The State of Theology

U.S. Evangelicals: Key Findings

Is God Holy?

The year 2025 marks the fortieth anniversary of R.C. Sproul’s classic book The Holiness of God. Dr. Sproul wrote this work out of a desire that all people would know what Scripture teaches about who God truly is in His greatness, majesty, and holiness.

The responses of evangelicals in the 2025 State of Theology survey reveal that the true character of God as displayed in Scripture is either not being taught in many evangelical churches or not understood by individual evangelicals. For example, the survey shows that many evangelicals hold theologically erroneous beliefs about the nature of God and the sinfulness of man—two critically important areas of doctrine that lay the foundation for all other theological beliefs.

Specifically, 64% of evangelicals believe that “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God,” and 53% affirm that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”

Such results display a profound misunderstanding among a significant number of evangelicals regarding the foundational scriptural teaching about original sin and the implications of Adam’s sin for all mankind (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18–19; Eph. 2:1–3)

Who Is the God of the Bible?

Additionally, generally more than half of evangelicals who have participated in the survey over the past eleven years have agreed with the statement “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.” This reveals the doctrinal confusion and contradictory beliefs that characterize many evangelicals’ thinking, since almost all evangelicals (98%) affirmed that “There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit” (John 14:26; 16:13–14; Acts 13:2; Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 4:30).

Further, almost half of evangelicals (47%) affirm that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” Despite the fact that identifying as evangelical included affirming that “The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe,” many evangelicals embrace unbiblical beliefs regarding the worship that God accepts. The Bible consistently teaches that true worship must be directed to the one true God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and that false worship is unacceptable to Him (John 4:24; 1 John 2:23).

Is God’s Love Unconditional?

Perhaps most surprising is the response of evangelicals to the statement “God loves all people the same way,” with 94% in agreement. More evangelicals answered this question incorrectly than the general U.S. adult population, in which 83% agreed with the statement.

This suggests a major misunderstanding among evangelicals regarding the different types of love that God has for human beings. R.C. Sproul has noted, “God’s benevolence (good will) is demonstrated by His beneficence (kind actions). His sun and rain are given equally to the just and the unjust” (Ps. 145:8–9; Matt. 5:44–45; Acts 14:16–17). While there is a genuine sense in which God loves all people whom He has created, Scripture also clearly shows that He extends a special love to His elect, those whom He has called to Himself in salvation and has made His children through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (Ps. 147:11; 149:4; John 17:23–24; Eph. 1:4–6).

Does the Church Matter?

As in 2022, an alarming percentage of evangelicals still fail to recognize God’s call to believers to be members of a local church, with only 61% agreeing that “Every Christian has an obligation to join a local church.” This finding serves to reinforce the need to serve and support the local church in its God-ordained mission of discipleship.

Many of the survey answers from evangelicals in 2025 reveal an alarming lack of biblical literacy, as well as a tendency to hold contradictory beliefs without seeming to recognize the incongruity.

Evangelicals were defined by Lifeway Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

• The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
• It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
• Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
• Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.

Respondents can also be identified as evangelical in The State of Theology data explorer based on their supplied church affiliation.

U.S. Adults: Key Findings

Is God’s Love for Everyone the Same?

The statement “God loves all people the same way,” new to this year’s survey, received the highest agreement among the general American population to any of the statements in the survey, with more than 8 in 10 describing God as loving all people the same way.

This is unsurprising, given cultural assumptions that God must love and forgive everyone regardless of his or her posture toward Him. Some evangelistic efforts may have contributed to this societal belief by telling people indiscriminately that God loves them regardless of their beliefs, behaviors, and response to His revelation of Himself given in Scripture. An incorrect understanding of God’s love among U.S. adults may also be influenced by evangelicals’ incorrect understanding on this point. As noted above, evangelicals scored worse than the general population in answering this question.

What Is Marriage?

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legally redefined marriage to allow for “same-sex marriage” nationwide. Yet still, ten years later, two-thirds of Americans recognize that God created marriage as the union between one biological male and one biological female (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4–6; Eph. 5:31–32). This points to how deeply embedded marriage is within the natural order of creation. Though man-made laws may contradict God’s law, His law remains written on the heart of every man (Rom. 2:14–15).

Should Our Beliefs Influence Politics?

The statement “Christians should be silent on issues of politics,” featured in the 2022 survey, was reworded for clarity in the 2025 survey as “Christians should not allow their religious beliefs to influence their political decisions.”

Over half of U.S. adults believe that Christians should not allow their religious convictions to influence policymaking, though it is common for people of every other religious or non-religious background to routinely formulate policy based on their convictions. A number of significant political issues today, including those related to abortion or gender identity, are informed by religious convictions about reality.

This response from U.S. adults may be due to varying reasons, including hostility toward Christian belief and practice or a misunderstanding of the true definition of the separation of church and state. This principle does not mean that Christians must keep their faith out of their political views or decisions. Rather, it recognizes that God has given distinct roles and responsibilities to both the church and the state. The state should not overstep its bounds by interfering in matters that belong to the church, and the church should not take over responsibilities that rightly belong to the state.

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