dallas, Texas area alone, that collapsed in a year and a half through sexual and financial and other kinds of improprieties and so on. What do you think this is saying to God about the United States of America? About the church in America. Are we really the light? Or are we fitting more what Jesus said, "If the light that is in you be darkness, then how great is that darkness?"

It's, I'm wearing right now a wonderful hat. It's a wonderful recognition, it's a beautiful, beautiful hat. Somebody commented to me on it today, uh, I think it was at the post office, uh, about the celebration of our country. Yes, I I I'm a patriot. But the Bible, even our founders said that the greatest patriot is not the one that raves "rah rah rah" about the country, but it's one who tells the truth. To keep us on the line so that we can be and become and prevail as the country we say we are and ought to be. Period. And that's why I do what I do without a dime, without any remuneration whatsoever. Because it's the ultimate cause of a lifetime. It's the choir that God is concerned about. Because the choir, in His estimation, is singing off-tune. And it's dissonance in His ears. God wants us to sing on His tune. Today, my wife and I pray, "Lord, tune our hearts. Tune our ears to hear Your voice. Our hearts to receive, our minds to conform." What would you pray today? Emunah. It means faith, trust, belief, all wrapped together in the word obedience. And that's why Abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness. It's the first place where the word Emunah is used in the Bible. How about your faith? I'm asking myself about my faith, Lord, where do I stand? Where do you stand? Do you dare ask that question? Thanks for joining us. Get a copy of the book, Renewing the Soul of America, get a copy of the book, the Secret of the Lord. You'll be blessed by these. Become a partner, friends. Do it today. Send your gifts by faith to Save America Ministries, P.O. Box 70879, Richmond, Virginia 23255.

Audio Segment: You're listening to Viewpoint with Chuck Crismier. Viewpoint is supported by the faithful gifts of our listeners. Let me urge you to become a partner with Chuck as a voice to the church declaring vision for the nation. Join us again next time on Viewpoint as we confront the issues of America's heart and home.