Friday, December 11th, 2009

“The church’s singular failure in recent decades has been the failure to see Christianity as a life system, or worldview, that governs every area of existence.” -Chuck Colson

In recent years, the topic of  the worldview has become more and more popular among the evangelical church. It’s been examined extensively in The Truth Project by Focus on the Family and by Christian authors such as Rick Warren. Why is this? There is a growing concern about the post-Christian cultural scene that there has been an ever expanding gap between the church and its state in the past 20 to 30 years. Our society and even most Christians fail to see Christianity as a worldview. Instead they see it as a religion that should be keep apart from their everyday lives. It’s because of this very reason we find ourselves in the mess that we’re currently in. According to recent studies by George Barna, founder of Barna Group, only 4% of all American adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making and only 9% of born-again US Christians have such a perspective. Is it any wonder then that we are failing miserably at reaching the world?

Believe it or not there was a time when a biblical worldview was prominent in America. This country was founded on the Christian worldview and for the first 125 years it was evident. From this worldview, we became the most rich, successful, and prosperous nation in the world. But then we fell away and for the past 100 plus years the secular worldview has become the dominant worldview. The rise of Darwinism, tolerance, and secular humanism has slowly creep into schools, the government, culture, media, and our social systems leaving Christianity as a mere afterthought for most people. The principle of separation of church and state has become widely accepted–even among most Christians! This all goes back to failing to see Christianity as a worldview.

What is a worldview? The basic definition of a worldview is the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.  From this worldview a person tries to give reasons for how the facts of reality relate and tie together. The summation of these facts provides the big picture into which the daily events of a person’s life should fit. It is from this worldview that an individual derives an understanding, interpretation, and response to the world in which he or she lives.

Does everyone have a worldview? Whether you’re an Atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Agonistic, or Christian—-you have a worldview. From this worldview a person answers these important questions:

• Who am I?
• Where did I come from?
• Where am I going?
• What is true and what is false?
• How should I conduct my life, or act?
• Does God exist and if so what is my response to Him?

I have a worldview–so what? Grasping your worldview is one of the most important things a person must do. Especially we as Christians. If you fail to understand and put together how you view the world, you’ll constantly live your life in confusion accepting contrary, opposing views as truth. We’re then ineffective in reaching the world because our lives blend with mainstream society. The church recently has been so consumed with bringing people in and boosting their attendance numbers that we fail to teach them the foundational truth that Christianity is a worldview, not a religion!

How do I have a Christian, Biblical worldview? The most basic definition of a Christian worldview is to have the mind of Christ. One needs to think like Christ, act like Christ, love like Christ, and walk like Christ. Where do we get this worldview? The Bible. From the Bible we are given an accurate understanding and interpretation of the world, our being, our morality, a correct value system and who we are.  “Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17(NLT). From the Bible we can get a clear understanding of politics, government, business, work, family, society, culture, arts, etc. A biblical worldview has been at the center of many of the world’s greatest contributions to science, human rights, literature, education, medicine and freedom. It is at the utmost importance that we grasp these truths.

Our faith should intersect every SINGLE AREA of our lives.  From what we say, to how we spend our money, to the places we go, from the movies we watch, to the things we do— EVERYTHING should come from this biblical worldview. In Romans 12:2 it says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We must separate the biblical worldview from the secular non-biblical worldview by understanding and then applying God’s truths. From this we can truly set ourselves apart from the world. Then non-believers will see this large difference in our lives and wonder why this is. This all starts by reading and studying God’s Word. If we don’t know God’s Word we can’t possibly live out the biblical worldview. So I encourage you to begin asking yourself what your worldview is and how you view the world. Then begin to see what is correct with Biblical truth and what is false. Then apply these truths into your daily life. This is the basic principle of SHOUT IT Ministries: “Know the Truth. Live the Truth. Be the Truth.” From here on out, I’ll write on all aspects on the Christian worldview covering a wide arrange of topics. Tune in next weekend for a discussion on finding joy and wonder in the Christmas season. Have a wonderful, safe weekend. God Bless.   

Sources: http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2005/0502worldview.asp