A Nation at the Crossroads: Will America Believe?
- Raymond Melendez
- Jan 12
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 12
At TheGoodNewsCast.com we believe that America’s hope is found in returning to the One whom God has sent—Jesus Christ
America stands at a crossroads. Once widely known as a nation that trusted God and allowed faith to shape its culture, politics, and identity, the United States is now witnessing a dramatic shift. A growing majority of adults no longer believe in God, let alone trust God. Surveys and cultural trends reveal more than a change in opinion—they expose a deep crisis. As belief in God fades, so too does a crucial foundation, leaving urgent questions about the nation’s future unanswered.
This moment in history is not unique. Scripture shows that societies repeatedly reach points where they desire relief from chaos but resist commitment to God. Judges 6 captures this pattern with striking clarity. Israel cried out for deliverance from oppression, yet they had repeatedly turned away from God. Still, God responded by sending someone to act on God's behalf.
Judges 6 reveals a consistent pattern: God’s deliverance is intentional and comes through messengers, prophets, priests, etc. Gideon’s calling in Judges 6 illustrates that God invites us into a commitment. The people wanted justice without devotion. Their story reflects the spirit of our age—yearning to be saved yet resisting any genuine commitment to God.
When viewed through the teachings of Jesus Christ, this pattern becomes even clearer. Jesus repeatedly emphasized that he was sent by the Father as the fulfillment of humanity’s deepest need. To believe in God, according to Christ, is inseparable from believing in the One whom God sent. This principle is reinforced in the Book of Mormon, which testifies that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, the world's Deliverer sent to prevent total destruction and bring eternal life.
The question facing America today is urgent: will it acknowledge and believe that Christ was sent to lead the way? History and scriptures warn that without a genuine commitment, seeking God's salvation will only test God's patience.
America’s Crisis: Devotion Declined
The numbers behind America’s spiritual decline are sobering. Recent surveys suggest that nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults do not believe in the existence of God or in the possibility of a personal relationship with God. In a nation of roughly 260 million adults, that translates to approximately 156 million people who reject not only God but also the very idea that a relationship with God is possible. Put simply, nearly six out of every ten American adults live without faith in God as a guiding light (Pew Research Center).
From a Christian perspective, this shift is more than a cultural trend—it is a sign of urgency. Christianity teaches that faith is an ongoing, living relationship with God, made possible through Jesus Christ. When that relationship disappears, the spiritual and societal consequences are inevitable. What America is experiencing is a trend toward destruction and ruin.
This condition closely mirrors a recurring pattern found in Scripture. Judges 6:1–10 opens with Israel once again oppressed, this time under the hand of the Midianites. As in previous cycles, the people cry out to God for help. God responds and sends a prophet to remind them of a painful truth: God had delivered them before, brought them out of Egypt, freed them from their enemies, and established them in safety. Yet despite God's faithfulness, they refused to commit and turned their hearts toward other gods.
The message is unmistakable. Israel wanted deliverance without devotion. They welcomed God's help in times of sorrow but refused to commit. Their cries for help were sincere, but their commitment was shallow. As a result, deliverance alone did not produce eternal life.
That same pattern resembles America’s current trend. Countless people chase life, liberty, and happiness, hallmarks of the American dream, while leaving no room for a life rooted in Scripture. Judges 6 reveals why this approach will not continue: without devotion, deliverance becomes vain, and the cycle of destruction and ruin continues.
The warning is clear and timeless. A nation cannot survive on the benefits of Christ's salvation while abandoning the foundation of faith itself. True progress begins with a return to trust and believing that a relationship with God is possible. Without that foundation, no form of deliverance—political, economic, or social—can keep the fracture from widening.
America’s numbers tell a story, but Scripture explains its meaning. When faith fades and devotion disappears, decline is not far behind. The question is no longer whether deliverance is needed, but whether the nation is willing to believe that Jesus was sent to lead the way.
Sent by God: The Crisis of Our Time
From a Christian perspective, the implications of today’s data are profound. Christianity teaches that God is not distant or unknowable but personal—and that a real relationship is possible through Jesus Christ. When surveys indicate that millions of Americans do not believe God exists or that a relationship is possible, the result is cultural decline and spiritual separation.
At the same time, Christian leaders are careful to emphasize that surveys measure only the present. They capture a moment, not the future. Faith in God can be restored, yet the seriousness of the moment cannot be dismissed. If millions remain in a posture of disbelief, Christianity teaches that they remain outside of the saving work of Christ. This conviction lies at the heart of evangelism and is why Christians continue to teach and preach of God's salvation both locally and globally.
This tension between disbelief and deliverance is not new. Judges 6 introduces Gideon, a man chosen by God at a moment when Israel was oppressed and fearful. Gideon himself embodies their struggle to believe. When God commissions him to deliver Israel, Gideon hesitates, overwhelmed by doubt. God’s question to Gideon:
“Have not I sent thee?” Judges 6:14
The issue is not Gideon’s strength, but whether he believes that God is truly sending him.
