Saturday, January 30, 2010

A Christian Worldview; What is it and Why do I Need One?

Some non-believers see the Bible as a collection of myths and fairy tales. Others view it as a collection of moral precepts to be held up with other great religious works. Many Christians look at the Bible as a blueprint for how to order the spiritual compartments of their life. The Christian who sees his faith as relevant to all of life and culture is in the process of developing a Christian worldview.
Marshall Foster says there is no dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. If Jesus is Lord then everything is sacred. If, as Revelation 4:11 says, all things are created by Him and for His will's sake, there is nothing outside the compass of His instructions. To state this simply, every area of life must align with the principles revealed in His holy word. When the Christian orders every area of life with the word of God that is a Christian worldview.
The dirty little secret is that everyone has a worldview, whether he realizes what his worldview is or not. A worldview is the system of thought one utilizes to make decisions in life. The worldview that one adheres to determines how he will act and react in his daily life. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that everyone has a blended worldview. To truly please God it is incumbent upon the Christian to be constantly adjusting his worldview to fit scripture. The thing that is often more difficult is the application of Biblical principles to each unique situation in life. This requires wisdom, and a multitude of counselors. In other words, Christian, do not try to go it alone. Lean on God and His word, and commune together with other Christians who are seeking to understand His word through His wisdom, peeling away all philosophies that are foreign to scripture.
There are grave consequences when alien philosophies are added to a Christian worldview, or when it is divorced from any realm. When business is not ordered by Biblical standards you can never be sure of the quality or integrity of a contract made. When a Christian worldview is excluded from recreation the result is a morally debauched fare for the choosing. The American government illustrates the problem with replacing Christ as King; legalized murder, theft, and an attempt to force false doctrines on the church. Replacing a distinctly Christian education with secular philosophy results in an illiterate culture and an exodus of the youth from the church. When Biblical principles do not reign in all areas of life men and women replace the one true living God with a false god, resulting in lost souls going to hell.
Religion is not merely an individual pursuit. When your worldview strays from Biblical principles the affect does not merely affect your life, but it affects all of culture. The Christian develops a Christian worldview by “...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ...” (II Cor. 10:5). Every Christian will admit that he is responsible to participate in the fulfilling of the great commission If the Christian does not have his mind renewed by the word of God he can not “teach all nations..to observe all things, whatsoever I [Jesus] have commanded you...” (Matt. 28:19 – 20).

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