Introduction
In our last two messages we addressed the current crisis in America. We discussed four principles that should continually inform our thinking process. Today I want to finish that discussion with one more issue that profoundly affects our understanding of what is going on around us. I am talking about our worldview.
The Free Dictionary defines worldview as “The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.”i As the word suggests, it is one’s overall view of the world: the framework of underlying assumptions by which we interpret everything. A worldview reflects the answers a person has to the big questions of life: “who and what we are, where we came from, why we’re here, where (if anywhere) we’re headed, the meaning and purpose of life, the nature of the afterlife, and what counts as a good life here and now.” Everyone has a worldview that shapes and informs their opinions about everything. Like a pair of colored glasses everything is seen through that lens, and it colors the person’s perception and perspective on everything in life.ii
As we look at our current crisis in America and the unreconcilable political divide, someone might ask, “Why can’t we just get along?” The basic answer is worldview. When the underlying assumptions are radically different and even mutually exclusive, it is hard to find a meeting of the minds. As a professional mediator, I am always looking for “common ground” in building a resolution to a conflict. We try to begin with something basic that both parties can agree on and proceed from there. But the more incompatible their underlying assumptions are, the more difficult that is to do.
In the 1950’s most of the nation had a Christian worldview. Even people who were not Christians tended to view the world through a Judeo-Christian perspective. Anyone who articulated a different worldview would not have much of a chance of being elected. And since our leaders had similar worldviews it was much easier to negotiate compromises. In the 50’s there were some efforts to promote a Marxist worldview, but those were ineffective in persuading the populous as a whole.
But then came the ‘60’s and ‘70’s with the Hippie Movement and the Sexual Revolution. With that came a shift in the thinking of many people. Behind the scene philosophers and theologians were abandoning a biblical worldview. That got into pastors who turned to liberal theology where the authority of Scripture was radically undermined by naturalist theologians. Congregations were taught not to trust Scripture as a reliable revelation of truth. It was used more as a storybook to teach moral platitudes.
At the same time the education system embraced a secular non-Christian orientation. The watershed ruling by the Supreme Court in 1962 in the case of Engel v Vitale ended school-sponsored prayer.iii The following year the court declared mandatory Bible Reading as unconstitutional as well.iv Our national leaders, especially in the judicial branch, were pushing God out of the education system and opening the door for the “religion” or worldview of secular humanism.v In the years that followed students were increasingly taught a humanistic worldview. Evolution was taught in the biology classes. Christianity was often presented in a negative light in history classes. Kids attended Sunday School for one hour a week and public school for 35-40 hours a week.vi Over the decades that followed, masses of people moved from a biblical worldview to a humanistic worldview.
So, an unreconcilable divide is reflected in politics today. But it goes much deeper than politics.vii It is a clash between the two major worldviews: the biblical worldview and the humanist worldview.viii There are variations in the non-biblical worldview that we don’t have time to deal with today. Marxism is an atheistic form of humanism that considers religion an obstacle to a better society. New Age thinking recognizes the supernatural spirit world but rejects the Judeo-Christian God. It is highly diverse but tends to use the supernatural for selfish purposes. We will not deal specifically with Marxism or New Age today, but they do oppose the Christian worldview. The primary conflict is between Christianity and Humanism as worldviews. That is behind much of the conflict we are experiencing in America today.
The three big issues for worldview are found in one’s understanding of:
(1) Origin: how it all began
(2) the interim Problem to be solvedix
(3) the End: where it is all headed.
I. ORIGIN: HOW IT ALL BEGAN.
The Christian worldview begins with these words in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God.”x For the Christian the First Cause of everything is a loving, personal Creator. We see everything in that light.
The naturalist rejects that revelation. Evolution teaches that everything evolved. Their philosophy lacks an adequate explanation of origin because it cannot explain First Cause. If man came from an ape, where did the ape come from. If the ape came from a series of evolutionary changes that go back to the amoeba, where did the amoeba come from? You can continue to use evolution to explain existence in that way but at some point, you come to First Cause, and you have to take that by faith. Nobody was there when it all began. It takes just as much “faith” to believe in evolution as it does to believe in the Christian God. It’s a matter of what you choose to put your faith in. The evolutionist’s First Cause leaves serious questions unanswered that are answered in the Christian worldview. If everything originated from non-personal material, where did personality come from? If survival of the fittest is the highest rule of life, where does love come from, how could it survive? Far from being the result of conclusive science, evolution inadequately answers the question of origin.
