We’ve been discussing the decline of American adults that hold to a Biblical worldview and considering what it might take to help people turn from their own personal truth to The Truth, Who is the Person of Jesus Christ.  George Barna reports that the Cultural Research Center’s (CRC) annual American Worldview Inventory developed a list of Seven Cornerstones of a Biblical Worldview.  They conclude that a person must adopt each of these seven beliefs in order to develop a consistent lifestyle of biblical thought and action.  What does that mean?  We want to know what it will take for a person to begin to think and act like Jesus!

This is more than a casual study.  It requires a fundamental shift in the way a person thinks.  This becomes possible when the Holy Spirit lives inside and we invite Him to transform our thinking.  Consistent study of the Word enlightened by the Holy Spirit is the only way we can begin to live by The Truth.  Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth!

The seven cornerstones are listed below.  To see the definitions developed by the CRC, please refer to Barna’s Book, American Worldview Inventory 2023-2025.¹

Cornerstone #1 – An orthodox, biblical understanding of God

The Bible says that He is the God above all other God’s.  I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  So he is the God of the living, not the dead. Matt 22:32

Some of His attributes are omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and relational.

Cornerstone #2 – All human beings are not “basically good”; we are all born sinners and cannot escape the consequence of sin through personal effort. 

Every person is born with a sinful nature inherited from Adam.  No human being has ever lived a sin-free life.  The Bible states, For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23

Cornerstone #3 – People can be forgiven for their sins and escape the eternal consequences only through Jesus Christ.  That forgiveness is available by a personal, sincere acknowledgment and confession of our sins and complete reliance on His grace for the forgiveness of those sins. 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:32

Shockingly, only 15% of adults believe that people are born into sin with the consequence of eternal punishment and that Jesus has the power and authority to forgive people’s sin.

Cornerstone #4 – Absolute moral truth exists.

Absolute moral truth means that truth is defined by God, not by a person’s emotions, circumstances, or preferences.  Truth does not change over time or within cultures.  Truth leads to righteousness, which pleases God.  It is a reliable standard across the ages for all people.

When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me…  John 15:16

Barna reports that fewer than 3 out of 10 adults accept the idea of absolute moral truth.

Cornerstone #5 – The entire Bible is true, reliable and relevant; it the best moral guide for every person in all situations. 

God’s Word provides the blueprint for life that leads to hope, encouragement, wisdom and warnings.  He intended for us to seek Him and His ways through the Word so that we would live blessed lives on the earth.  It’s sad to see that only 1 in 4 Americans believe that the Bible is a direct line from God to His people.

The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.  Psalm 119:160

Cornerstone #6 – The ultimate purpose of human life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Human fulfillment cannot be attained apart from living to know, love and serve God.  It is not a duty, it is our invitation to a purposeful life.  Seventy-five percent of millennials and 66% of all adults do not know their purpose nor have clear direction about their life.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.  Matt 6:33

Cornerstone #7 – Success on Earth is best understood as consistent obedience to God- in thoughts, words, and actions.

God, our Father, determines the criteria for our success.  He crafted us perfectly for the life He calls us to live.  We can trust Him to lead us into fulfillment.  But that implies that the way the world determines success is not relevant to our lives yet, 75% of adults resist that truth.

Jesus says, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.  John 14:15

By the age of 12, most people have adopted a certain way of thinking that is not easy to change.  Research shows that a person’s worldview often undergoes the most profound changes during periods of vulnerability and personal crisis.  We know that is what the world is facing right now. We must pray and trust God to cause good to come forth from our suffering, putting our friends and loved ones in His hand and asking Him to turn their hearts to Him.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing as we seek to speak truth and declare the Word to those that have not believed.  Our only goal is to help others learn to think and act like Jesus for the glory of His Name!

¹Barna, George; 2025. American Worldview Inventory 2023-2025. Glendale, AZ: Arizona Christian University Press. Pages 67-72.