Developing and defending a Christian worldview is a key to our sanctification. God calls us to think like Christians and not to be swayed by the arguments of non-believers (Col 2:6-8)[1]. The Bible adds clarity to God’s design for the world, and when we are faced with questionable theories, a solid Christian worldview will allow us to test the ideas and see if they align with biblical teaching. Knowing our thinking foundation will enable us to objectively compare and evaluate other religions and social and political issues. The root of most disagreements can be traced back to fundamental differences in people’s worldviews. Instead of ignoring these root differences, we can bring them to the surface and discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the arguments.

When seeking to define my worldview, I found that I agreed with the idealogy from several different viewpoints. For example, I believe in a capitalist society where people have the freedom to create their path to wealth for themselves and their families. I have the attitude of a strong work ethic and compassion for others, with a healthy dose of skepticism about the world of politics. I also have philosophical opinions about morality and what truth is. None of these, however, answered all the questions I was asking. To help identify a worldview, James Anderson offers 5 basic ingredients that are key to all worldviews.[2]

The first ingredient is to identify my theology or my perspective of God. Simply saying it was monotheistic because I believe in one God is insufficient, as I could also follow Christianity,  Islam, or Judaism. As a born-again Christian, by faith, I believe in the one living and true God, eternal and perfect (Jer 10:10), existing in the three persons of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). I believe the Bible is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and sufficient Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17). That Jesus is truly God and truly man (John 1:14), that He came to earth to die as a sacrifice for our sins (Rom 5:8) and bodily rose from the dead (1 Cor 15:3-8). I see God as a personal being that desires a relationship with His children (John 3:16). Not as a tyrant but as a loving father who wants to correct us so that we can grow and become more like Him (Rom 12:2).

Anderson notes that the second ingredient of a worldview is anthropology, our views of human beings and history.[3] If the Bible is the accurate word of God, then I must believe that man was created in His image (Gen 1:27). God created man to live in and dominate the world He created, not as perfect beings, but with free will to make the choices that would determine our paths and that our physical bodies are merely vessels for our soul during this journey. I also must dig deeper into the origins of the world we live in and its place in the greater universe. The three monotheistic faiths listed previously agree that God created all reality as I know it (Gen 1), revealing some commonality.

I will wrap this post series up next week with the remaining three ingredients of a worldview.

Have a blessed week,

Pastor Michael

[1] All scriptural references, unless otherwise noted are from the ESV translation.

[2] “What It TAKES to Make a Worldview | Monergism,” accessed September 10, 2022, https://www.monergism.com/what-it-takes-make-worldview-0.

[3] Ibid.