Acts and Apologetics: a Christian Worldview, part 2

As we discover what our basic beliefs are, we can construct our "personal" worldview. 

As we have already discussed, in James Sire's book "The Universe Next Door," there are 7 (or eight, depending on how you may want to group them) criteria that contribute to your worldview. 

We briefly looked at Ontology, the nature of reality; Cosmology, the nature of the universe and the world around us; and Anthropology, the nature of man. 

With these, the foundation for constructing a personal worldview is primarily laid. But those philosophies and ideas aren't the only criteria that define our worldview. Let's look at the remaining four. 

The fourth criterion to examine is the Nature of Knowledge or Epistemology. In other words, how do you know what you know? On what do you base your assumptions? What or Who is your authority? What is your basis for believing (fill in the blank) to be true?  

When it comes to the orthodox, Bible-believing Christian there is only One  Authority on which to base our knowledge and assumptions. That authority is God and His Word (they are the same). The saying,  "God said it, I believe it, that settles it," may sound a bit trite, but it's true. Christians rely on God to be Truthful all of the time. If He weren't, He wouldn't be God. His nature is Holy and True, as well as immutable. He can't and doesn't change Himself to suit a changing fancy.  If He did change, He would cease to be God.

Whether it be scientific knowledge of the weather or the movement of the planets or the growth of a child in its mother's womb, God's Word speaks forthrightly and correctly. The wording may not be fine, technical, or "scientific-ese," but the ideas, wisdom, and knowledge put forth are understandable by almost anyone and truthful. Is poetic license used in Scripture to describe certain astronomical observations? Of course, the book of Psalms is, after all, a book of Poetry. Even in common parlance, we say that the sun rises and sets. A proper observation notes that the sun is "stationary" while the earth rotates and revolves around the sun.

The believing Christian acknowledges God as the ultimate source of all knowledge and wisdom. We can rest assured of those facts. I believe in a  literal 6-day period of Creation because I trust God as my ultimate source of authority and truth. Science and information change but God does not. Since I believe that God designed and created all, I can trust Him to provide dependable facts. I may use scientific methods to confirm Biblical observations, but in the end, God is proven correct. Is faith involved? Sure. But to believe the theory of evolution, you've got to have faith as well, and maybe even more faith.

Fifth, what is the Nature of Morality? What about Ethics? Today, our society and the culture around us are in turmoil, in my opinion (and probably the opinion of many others), due to the degradation of morals and morality. At both the societal and personal levels, morals are crumbling. How many people do you know of who  say (or believe) the statement "What's true for you isn't necessarily  true for me?" This is not a modern problem. It is a centuries-old dilemma.

Remember what Pontius Pilate asked Jesus in his inquisition:  "What is Truth?" (John 18:38). Pilate was looking for something, anything, by which he could either properly condemn Jesus or set Him free.

The Christian can rely 100% on God for Truth and absolutes. We have confidence that because God is Truth, He can only reveal truth. It is God who sets the Standards. God is the Nature of Truth. Out of truth come Morality and Ethics. God has given us not only a sense of right and wrong but clear laws and rules to follow. There are laws of physics, but even those laws cannot ignore truth. The first and second laws of thermodynamics should easily place science in line with God, but we'll look at that another time. Furthermore, because we are image bearers of  God himself, we have an ingrained conscience; we know the difference between good and evil.

This conscience (spirit) or morality belongs to man alone. Animals don't possess it. Yes, they may seem kind or vicious. Certain animals may kill other animals, but it is out of instinct or survival. They are protecting their young and feeding their families. They do not kill out of malice or forethought (except to feed). Man "instinctively" knows right from wrong, and depending on his or her moral state, chooses to follow either of those two paths; sometimes even crossing back and forth between them, to satisfy himself or herself. 

Even the born-again, redeemed Christian, saved from his sins, struggles with these morals and temptations. For this reason, the apostle Paul writes, "I do not do what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do."  (Romans 7:15).

Here's a case in point: the non-Christian or even atheist knows that when he sees a child being bullied or a blatantly bad sports call, he knows that it's just plain wrong, and he's indignant. The opposite is also true: we smile as we watch a young pre-schooler help his or her playground buddy get up after tumbling off the slide and comfort them. We know that those are right actions spurred on by right motives and a sense of morality. Morality and ethics are "pre-programmed" into the mind of man by a Holy God. That's His gift to us.

Our sixth question is the question of Teleology. What is the Nature of the Purpose of Life? Does your life have Purpose? What is our Purpose? Why do we get up in the morning? Why do we work? Why do we educate ourselves and others? Why do we seek direction for our lives? Is there purpose to History?

Some people think that the book of Ecclesiastes ("Meaningless, meaningless." Ecc. 1:1) is a Biblical call for a belief in meaninglessness (and therefore a belief in nihilism - "nothingness"). No! Nothing could be further from the truth. Ecclesiastes is a call for complete reliance upon God for meaning and purpose. He alone provides us with purpose and a full and abundant life. When we do anything apart from God, it may well be meaningless, but performing any task or function with the idea of bringing glory to God (using the talents and desires given to us), provides absolute purpose.

As Christians, we see nature around us with different eyes. We recognize the beauty and complexity of the workmanship of God wherever we look. We find purpose in getting up in the morning and going to school or work. We find meaning in developing personal relationships; our lives are enriched by others. We exalt in the corporate worship of God with other believers (hopefully regardless of color or culture). Sunday mornings are not a waste of time. Being on a beautiful golf course for a 9 o'clock tee time is not communing with God.

Sunday mornings and other times spent studying God's Word serve to restore and recharge our souls and beings so that we are better prepared to minister to the world in which God has placed us. Even study times should be considered times of worship and praise.

Finally, there is the question of Commitment. There's no "ology" here. Our worldview is ultimately a matter of the heart. We  ask ourselves as we think and live and relate, "Am I committed to..."  This is deeper than a sense of purpose as just discussed. The idea of  Commitment strikes at our core values.

When faced with adversity or differing opinions on worldviews, what will we do as an individual? Will we put a stake in the ground and stay committed to these core beliefs or will we be swayed by cunning words or ideas? Will we buckle under the pressure to conform?

As we have traveled this road of Christian Apologetics and a defense of Christian Theism,  we come back to that question of conformity. It is the question of the mind. Let's look at Romans 12:1 - 2 again: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a  living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test  and prove what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

True Christianity is not only counter-cultural, it is a paradigm shift in thinking. Even more, it is life and world-changing. By God's Grace, we can see the world, people, and all of creation through His eyes. When we do that, we are then able to work as His hands, feet, ears, and mouth in not only transforming this world but restoring it to the way God meant it. We "cross the aisle," not to compromise, but to bring the unbelieving world to see and understand God's point of view. We maintain our stake in the ground.

Good works are done for the Glory of God and to set people free to be who  God created them to be. The missionary in the jungles (natural or man-made) is there to tell people the Good News of God to save them for eternity and to lift them out of ignorance and poverty (funny how those 2 scourges go together with an unbelieving world). People are truly liberated when they are exposed to the truth of Whose they are and in whose image they are created. 

Will we succeed in this endeavor? Bluntly, no; not in our own strength and knowledge. Only God will succeed. In the end, it is God who finally redeems, restores, and regenerates His creation. We are only called to follow Him, share His story, and provide "a reason for the Hope that we have" within us. (1 Peter 3:15). That's work enough.

What are my personal worldviews?