Practising A Biblical Worldview

George Barna, in his book Think Like Jesus¹ —which we have been exploring in this nine-part sermon series concluding today— shares an interesting story that highlights the importance of having a biblical worldview.

Apparently, the eldest of his two daughters once won an award for memorising Bible verses.  Within an hour after winning this award, however, Barna noticed his winning daughter arguing with her sister over an insignificant matter.  So, he questioned her on the Bible verses that she had memorised:

“What was that verse that you recited from Luke 10 [verse 27]?”

Without hesitation, she reverted to mechanical mode. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.  And, love your neighbour as yourself.”

“Good.  A few weeks ago you memorised Matthew 7:12 [...] What did that verse say?”

Like a bullet our of a rifle, she responded, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you”.

“Good job [...] How about Matthew 5, verses 44 and 45?  Tell me those.”

She paused [...] “But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”

I stared at her for a few seconds [...] She just stared back at me, waiting for the next question to ace on this spur-of-the-moment verbal exam.

“Honey, you just proved to the world that you know a lot of what God taught us in the Bible [...] What’s the connection between what God is teaching you in those verses and how you [and your sister] get along?” [...]

She was a champion at recalling passages of Scripture, but she had no clue how those verses related to her behaviour.²

Perhaps better than Barna’s daughter, some of you may already know appropriate answers to the worldview questions we have been investigating, yet may not be entirely sure how to connect those answers to your behaviour from Monday to Saturday.  You have faith but want to take that faith to the next level: you want to live as Jesus lived (Rom 8:29; Eph 2:10) and that is a good thing to desire.  However, to do as Jesus would do, one must first think as Jesus would think.

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 approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1–2)³

“Is it really possible to think like Jesus?” you may be wondering.  Can we learn to respond to any given situation as he would?  To find out, let us review together the seven worldview questions, share some examples of how we might apply a biblical worldview, and identify the signs of having a biblical worldview.

A Review

Barna argues, in his book Think Like Jesus, that there are seven questions that comprise a biblical worldview.  When answered in respect to the biblical witness, those seven questions provide the basis and framework for Christian faith and practice.  Let review those questions and summarise their answers:

Does God Exist?

The overwhelming evidence justifies our belief that God does indeed exist.  That evidence falls into one of two categories: general revelation and special revelation.⁴

In regards to the general revelation of God, we start with the evidence of intelligent design in nature (Ps 19:1-6).  The action of our conscience also reveals the presence of God in our life (Rom 2:14-15) —why should we not do whatever pleases us, but that the Holy Spirit constantly reminds us of what God expects of us? (Jn 16:7-14)  Using our ability to think, we also use various logical arguments to prove the likelihood of God’s existence.

General revelation requires men and women to recognise God’s existence in this evidence, but, sadly, many self-respecting people just cannot see or hear God (Mt 13:13–15) —for example, Richard Dawkins does not see God’s handiwork in nature and many other argue against the various philosophical arguments for God’s existence.

The special revelation of God is that category of evidence whereby, it is argued, God makes himself known to humanity directly.  For instance, the Bible provides a reliable historical record of God’s interventions in human history.  Also, non-biblical sources of history attest to the life and death of Jesus the Christ, who, because the biblical record is true, clearly demonstrated his divine nature in his resurrection.  Further to this, the testimony of the apostles and believers throughout Christian history is that God has been a real and transforming presence in their lives.  Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the fact that you yourself can have an encounter with God.  That we can ourselves know God intimately and directly seals one’s belief in his existence (Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 5:5).

What is the Character and Nature of God?

Since God is alive, then we also know that he is spirit, which makes him an entirely different being than ourselves.

Through the testimony of the Bible, we discover that God knows everything and is all-wise; that God has unmatched power and authority; that God is anywhere He wants or needs to be, whenever He so chooses; and, that God is personal and triune.  We discover also that God is holy; God is good; always exhibits love; is faithful; is always right and does what is right; and, is completely reliable.

How and Why Was the World Created?

Since we can look at the nature of the universe around us and discern the existence of God and even glimpse something of his character and nature, then we can also comprehend the reason why God created: So that his character and nature can be perceived.  Even God wanted to express his character and nature and ability, and the created universe all around us bears witness.

What is the Nature and Purpose of Humanity?

We should not be surprised that God did not just want his character and nature to be perceived, but also to be appreciated.  We discover in the Bible that God is a relational being; so, he created creatures to which he could relate uniquely —that is, humankind.

The unique purpose of humankind, then, is to willingly choose to love and obey God.  We do so after having recognised God’s existence, character and nature.  We also glorify God by fulfilling the potential that he created into us, by partnering with him in caring for his creation, by sharing the good news of his love and grace, and by expanding the influence of his kingdom.

What Happens After We Die?

Since our nature is more than simply physical, we discover that we are a unique blend of physical and spiritual material, having a body, mind and spirit.  This point reminds us of God’s nature, and we discover by it that we do not cease to exist after we die.

We need to realise that whether or not we love, obey and glorify God, actually has implications beyond our physical death.  We were created to be in relationship with God, but our attitudes and actions can destroy that relationship, bringing judgment upon ourselves and, ultimately, eternal punishment.  The biblical testimony identifies the real existence of heaven and hell.  Whichever will be our eternal destination is up to us.