If you believe in the divine inspiration of Scripture, you cannot believe in evolution. The creation account in Genesis one says over and over that plants and animals reproduce “according to its kind.” Of course, there are minor adaptations to the environment. God graciously built that into His creation. If I’m going to be in the harsh sun for extended time, my skin will tan so that I can handle that a little better. But the basic DNA composition of a creature is passed on through the seed to the next generation.
One’s understanding of origin profoundly affects the way that person interprets the events and decisions of life. If we are nothing more than the product of evolutionary materialism, then why not abort a fetus that might interfere with my plans and happiness. On the other hand, if that is a child created in the image of God, then to murder that child is a serious offense. The Christian worldview is that it is a child. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). David said to God in Psalm 139:13, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.” You cannot believe the Bible and believe an unborn child in the womb is not human.
The abortion issue is a good example of why it is difficult to find a compromise between the competing worldviews. Either it is a child, or it is not a child. And the answer to that question drives all other questions related to the issue. The moment a child is conceived he or she has all the 46 chromosomes of human life.xi There are no fundamental changes in the basic makeup from that point on. The child simply grows and develops and is born.
How can we yield ground on the abortion issue and maintain fidelity to Scripture? We cannot. When Israel slaughtered their children in sacrifice to Molech, it provided severe judgement from God.xii How can America kill 62 million innocent children and expect God to overlook the offense?xiii It is scandalous that Christian leaders would take this issue lightly. Yes, it has been debated for years, and maybe you want a more “with it” social issue. But this is a big social issue with God. I find no ground for compromise on the issue. Why? Because I have a worldview that respects the sanctity of human life as created in the image of God. That is part of my worldview based on my understanding of origin.
In Hebrew 11:6 we have a significant statement about worldview. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We have talked about the phrase “must believe that He is.” The beginning point of a Christian worldview is the belief that God exists and that He created the universe including us. But Hebrews 11:6 adds another component of the Christian worldview: “and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” God is intimately involved in the affairs of men. The deist recognizes God as the creator, but he does not believe in divine intervention. The deist does not believe that God is involved in the daily affairs of people’s life. But that is not the God of the Bible. Story after story demonstrates God’s involvement and intervention in people’s lives. The Red Sea did not part for Israel by itself. God acted in that historical event. The plague that struck Israel when David numbered the people was not just a natural consequence of nature. God was involved.xiv
The Humanist worldview sees man as central to everything. Their solutions are found in man, not God. God is ignored.xv In their worldview, He is not a factor. In contrast, the Christian worldview sees God as central to everything. He knows every sparrow in the field. He knows every hair on your head.xvi He is personally and intimately involved in your life. In fact, life is primarily about getting to know Him in a personal way.xvii Paul told the Athenians that God is not far from us, “for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
He rewards obedience, and He judges disobedience. Always, the proper relationship between the creature and the Creator is obedience. This difference in worldviews has a profound influence on the way problems are solved. For the humanist, man solves his own problems without looking to God at all. In Zephaniah 1:12 God said He would punish those who say, “The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.” The NIV translates that: “The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.”xviii On the contrary, God rewards righteous obedience and He punishes sinful rebellion.
Most Christians believe God rewards righteousness. But many have been deceived into believing that He is unwilling to judge unrighteousness. They have been told that God’s love is tolerant toward wicked behavior, that He is simply too nice to send judgment. It is a distorted caricature of God. The concept is appealing to many people. But it is simply not consistent with the revelation we have of God in Scripture. Moses asked for a revelation of God, and this is the proclamation he received in Exodus 33:5-7: “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty. . . .”
Yes, God is merciful. Out of His mercy, He has provided salvation through Christ. He abounds in goodness and truth. But there is another side of God revealed in this proclamation. He by no means clears the guilty. He provides an avenue of repentance for the guilty. But if the guilty do not repent and persist in their iniquity He does not ignore that; He judges the guilty.
