My Personal Worldview
The Bible is not just a book, it was
written for each and every one of us to apply in our everyday lives, being the
very foundation for which we live. Throughout
the Old Testament we are shown example after example of how to live out our
faith. In the New Testament we are told
of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and how to live as God has called us to
live. That is why I have a Biblical
worldview, in which the Bible is the absolute foundation for how I live out my
life. A
Biblical worldview believes that:
Absolute
moral truth exists, the bible is the source of that truth, Jesus lived a
sinless life, God created the universe and continues to rule it, Salvation is a
gift from God, Satan is a real living entity, Christians have a personal
obligation to share the Gospel, and the Bible is accurate in all of its
teaching (Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 91).
Truth is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “the body of real things, events, and facts”
(2013). Absolute truth is found in the Bible, it “is the source of that truth”
(Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 91). Truth is not a mystery; God has made it known
to all mankind (Bevere, 2006, p. 5).
Romans 1:19 says, “For the truth about God is known to them
instinctively. God has put this knowledge
in their hearts” (New Living Translation).
“His life and teachings are the central core of truth” (Phillips, Brown,
& Stonestreet, 2008, p. 98).
Being a Christian is about following the
example God gave us through His son. Jesus
showed us how to live out a relationship with Him. He lived a perfect and sinless life; He was
and is the ultimate example. “Jesus was
not a man who became a god; He was God who became a man.” (Phillips, Brown,
& Stonestreet, 2008, p. 99). There
are many examples of Jesus living a sinless
life; Matthew 4:1-11 is one of them. Jesus was fasting for forty days and forty
nights in the desert, during which Satan came, tempting Him to eat. Jesus could have easily given into the
temptation, but He did not. Jesus responded
to Satan, “’Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. “For the
Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’””
(Matthew 4:10). Hebrews 4:15 states, “This High Priest of ours understands our
weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Think about your everyday life and how hard
it is to withstand temptation. It is very
challenging, and yet Jesus withstood it for His entire life.
It is
extremely hard to imagine a God who existed before anything else, and then chose
to create an entire universe. John 1:1
says, “In
the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God has always been; there was never a time
when God was not. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.” God
desired to have human companionship, so He created man in His own image. “When God created human beings, he made them
to be like himself. He created them male and female, and he blessed them and
called them ‘human.’” (Genesis 5:1-2).
God not only created us, but He continues to rule over us. Nothing is more powerful than our God.
For
through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things
we can’t see- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen
world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before
anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:16-17).
“Salvation is the restoration of the
fullness of the divine image in man and the divine relationship with man; the
act is a restitution of the relationship God intended: reconciliation,
redemption, return, repentance.” (Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 102). Salvation is not something we earn or deserve
based on how we act; it is a free gift God gives us when we choose to accept
Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
Ephesians
2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit
for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of
us can boast about it.”
Salvation
is God’s gift to us. God chose us and
desires to have a real, living relationship with each and everyone of us. “Salvation is initiated solely by God’s grace
on behalf of a sinful humanity that is incapable of restoring its own
relationship with God.” (Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 103). Romans 3:23-24 tells us that all have sinned;
no one can be like God, but through God’s gift to us, His Son, we are cleansed
from all unrighteousness. John 3:16, “For
God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” To love someone so much, that He gave His own
Son as a sacrifice, now that is what I call love!
Satan is real and living among us. He was created by God as an angelic being,
with the purpose of serving God, as all angelic beings were created to do
(Ezekiel 28:14). However, when Satan
took on the form of a serpent and tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Satan went directly against God, and was forever banished from God’s presence
(Genesis 3:1-24, Ezekiel 28:1-19). God
defeated Satan, when He sent His Son, Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice for all
mankind (John 3:16).
1
Corinthians 15:55-56, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death,
and the law gives sin its power. But
thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus
Christ.”
Satan does not work on his own; he has fallen angels, known
as, demons who also work in the world, waging war against God (Driscoll,
2008). As Christians, we must be aware
of Satan’s presence, so that we might be able to stand up against him. 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Satan will not outsmart us.
For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”
Having a Biblical
worldview, believing in God and His teaching, is not all that we are called
to. Christ desires so much more for
us. According to the Great Commission in
Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commands us to:
Go
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach
these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of
this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Being a Christian, I know that I am called to share the gospel, teaching
those who do not know Christ, all about Him and His love.
The Bible is not just a book; it is
accurate and real in all of its teachings.
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper
than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between
joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” The Bible is not just alive and active; it
also serves as a form of communication with God. “Our relationship with God would begin
at the point of revelation, in which God communicates Himself to us.”
(Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 113). The Bible serves as a guide for us, guiding
us in how to live out our life in the world among us. “It is through God’s Word that we may
properly understand God’s world.” (Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, p.
94).
Having a Biblical worldview is much more
than just believing what the Bible says; it is about living out a life that
reflects the teachings God has given us in the Bible. This is something that we can see in our
every day to day lifestyle. Christ lives
in me, and because of that He is apparent in everything that I do. Having a Biblical worldview is great, but it
means absolutely nothing, if you are not in a personal relationship with God,
desiring to know and deepen your relationship with Him. It is human nature to have selfish wants and
desires, but with Christ one begins to lose those ties to selfishness, and your
life will reflect Christ living in and through you. John 3:30 tells us that, “He must increase,
but I must decrease.” “The key is
to know what the King desires and looks for, not what seems good to society or
human reasoning” (Bevere, 2006, p. 12).
As for myself, I have a Biblical worldview,
because of my relationship with my Savior.
I daily die to myself and choose to let everything I do and say reflect
Him living in me. I live out each day to
fulfill the calling that God has placed on my life. “Somewhere, mysteriously in the depths of our
hearts, God is calling each one to make a difference” (Smith, 2011, p. 108).
When we know and accept a Biblical
worldview, it is then that we are called to action. Having a Biblical worldview is more than just
proclaiming it, we must live it out. It
is absolutely critical that we know and act on God’s Word.
There
is a Judgment Day, which has been appointed from the foundation of the world
(Acts 17:31). That day will not bring
new revelations of truth; rather, it will measure all things by what has
already been spoken. His Word, which we
currently possess, will judge us in that last day. It is eternal. It is final.
There are no exceptions, alterations, or revisions. Wouldn’t it benefit us to know and live by
what He says, rather than assume what He said?
(Bevere, 2006, p. 8).
Being in relationship with Jesus is more than a daily, one minute,
fix all prayer. It means living by what
He commands in His written Word and staying in constant communion with
Him. Having a Biblical worldview is
essential in living out a true relationship with Christ.
References
Bevere,
J. (2006). Driven by eternity, making
your life count today & forever. New York,
NY: Faith Words
Driscoll,
M. (2008). Spiritual warfare. [PDF document].
Retrieved from
Phillips,
W. G., Brown, W. E. & Stonestreet, J. (2008). Making sense of your
world: A biblical
worldview.
(2nd ed.). Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing Company
Smith,
G. (2011). Courage & calling:
embracing your God-given potential. (Revised and
Expanded
ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press
Truth.
(2013). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved
from:
