American culture has steadily moved away from its grounding in the Christian faith. The percent of people who respond to polls and surveys and characterize themselves as “non-religious” has increased every year. This has not because the Christian faith has abandoned America but because the forces that oppose the Christian faith have gained power and influence.

While the Internet has allowed Christians to reach more people worldwide, it has also enabled the anti-Christian forces to gain ground and repeat anti-Christian themes and narratives consistently across social media. Platforms like TikTok, that reach millions of young people, are decidedly anti-Christian in their overall scope and messaging.

Even those people who were raised in a Christian home have turned their backs on their faith and only remember rudimentary teachings of the faith. Asked about Jesus, these people could explain that He died on the Cross. They might be able to recite John 3:16. Yet their understanding would only extend to reciting those things back when questioned without a deeper understanding of the significance of either.

The messaging from social media, and sometimes teachers in public schools or college professors, follow the same themes; the church requires you to follow a set of rules; the church hates the gay community or trans people; the church won’t be happy with you if you don’t dress right or if you have ink or piercings; etc.

None of these things are true of a real Evangelical Christian church, but those who hear the messaging never learn the truth because they never attend church.

While many can recite John 3:16, they don’t stop to think about the words; “For God so loved the world……….”  Who is included in God’s love in that sentence? Everyone.The verse does not say; “For God so loved devote Christians.”  Critical thinking might bring this realizaton to many people who think more deeply about the verse but the influence of social media and modern culture prevent any critical thought of the true meaning of the message in that verse.

Many can only repeat that “He gave his son.”  They do not understand the triune nature of God, and with no motivation to dive deeper into the faith, they retain a mostly superficial grasp of the Christian faith.

Here are some truths about the Christian faith that all people should understand:

God loves all of His children; every person of every race and every ethnicity and every religion. God’s love is unconditionial

• The Christian faith really has only one request, one central message and one hope for all people: Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and try to live in God’s will
• We want you to spend eternity in Heaven. That is why Christians try to bring the good news of Jesus to all people.
• Attend a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church
• The Bible is God’s inspired word
• Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross for those who believe in Him and returned to Heaven

It is really that simple. If is a good start to know a Bible verse by memory or that Jesus died on the Cross, but it is better to know that Christians believe that God loves all people and that Christians really want to know that you will spend eternity in Heaven. If you have tattoos or piercings; God still loves you and Christians still want to know you will go to Heaven.

Is it enough to be a “good person” or to have done “charitable work?”  Those things are good and every Christian would respect a person who aspires to be a good person or who does charitable work, but that is not what promises a person eternity in Heaven. Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the Father except through me.”

A simple decision is what brings the promise to a person according to the Christian faith. A brief prayer accepting Jesus. Then, you can make a public proclamation of your decision and get baptized.

Christianity is simple in it’s underpinnings and core tenets, but it just requires a little more than a basic understanding to know what it is all about. Don’t risk going with the flow of culture and missing out on Heaven. As one Christian song goes: “There’s room at the Cross for you.”