Let me give you the practical implications of all this in our current crisis. America has turned from God, expelling Him from our school system, approving the bloodshed of millions of innocent children, and there has been no national repentance. A remnant are right with God. But even most people who claim to be Christians do not have a biblical worldview and are not right with Him. So, what happens? God sends judgment as a wake-up call. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). The key action required in that verse is repentance—turning from one’s own sinful ways to a submission to God and His will. That’s the key to not perishing. God does not send judgment to be mean. He does not send it because He lost His temper. He sends judgment as a call to repentance and an opportunity to avoid destruction.xix
In 2020 He sent a plague. It is a harbinger of what is to come if we don’t repent. It is a warning of worse judgment. But most of all it is a call to turn from our wicked ways and get in right relationship with Him. I am amazed at evangelical leaders who are afraid to say God sends judgment. God is not afraid to say it. He says it several times in the Bible. He sent 10 plagues on Egypt. He judged His own people and sent them into captivity. When we won’t acknowledge that fact, then we tend to respond wrong to His judgments. That’s the real problem in all this.
For example, when God sends a plague called coronavirus, the solution pursued is a vaccine. We will solve our own problem. Leave God out of it. There’s no repentance toward God in the solution. In fact, God is ignored, or He is given a token acknowledgement. But still the solution pursued is man-centered idolatry. My biggest concern about the vaccine is the idolatrous way it is pursued as the answer, or savior.xx Could God use a vaccine in His solution for us? Of course, He could. But you can’t ignore Him and come out well. You can’t circumvent what He is requiring and come out well.
Notice in 2 Chronicles 7:13 God unashamedly says He sends plagues. Listen to what He says in that verse: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people” (NIV). He ultimately holds the keys to life and death. He ultimately decides whether there will be a plague or there will be no plague. But we find the solution to the problem in the next verse. It is a solution with God at the center. The humanist solution is altogether man centered. The Christian solution to every problem is God centered. Consider the contrast between our vaccine solution and God’s solution in the next verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (NIV).
We are pursuing the wrong solution because we are doing it with a wrong worldview. Even if we solve the coronavirus, we will run into a bigger problem. Why? Because we have not addressed the underlying issue of our wicked ways.xxi When God judged Israel, instead of repenting, they looked to Egypt for a solution.
In Isaiah 30:1-3 God said to Israel: “‘Woe to the rebellious children,’ says the Lord, ‘Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation.”
What is that all about? It is about finding your own solutions instead of going to God for the answer. God said to Israel in Amos 4:10, “‘I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,’ Says the Lord.” Is that where America is today? It looks that way to me.
What got us here? Multitudes deceived and led into a Humanistic worldview that leads further into humanistic solutions that leave God out of the equation.
The first factor shaping one’s worldview is origin: how did the universe come about in the first place.
II. INTERIM PROBLEM: THE CAUSE OF OUR TROUBLES.
The second factor in shaping world view is the problem to be solved. Everyone knows this world is not what it ought to be. The problem of pain and suffering is shouting at everyone. But defining the problem is where the difference lies between Christians and humanists.
The biblical worldview defined the problem as sin and rebellion against God. There are many manifestations of the problem. War is a manifestation. Sickness is a manifestation. Death is a manifestation of the problem. But what is the underlying issue? According to Scripture it is man’s rebellion against the Creator. It began with the disobedience of Adam and Eve. That resulted in the Fall of man from a place of perfection and paradise to a state of independent, sinful separation from God.
The Christian solution is reconciliation with God. Jesus made that possible at the cross. Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The problem is sin and the solution is grace and mercy through Christ.
The Humanistic worldview defines the problem in a very different way. We don’t have time to fully describe the problem as they see it, but a major part of the problem is the repression brought about by religion. In their view Christianity has locked people into restrictive, archaic ideas that hinder progress. Their solution is found in man’s scientific breakthroughs and in society freeing itself of commandments of a God who is not even there or is at least uninvolved in what’s happening. They want to silence our voice because they think it is hindering their progress toward utopia.
III. END: WHERE IT IS ALL HEADED.
The third leg in a person’s worldview is one’s concept of how it will all end. This is one reason the study of end times is important. Biblical revelation on this shapes our worldview. God knows the end from the beginning, and He has revealed some of that to us in His word.xxii Some of it is hidden (Deut. 29:29). We only see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12). But God has shown us enough that we have a general understanding of how history will ultimately play out. That profoundly affects the way we see the world and events as they unfold.