Gideon’s request for a sign reveals how difficult it is for humans to believe that God is present and personally involved. God provides assurance by accepting Gideon’s offering, leaving no doubt that Gideon is indeed sent. Once Gideon knows this truth, fear begins to give way, and that belief becomes the foundation for Israel’s deliverance.
The lesson bridges ancient Israel and modern America. Deliverance alone does not produce devotion. A heart of worship is only achieved when it is understood that God alone delivers and sent Jesus and his followers to teach and preach this gift of grace. Just as Gideon had to believe he was sent, people today must believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God for their salvation.
In a nation wrestling with disbelief, the story of Gideon offers both warning and hope. Believing in the One whom God has sent transforms deliverance into devotion to God above all else. The question remains the same across generations: when God sends us a savior, will we believe him/her, or will we test God's character?
A Generation Unconvinced that Jesus Saves
The spiritual landscape of modern culture has shifted dramatically. Experts point to deep and ongoing cultural changes that help explain why faith in God has weakened for so many. Younger generations increasingly identify as religiously unaffiliated, distancing themselves not only from organized religion but also from faith itself. Trust in religious, political, and social institutions has eroded, and faith in God is now often treated as a personal preference rather than a necessary foundation.
Other factors reinforce this shift. Scientific explanations of the universe have led some to conclude that God is unnecessary. Moral disagreements with religious teachings, along with painful or disappointing experiences within faith communities, have caused others to question or abandon religion altogether. What unites these perspectives is a growing resistance to the idea that God actively intervenes in human life or sends messengers with spiritual authority.
This resistance is not new. It appears clearly in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke 20 records religious leaders questioning Jesus, pressing him about the authority behind his actions. Rather than answering directly, Jesus asks a similar question: was John the Baptist sent by God? Their refusal to answer exposes their disbelief. They could not believe that God had sent John, and therefore they could not accept that God had sent Jesus. Knowing that he could not help them, Jesus withheld his answer.
Abraham declares that even a resurrection would not persuade those who refuse to believe God’s messengers: “Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Miracles alone cannot produce devotion if the heart refuses to believe in the One whom God sends. Faith is not forced by evidence; it is awakened by simply believing.
Yet for those who do believe, the result is radically different. After his resurrection, Jesus declares, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). This statement affirms that Jesus was sent by the Heavenly Father and has God's Holy Spirit upon him.
The Book of Mormon supports this truth. Nephi testifies that “there is no name in all creation that brings salvation except that of Jesus Christ” (2 Nephi 25:20). Like Gideon, Jesus was sent by God—but unlike Gideon, Jesus was sent to save all who believe, not merely to deliver one nation.
In a culture where faith has become optional and is often dismissed, the central question remains unchanged: do we believe that God sent Jesus, and do we believe that Jesus sends those who do? America's salvation hinges on the answer.
Sent: Belief That Awakens Devotion
As faith in God declines across American culture, evangelistic organizations have intensified their efforts to reach those who no longer believe—or who believe that God is distant and irrelevant. Rather than retreating in the face of skepticism, many Christian ministries see the moment as a call to action. Among the most influential are the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Cru, two organizations united by a shared conviction that a commitment begins when people believe the One God has sent.
Founded by the late Billy Graham, the BGEA has spent decades proclaiming the Christian message with urgency. Through large-scale evangelistic events, media outreach, and digital platforms, the organization continues its central mission: calling people to believe in Jesus Christ (BGEA). Even in a changing cultural climate, BGEA’s message remains consistent—that salvation is found only in Christ and that God is still actively involved in people’s lives.
Cru complements this approach by focusing on discipleship, particularly among students and young adults. As one of the largest evangelistic organizations in the world, Cru emphasizes helping people know Jesus personally and preparing them to share their faith across cultures and generations (Cru). Its model centers on dialogue and long-term commitment, reflecting an understanding that faith often develops through relationships rather than momentary encounters.
Both organizations, though distinct in method, respond to the same underlying reality: believing must precede devotion. This principle is rooted in Scripture. Judges 6 makes clear that Israel’s greatest problem was not the absence of deliverance, but that they did not believe. Gideon’s transformation—from fear to commitment—began the moment he believed that he was truly sent by God.
Once his belief took root, devotion followed. This pattern continues in the Christian life. When individuals believe that God has sent Jesus Christ, it leads to their calling to go and proclaim the good news. Those who truly believe become witnesses, teachers, and messengers of the gospel, devoted to God above all else.
In an age marked by doubt and disbelief, evangelistic efforts restore faith in God, who sent the Savior, and the ones who believe in him. As Judges 6 reminds us, deliverance saves the world from nothing unless it believes.
Works Cited
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. About Us. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 2026, www.billygraham.org/about-us. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Cru. What We Do | Cru. Cru, 2025, www.cru.org/us/en/about/what-we-do.html. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
