Most self-identified Christians think doing 'good things' is enough to get to Heaven

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, December 06, 2025

New research reveals that most self-identified Christians think doing “good things” for others is enough to secure them a spot in Heaven, in what one leading researcher laments as the latest example of a widespread embrace of “unbiblical beliefs” among American Christians. 

A recent report released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University examining Americans’ views on the afterlife constitutes the latest installment of the American Worldview Inventory 2025, a survey of 2,000 American adults conducted in March. 

Overall, majorities of all Christian subgroups believe that every person will be judged personally by God, with 95% of theologically identified born-again Christians, 86% of Pentecostals, 84% of Evangelicals, 84% of independent and non-denominational Christians, 83% of Protestants, 82% of Mainline Protestants, 78% of self-identified Christians and 74% of Catholics embracing this belief. 

A majority (53%) of self-identified Christians agree that “A person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in Heaven.” A majority of Catholics (73%) believe that doing “good things” is enough to secure a place in Heaven. Less than half of Evangelicals (43%), Mainline Protestants (43%), theologically identified born-again Christians (42%), Protestants (41%), Pentecostals (41%) and Christians who attend independent and non-denominational churches (35%) said the same. 

While over half of Catholics (54%) believe that “There are many paths to eternal salvation; you can choose whichever one you prefer,” less than half of self-identified Christians (41%), Evangelicals (37%), Mainline Protestants (35%), Pentecostals (34%), Protestants (34%), and Christians who go to independent and non-denominational churches (31%) and theologically identified born-again Christians (27%) held this opinion. 

“There remains a shocking degree of misunderstanding among Christians regarding sin, repentance, forgiveness and salvation,” said CRC Director of Research George Barna in reaction to the research. 

“Millions of people who regularly attend Christian churches believe that eternal salvation does not depend on the sacrifice of Christ because of our sins,” he added. “They don’t understand this fundamental tenet of Christian belief.”

“Instead, we have a majority of self-described Christians hedging their eternal bets by integrating multiple means of salvation into their personal security plan.”

When asked if they agree that “Admitting that you have sinned is all you need to do to repent,” less than half of members of all Christian subgroups answered in the affirmative. However, the share of Christians who viewed simply admitting to sin as the only prerequisite for repentance is not insignificant. 

Nearly half (48%) of Evangelicals and Pentecostals, 44% of Catholics, 40% of self-identified Christians, 39% of Protestants, 38% of theologically identified, born-again Christians, 37% of independent and non-denominational Christians and 36% of Mainline Protestants maintained that admission of sin alone constitutes repentance. 

Barna lamented that “Tens of millions of people who attend Christian churches every week, and who consider themselves to be followers of Christ and eternally secure, do not seem to understand that repentance is necessary for salvation, and repentance demands a change in behavior.” 

He stressed that “repentance is not merely sorrow over misdeeds” but “must include a determined effort to change both mind and actions to avoid committing the same sins in the future.”

“Simply apologizing to God, or saying a prayer asking for forgiveness, without a real effort to change the lifestyle, does not fit with biblical teaching about forgiveness and grace," he insisted. 

Barna concluded: “The presence of unbiblical beliefs in the minds of most Christian-leaning Americans reminds us that most people are information collectors rather than biblically consistent followers of Christ. Americans are more determined to be comfortable than biblically right. That preference will produce profound eternal effects for each of us.” 

The findings of the AWI 2025 report are similar to the American Worldview Inventory 2020 survey released by the CRC in 2020, which found that 52% of people who describe themselves as Christian accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance. 

The 2020 study also found that “huge proportions of people” tied to churches that state salvation comes only by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, “believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good,” including 70% of Catholics, 46% of Pentecostals, 44% of Mainline Protestants and 41% of Evangelicals.