The humanist has put his faith in the ability of man to solve his problems. There is an arrogant confidence in his ultimate ability to create a better society through science and positive social change. Since God is left out of the equation, the humanists assume the right to define what is best for society. That is a serious problem in itself. Hitler justified the murder of six million Jews as necessary to build a better society. That’s how deceived people can become when they reject God. The humanist rhetoric is very idealistic. Their social action may even do a little temporary good. But ultimately it breaks down because of one thing: the sinful nature of man. You can plan a utopia where there is only love and kindness, but if people’s hearts are selfish you will never realize that utopia. That’s why God’s plan begins with a change in the individual heart. Successful community must be built on that.
With God left out of the solution, humanist initiate changes they feel will advance society. They see an ever-evolving mankind with greater unity, more innovation, and world peace. That’s the thinking behind the United Nations and the Globalist agenda. To accomplish this, they must somehow reprogram people with a biblical worldview so they will cooperate.
Some “Christian” groups adopt this humanistic thinking. They usually embrace a post-millennial eschatology. That view sees the church as instrumental in bringing a better, better world for Messiah to come back to. Of course, we do have a task to fulfill. We are to go into all the world and make disciples. We are to be salt and light in a world full of corruption and darkness. But the Bible does not envision an end time in which the church has brought about utopia in the earth. In fact, the prediction is that darkness will get even darker.
Paul said in 2 Timothy3:1-8, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
So, the prediction there is that people as a whole will grow worse and worse and deception will be leading many into a form of godliness that denies the power godliness. The Holy Spirit is the power of godliness. Any form of godliness that is unyielded to Him is only a counterfeit. He goes on to say in verse 13, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (KJV).
Then we have in the book of Revelation the rise of the Antichrist and all the evil he brings in with him. In the biblical worldview the end comes when Christ returns and destroys the Antichrist and all those who follow him. Jesus rules in righteousness for 1,000 years. After one final rebellion is crushed, a new heaven and new earth is ushered in everything is submitted to God and paradise is fully restored. Paul points to the glory of all this in 1 Corinthians 15:24, 29 when he says, “Then comes the end, when He [Christ] delivers the kingdom to God the Father . . . Now when all things are made subject to Him [the Father], then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” That is our one passion: “that God may be all in all.”
Peter gives us further light on how it will all end. 2 Peter 3:10-14: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”xxiii
Notice Peter’s application of his understanding of the end: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.” One’s concept of how it ends affects how that person lives his or her life. Worldview is not just abstract and academic; it has a direct influence on the decisions people make and how they interpret events.
For example, advancement toward a one-world government may be viewed as progress toward world peace by the humanist. That same event might be viewed from a biblical standpoint as a step toward the oppressive Antichrist rule. While humanists are celebrating the event, Christians are alarmed at the direction it is taking. The difference in worldview positions them opposite of one another.
Your view of Scripture is central to how you interpret the world around you. The rise in humanism was launched in conjunction with an undermining of confidence in the inspiration of Scripture. This took on momentum with the Enlightenment, followed by the naturalist influence of theology. Liberal theologians began with the presupposition that nothing supernatural happens. Therefore, biblical stories with God’s supernatural activity were just myths that might have some existential value but were not historically true.xxiv With confidence in the inspiration and reliability of Scripture undermined, people were free to adopt a worldview contrary to what the Scripture plainly says.xxv
How do we navigate the days ahead? How do we avoid the deception that so many are falling into? Anchor yourself in the Bible as inspired of God—more reliable than what the professor tells you, more reliable than what you read or hear on the internet, more reliable than the media and the politician. God has supernaturally revealed truth in the Bible. We have “a more sure word of prophecy” in Scripture.xxvi We will stay on course if we take it for what it says, meditate on it day and night, and live according to its precepts. The days ahead whether easy or difficult can be navigated successfully if we will live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God in Scripture.xxvii
ENDNOTES:
i The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Accessed 1/21/21 at Worldview - definition of worldview by The Free Dictionary.
ii James Anderson, “What is a Worldview?” June 21, 2017, Ligonier Ministries. Accessed 1/21/21 at What Is a Worldview? (ligonier.org).
iii “Facts and Case Summary - Engel v. Vitale,” United States Courts. Accessed 1/21/21 at Facts and Case Summary - Engel v. Vitale | United States Courts (uscourts.gov).
