Lifeway Research recently published its 2026 survey which revealed how Canadians comprehend primary doctrines of the Christian religion. The insights provided by the State of Theology study indicate cultural influences on people’s perception of the Bible’s authority and how opinions differ among Christians regarding scriptural teaching.
Many Canadian evangelicals align with biblical teaching. Ninety-eight percent agree that God is unchanging, ninety-six percent concur that God created marriage to be between one man and one woman, and ninety-four percent believe that the Bible is 100% accurate.
While ninety-three percent agree that there is one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, sixty-six percent of Canadian evangelicals believe that the Holy Spirit is a force but not a personal being.
The survey results disclose that many evangelicals do not have a solid comprehension of the Holy Spirit and His biblical role in the godhead. There is also a prevalent misunderstanding regarding the fallen nature of man, with seventy-three percent of respondents believing that people are born innocent in the eyes of God.
Additionally, sixty percent agree with the statement that everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature. Jesus said, “No one is good—except God alone,” (Mark 10:18), and Paul wrote, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one,” (Romans 3:10—12).
ANOTHER TROUBLING FINDING
Another troubling finding stems from the perception that Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God, with forty-five percent in agreement with that notion. This error reveals a sharp disconnect among Christians with the very foundation of Christianity and the authority of the Bible as God’s word.
This topic is the central theme of my recent book, The Truth About Jesus, where the divinity of Christ is examined in great detail. The intrinsic value of Jesus Christ is that He is God. To deny that Jesus is God is to diminish His worth and His sufficiency as the unblemished Lamb. Like dominoes falling, all doctrines relating to salvation, atonement and the resurrection collapse if Jesus was simply a man.
Nearly thirty percent of evangelicals surveyed disagree with the literal truth of scripture. Twenty-eight percent believe the Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths. It is counterintuitive to suggest the Bible is 100% accurate while claiming it contains myths, yet that is exactly what this survey discovered.
These theological weaknesses are even more pronounced in the general population when secular worldviews are included. Around half of respondents overall believe the resurrection of Christ was an actual historical event, and fifty-six percent agree that there is one true God, in three persons.
Many Canadians are unsure of what the Bible teaches, or what they believe. There is a distinct difference between those under the age of fifty and those above, with younger Canadians more willing to accept biblical truths than older citizens. From topics such as abortion to eternal punishment, and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, there is more agreement with the Bible among younger respondents, yet it is still below half.
A GENUINE NEED FOR SOUND BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP
Cultural influences and the acceptance of secular ideologies by Christians highlight a genuine need for sound biblical discipleship among those who profess Christ. Spiritual hunger and confusion among believers demands clarity and conviction to the gospel message.
Standing firm in faith means being uncompromising and having the courage to face the prevailing sensitivities of a society that has distorted the image of Christ. It means unflinching commitment to biblical principles and the resolve to exercise discernment in the midst of cultural crosswinds, competing interpretations, and the erosion of the truth about Jesus.
At the heart of the matter is the identity of Jesus Himself, since He is the very epicenter of Christian theology. In Matthew 16:15 He asks, “Who do you say I am?” Society has reinvented Jesus and created variants of Christ that constitute the very false messiahs that Jesus warned of in Matthew 24:24.
Paul states in 2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, of a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.”
Like a house of mirrors, our culture has offered glimpses of Christ that fit various idealogues–distorted images that create an illusion of Christ but lack the clarity of Jesus that is presented in the Bible. This is more than simply a theological discussion. At its core is the identity of God Himself and the precision of His redemptive strategy for humanity. Those who miss the gate cannot enter the sheep pen by another way. Jesus is the gate (John 10:9).
When Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” (John 14:6), He was explicitly and exclusively rejecting any variants to His truth. Therefore, any perceived truth that fails to align with the words of Jesus in the gospels is untrue.
THE IDENTITY OF CHRIST REMAINS RELEVANT
The identity of Christ remains relevant across generations. He transcends cultures, languages, borders and time. As the Son of Man prophesied by Daniel in the seventh chapter, verses thirteen and fourteen, all peoples, nations and men of every language worship Him (see also Revelation 7:9). The One who comes on the clouds of heaven is identified by Daniel as the divine Messiah and confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26, Mark 14:62, Luke 21:27, Acts 1:9-11, and Revelation 1:7.
Among Christians today there is uncertainty, as the message preached from many pulpits has drifted away from biblical exposition towards social commentary. Many believers question whether Jesus is the only path to heaven or if the concept of God includes the beliefs of other religions. Some even call to revise Christianity and rewrite the Bible to reflect cultural “progression.”
Many people know about Jesus but do not know Him personally. They are intellectually persuaded but spiritually uncommitted. They do not have a relationship with the living Christ. As professing Christians whose faith is not genuine and who were never regenerated orborn again—they qualify as nominal Christians and they are analogous with apostates.
The State of Theology survey reveals the uncomfortable truth that many travel the broad road that leads to destruction, and the road is still narrow that leads to life and only a few find it. In Luke 13:24—25 Jesus said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
“Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’” Knowing Jesus personally is of surpassing worth. Knowing about Jesus changes nothing in our lives. Truly knowing Jesus leaves nothing unchanged.
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