Saturday, November 24, 2007

What Is a Biblical Worldview?

By R. Josiah Magnuson

We as Americans today are in the midst of a worldviews war - a war between two philosophies of what the nature of life is and how things really work. One side supports freedom, values, and God's Word, and the other side does not.

The Declaration of Independence reminds us, “All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…. To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The Founding Fathers of America held the Biblical worldview.

Karx Marx in contrast believed in Communism (an example of the Evolutionary worldview), which, he stated, "abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality."

Another way to express "unalienable rights" or "eternal truths" is absolutes. The Biblical worldview, in short, is one of absolute reliance on God and His instructions. The Biblical worldview is that of Sola Scriptura (The Scriptures alone). Let us take a brief look at the tenets of this belief system.

The basic premise of the Biblical worldview is that God is the Creator, and is supreme over all things. Since God created our universe, He knows everything about it and its workings. It thus follows that His Word must be supreme, and true in all matters. Finally, because the Bible contains (true) promises that it would be preserved through history, it must have been!

Government under the Biblical model exists only to protect one from harm. Government does not have an inherent sovereignty over its citizens. It can do nothing which would overreach God's moral boundaries which apply to everyone.

Science is the way we learn about the world. It is not a method for discovering origins, but a tool which enables us to serve God with knowledge and efficiency.

Work is good and necessary. The free enterprise system is the normal system which has existed throughout civilization, and is the way which God intended commerce to be.

Education of children should be accomplished by parents, either directly or indirectly. The State has no place in determining the societal future of any person.

Religion is not something to be stacked up and stored in the church, but something to be integrated into every facet of our lives. Our "rely"gion in God must continue everywhere.

Those who hold the Biblical worldview believe in proclaiming God's Truth, exemplifying morality, justice, and appreciation for others, and encouraging others to do the same. Finally, they treasure God's commands as contained in His Word, and live with Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives.

Let us each live today with the Biblical worldview. Here's how to get started!