iv “School Dist. of Abington Tp. v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963),” Justia US Supreme Court. Accessed 1/21/21 at School Dist. of Abington Tp. v. Schempp :: 374 U.S. 203 (1963) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center.
v The Humanist Manifesto I says, “In order that religious humanism may be better understood we, the undersigned, desire to make certain affirmations which we believe the facts of our contemporary life demonstrate.” “Humanist Manifesto I,” American Humanist Association. Accessed 1/21/21 at Humanist Manifesto I - American Humanist Association. In the Supreme Court ruling on Roy R. TORCASO, Appellant, v. Clayton K. WATKINS, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, Justice Hugo Black wrote, “Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism and others.” “Roy R. TORCASO, Appellant, v. Clayton K. WATKINS, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland,” Cornell Law School. Accessed 1/21/21 at Roy R. TORCASO, Appellant, v. Clayton K. WATKINS, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. | Supreme Court | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu). While enjoying the status as a religion in that case, the Humanist teaching enjoys special status as being above the establishment law in the First Amendment. This has allowed them freedom to propagate their doctrines in the public arena.
vi A biblical counter to this could have been parents increased involvement in teaching their children a Christian worldview. Deuteronomy 6:4-13 tells parents to teach their children about God by relating everything in their lives to Him so that they see Him as involved at home and at work (field), not just a couple of sacred hours on Sunday morning.
vii Efforts to solve the problem being addressed in this message at a purely political level will not be successful. That is not to say we should not engage the political process; we should. However, the problem is deeply rooted in the way people are thinking. Political wins do not change the fundamental way people view the world, and it is their worldview that drives their political positions. A much more holistic approach must be taken. Cf. 2 Cor. 10:3-6.
viii This polarization is sometimes referred to as a culture war or culture clash.
ix Although I independently developed origin and end as foundational concepts of worldview, I am indebted to Sean McDowell for second component: problem. Sean McDowell, “What Is a World View?” YouTube. Accessed 1/21/21 at What Is A Worldview? - YouTube.
x All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
xi God’s perfect world was damaged by the Fall of Adam and the curse that followed. Therefore, sickness and imperfection exist in our world. In rare cases chromosome abnormalities occur, but these infrequent occurrences do not negate the general reality.
xii Cf. Jer. 32:35.
xiii Cf. “An estimated 62 million abortions have occurred since Roe v. Wade decision in 1973,” Fox News. Accessed 1/21/21 at An estimated 62 million abortions have occurred since Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 | Fox News.
xiv Cf. 2 Sam. 24.
xv Humanist Manifesto II says, “As nontheists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity.” “Humanist Manifesto II,” American Humanist Association. Accessed 1/21/21 at Humanist Manifesto II - American Humanist Association.
xvi Cf. Matt. 10:29-31.
xvii Cf. Phil. 3:10.
xviii Romans 1:18-31 talks about the judgment on those who “did not glorify Him as God” (vs 21) and “did not like to retain God in their knowledge;” (vs 28). They did not want to think about Him. The New Living Translation of Romans 1:28 says, “When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.”
xix Of course, once that is fully rejected there is no cure. Destruction follows. Cf. Micah 1:9; Matt. 23:37-38.
xx Humanist Manifesto II says, “No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.” Humanist Manifesto II, American Humanist Association. Accessed 1/21/21 at Humanist Manifesto II - American Humanist Association.
xxi In 2 Samuel 21 Israel experienced a three-year draught as a judgment from God. Humanly speaking, no one could have guessed the solution. David got the solution from God through prayer.
xxii Cf. Isaiah 46:10.
xxiii For the Christian everything begins and ends with God. He is the alpha and omega. Everything is moving toward the full submission to God as “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28).
xxiv Cf. Robertson McQuilkin, Understanding and Applying the Bible, rev. 1992 (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1983) 28-36; W. W. Klein, C. L. Blomberg, R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1993) 103-106.
xxv Of course, this affects their moral choices. Francis Schaffer writes, “On a humanistic base, people drift along from generation to generation, and the morally unthinkable becomes the thinkable as the years move on.” Francis A. Schaffer, The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaffer: A Christian Worldview, Vol. 5 (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1984) 282.
xxvi Cf. 2 Pet. 1:19.
xxvii Cf. Deut. 8:3; Josh. 1:8.
