83: 87% of Christians Are Living Like Atheists (And It’s Making Them Miserable)

I'm Eddie Lawrence, and this is the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog exploring biblical truths for inquisitive

Bible students. 87 % of Christians are living like atheists, and it's making them miserable.

The last couple of episodes have highlighted George Barna's research, showing that only 13 % of born -again believers possess a fully biblical worldview.

This presents a church in crisis. When only a fraction of born -again believers view the world through the

Bible's lens, we have a major problem. The survey data from 2023 through 2025 revealed that the number of Americans who experience anxiety, depression, and fear is on the rise.

Federal government agencies state that one in four American adults suffer from some sort of mental health problem.

Barna's research suggests that individuals who lack a biblical worldview are more likely to struggle with these common mental health issues.

He concludes that some people, but not all, receive a mental illness diagnosis when they actually suffer from lacking the assuredness a biblical identity and purpose provide.

Simply put, remove the Bible's moral focus and hope, and people start unraveling.

The Bible gives us the deep truths that steady our hearts when life is uncertain.

It gives us the foundation we need to stand firm when the world is in chaos.

You see, humans need hope and certainty. The Apostle Paul understood that need.

In Ephesians 1, he prayed that God would open believers' eyes to three truths—the hope of God's calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the greatness of His power.

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe these are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength, which

He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,

Ephesians 1, 16 -20. Let's look at these three things, starting with hope.

Biblical hope differs from a mere wish. When we wish for a million dollars while blowing out birthday candles, we don't really expect to get it.

In contrast, hope is something you both desire and expect to really happen.

The Greek word in Ephesians 1, verse 18, which our Bibles translate, hope, is the

Greek word elpis. B. Dagg defines elpis as the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting, fulfillment, hope, expectation.

What things do Christians hope for? What do they desire and expect to get?

Here's just a few. Resurrection and eternal life. First Corinthians 15, verses 20 -23 speak of the resurrection of the dead with Christ as the firstfruits and believers following in their own time.

We hope for salvation and redemption. Romans 8, 23 -25 talks about the redemption of our bodies and the hope of salvation.

We hope for glorification. Romans 8, 30 mentions glorification as part of God's plan for believers and Matthew 13, 43 says, then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father.

And one more, Christians hope for a new heaven and a new earth. 2

Peter 3, 13 mentions the hope of a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.

You see, the Bible paints a very bright future for believers.

But there's also inheritance. Now we need to pay close attention to what the text says in Ephesians 1, 18 because it's easy to misread.

This verse isn't speaking about what we will inherit. Instead, it's talking about what

God will inherit, namely believers, us. In his commentary on Ephesians, Clyde Snodgrass says this.

Paul points to the tremendous glory that is present when God inherits the people He has set apart for Himself.

It is the Father's inheritance that Paul refers to, not that of believers in the saints, means that the inheritance is found in, or consists of, these people.

The revelation of who God really is and enjoyment of Him will take place when God inherits

His own people. His glory will then be made manifest. Even though it clearly says

His inheritance, we may misread it as our inheritance unless we pay attention.

In what sense are God's people His inheritance? Several Bible passages speak of God's people as His inheritance.

Here are three examples. Deuteronomy 32, 9.

For the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.

Psalm 33, 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people

He chose for His inheritance. Micah 7, 18. Who is a

God like you who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

The concept of God inheriting His people is metaphorical and carries several theological implications.

One is ownership. Just as an inheritance belongs to an heir, God's people belong to Him.

Another implication is value. An inheritance is precious to the one who receives it.

This tells us that God treasures His people. Another implication is a chosen relationship.

Inheritance implies a special relationship, often familial. This metaphor emphasizes the intimate connection between God and His people.

And finally, purpose. An inheritance is often used or managed according to the will of the one who grants it.

Likewise, God calls His people to fulfill His purposes. The metaphor emphasizes the special status and relationship of God's people to Him.

And the third thing that Paul wanted believers to be aware of is God's power.

Paul uses four Greek synonyms in Ephesians 1 .19 to convey the immensity of God's power.

He says, What is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His great might?

The word power is dunamis in Greek and it generally denotes ability to accomplish something.

The word for working in this verse is the Greek word inergia and it suggests inherent power or strength.

The Greek word that is translated great in verse 19 is iskos and it potentially is referring to the exercise of power.

And finally, the Greek word for might is kratos, indicating power to overcome obstacles.

By piling up these synonyms, Paul attempts to exhaust the

Greek language's resources to impress upon his readers the sheer scale of God's might.

This power is multifaceted and it encompasses the life -giving power that raised

Jesus from the dead, which he talks about in the next verse, the revelatory power at work in Paul's gospel, which he mentions in chapter 3, and finally, the power available for believers to appropriate in their own lives.

In essence, Paul is conveying that the same immeasurable power that orchestrated

Christ's resurrection is now oriented toward believers and it's available for our spiritual enlightenment, transformation, and empowerment in living out our faith.

To sum it all up, a biblical worldview cultivates confidence and hope.

Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers addresses the crisis that Barna describes by providing what anxious hearts lack.

Hope assures believers their story ends in glory, not despair.

Inheritance confirms the believer's worth because God treasures us.

Power guarantees God works within believers with the same strength that raised

Christ from the dead. These truths confront the fear and uncertainty that plague those without a biblical worldview.

They give believers a stable identity, a secure future, and a present filled with divine help.

Paul directs our eyes to what God already provides and these realities steady our minds when the world feels unstable.

Barna says that God wants us to thrive. He gave us biblical principles and commands to facilitate human flourishing.

This echoes Jesus' own words in John 10. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.