DETERMINING YOUR BIBLICAL WORLDVIEWA GUIDE TO LIVING A BETTER LIFE

Randall MeltonAPOL 104-D02July 20, 2015

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Part 1: What is a Worldview?

There are many diverse ways to fully define the term “worldview”. One has to take in

account that determining what your worldview covers a lot of meaning, emotional states, and

reactions to situations. (Gutierrez 2014) The best definition of worldview is the way that we

think about life, dearth, art, science, faith, learning, work, money, values, and morals. Really,

when it gets down to the basics, a worldview is just about how we view and live our lives. We

live our lives is based on how we see the world.

Word Count: 90

Part II: The Biblical/Christian Worldview

The Question of Origin

Everyone, at one time or another, thinks about how they came into being. This is all

determined on exactly what theory of origin you believe in. There is Darwin’s theory of

evolution and there is the Biblical creation theory. To have a firm foundation in a Biblical

worldview, one must start with the story of creation in Gen. 1:1 (King James Version) with the

verse, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This is the basis for the entire

Bible. God was in existence prior to the creation of the universe. (Moses 2005) If you continue

on into the Old Testament, Exod. 20:11 (King James Version) relates that God made the heavens

and the earth. However, some other interpretations of this scripture state that is forming came

from previous existing material. In order for Christians to understand the meaning of creation,

they have to know the context in which the creation was written. (Dr. Ed Hindson and Gary

Yates 2012) This is the story of the beginning of man and the Hebrew race. The book of Genesis

is an introduction of the entire basis of the Biblical message. Thus, this is where we build our

foundation for our worldview.

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The Question of Identity

Overlaying the beginning, or creation, we need to know who we are, or what it means to

be human. Gen. 1:26 (King James Version) clearly shows that man was created in the image of

God the creator. God further explained that man is to rule over the fish in the sea, over the birds

in the air, and over all that was on the Earth. Acts 17: 28-29 gives us further insight into God’s

intention for man. In states that we are the offspring of God. (Luke 1996) This verse also clearly

shows that God is the creator and not the creation.

The Question of Meaning/Purpose

Once we know what we were created for, the question of why we’re here makes up for

the next layer in our Biblical Worldview foundation. I think this question of purpose is probably

the most important part of our purpose. Matt. 28:18-20 (King James Version) tells us that our

primary reason for being is to go out and teach to all the nation about God the Father, the Son

Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. This also tells us we must also make Jesus the Lord over all

our lives and to worship him as savior, King, and Lord. John 17:3 (King James Version) clearly

outlines the reasons why we exist. It is our duty to know God and the teachings of the Gospel

according to Jesus Christ. We must learn this to pass it on to each of our generations.

The Question of Morality

Another prime part of foundation is how we base what is good and what is evil. This is

the basis for morality. (Hayes 2008) Moral law is at the core of our definition of our worldview.

The Bible does tell us that there is a moral law that is instilled into our hearts. At this core we

have the one who created this moral law, God. This moral law is part of our nature and it is

outlined very clearly in scripture. Most of the Sermon on the Mount, delivered by Jesus to the

masses, outlined in Matt. 5:21-48, 6:1-34, 7:1-6 (King James Version) This chapter in the New

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Testament is really a moral code that we should be living our lives by. Jesus was also clear that

he was not there to destroy the old Law. But he was there to fulfill it. Most of the Gospels give

further defining information on what is considered living a good Christian life. In an example,

Luke 18:20 (King James Version spells it out very clearly, “Thou knowest the commandments,

Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father

and thy mother.” All are considered very clear cut ways to live a very moral and clean Christian

life.

The Question of Destiny

The final layer of our foundation is whether there is indeed life after death. What you

base this part of your worldview on goes right to the core of your faith and beliefs. John 15:1-16

(King James Version) is a perfect outline of where you are in relation to God the father and the

Son Jesus Christ. Once you learn how the Lord wants you to live a Godly and moral life, your

faith in what happens after death should be clear. This scripture also tells believers that what

happens when they die is determined by the way you live your life and your relationship with

God. Romans 3:28 (King James Version) further defines what we need to do in order to have

eternal life in God’s kingdom. It states that we must be justified by faith without the deeds of the

law. It is not what we say, it is what we do with what we hear is what matters to God.

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Part III: Biblical Worldview Beliefs

Everyone always asks, “Where do I start when it comes to living a moral life?” Scripture

is clear on what God wants from us and how we’re to treat others. I believe it is wise to

remember that Jesus tells us to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. That is

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followed by Jesus stating that we must love one another as we love God. Those verses tells us a

lot of how we should treat, speak, and think about one another. If we think about it, following

that way of life is full of common sense. I thought it was always strange that you must spell these

things out for people. I always thought these were things that the Holy Spirit instilled upon us. I

frequently think, when it comes to moral decisions, what would Jesus do in this situation? That

puts all this into context. Your worldview is also a place to determine what kind of decisions you

would make when it comes to voting in local of nation elections. As I stated before, Jesus was

very clear on how we all should live moral lives. We need to take those lessons the Lord has

taught us and apply them to our local and national leaders.

Word count: 211

Bibliography

Dr. Ed Hindson and Gary Yates, Editors. "Genesis: The Beginning." In The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey, by Dr. Ed Hindson and Gary Yates, 31. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2012.

Gutierrez, Lew Weider and Ben. Finding Your Worldview: thinking Christianly About the World. Paris ON: B & H Academic, 2014.

Hayes, Shawn. "Moral Law." In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, by Ed Hinbson and Ergun Caner, 353-357. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

Luke, The Apostle. "The Book of Acts." In Life Application Study Bible, by James C. Galvin, 2187. Carol Sream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1996.

Moses. "Genesis." In King James Version Bible Commentary, by Feinberg, Hindson, Kroll, Wilmington Dobson, 13. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005.

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