What Spiritual Authorities Exist?

Not only do we have the capacity to reject God and refuse to glorify him, but there are other created spiritual beings in this universe who are happy to assist us, either in glorifying God or rejecting him.

In his creativity, God has also created spiritual beings known as angels.  Some of those angels rebelled against God.  Under the leadership of the one known as Satan, those fallen angels can tempt us and they can make life difficult for us.  Yet the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit enables us to withstand their advances and to remain committed to developing and realising a biblical worldview.

What is Truth?

Every person has a worldview because everyone chooses a worldview.  The Bible demonstrates that there is an alternative view of reality than that which results from fallen human nature.  Having perceived that the biblical alternative is reliable and the only sure and stable foundation for daily life, the follower of Jesus experiences the glorious freedom of the children of God because abundant life is only made possible through a relationship with our creator.

We discover, through the reliable and trustworthy Bible, a truer and deeper view of ourselves and the universe in which we live, and are invited to commit ourselves to the “way, and the truth, and the life”.

A Simple Example?

Now that we know the questions and answers forming the basis of a biblical worldview, what do we do with this information?  We apply it.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it —not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it— they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22–25)

To this end, Barna reports that

There is [in local churches] certainly a widespread effort to teach people biblical content and to encourage them to lead godly lives.  But [...] vital connections are not being made between the three keys to worldview living: knowledge, skills, and applications.

I hope and pray that you move beyond the knowledge of the Bible and begin to live according to the worldview promoted by the Bible.  Make no mistake, faith in Jesus is meant to be practised!

Let us consider the example of tithing.  I am sure that you will agree that giving money away to charity does not come naturally to us, even with the most persuasive arguments at our door!  We work hard to earn our income; yet, the instruction of the Bible is to return a portion to God as part of our worship, for the purpose of maintaining religious activities and ministry, as well as buildings and staff (Dt 12:2-7, 17-19; 14:22-29; cf. Gen 14:20).  How do we interpret the biblical instruction to tithe so as to incorporate this practice into our lifestyle?

We start by acknowledging that God exists and that he created everything in this universe (question 1).⁵  He created the world for his enjoyment (3), and he created us to be in a genuine, fulfilling relationship with him (4).  We are to freely choose to love and worship him, and to demonstrate that choice through our behaviour (4).  Real success and meaning in life comes from knowing, pleasing and honouring God (4).  Since we are created in God’s image, we must imitate his holiness and purposes (3).  God expects that we will care for and manage his creation, for his purposes, and with the resources he provides (4).

The Church exists as a spiritual family of those who have faith in God and are connected together by him (4).  We naturally have a responsibility to the spiritual members of this family.  Giving some of the resources that God provides to us (e.g. our income from employment) is not really sacrificial because all we have is a gift of God and ultimately belongs to him anyway (3).

Unfortunately, Satan is constantly tempting us to believe that our income is rightfully ours, to be used for our own leisure, as we decide (6).  When this happens, God is disappointed, his purposes are thwarted, and Satan wins us over (5).

We tithe because God loves us first, we have been created to love him, he places us in situations where we can love him in return, and it is too easy to please him by giving him such a small portion of what we didn’t deserve in the first place (7).  Consider those people elsewhere who work so much harder for much less than what we earn (7).  Our income is God’s gift to us and to be used to glorify him, as a freely chosen expression of our love for him (7).

Tithing is not necessary for salvation, but not tithing has such a negative impact on our spirit because it reinforces the hold on us of our sinful nature (5).  Tithing is one seemingly insignificant practice of our love for God and our obedience to him, but we tithe because it brings joy to God(2).

What we have done with this example is to try and account for all of the answers to the worldview questions that relate to the issue of tithing.  In other words, we have taken what we believe and imagined what those beliefs tell us should be important to us.  These values then make much clearer to us how we should choose and behave.

Tithing is just one example of the practical application of a biblical worldview.  According to Barna,

We’re not just talking about tithing, but whether the issue is cloning, homosexuality, divorce, poverty, voting responsibly, media content —doesn’t matter, pick any topic that requires you to make a moral, ethical or spiritual decision and it’s all covered when you start thinking [with a biblical worldview]. (pg 173)

Should Christians Have Sex Before Marriage? (everyone else is doing it)

How would we apply a biblical worldview to the issue of sex before marriage?  There is certainly a lot of debate on this issue …

What beliefs apply?

The biblical writers are consistent in affirming that sex is good, a gift of God, a source of pleasure and shared intimacy between husband and wife.  Check out Song of Songs for confirmation.  Included in the Bible is an extended love poem, erotic in imagery and language.

In the Bible, sexual activity is consistently constrained to within the context of a marital covenant. Within marriage, a man and woman may be naked and not ashamed (Gen 2:25).  All forms of sexual activity outside of marriage are condemned, including sex before marriage and with someone other than your partner in marriage (Ex 20:14; Deut. 22:22; 1 Cor. 6:9–10).  Similarly, sex within marriage is described as a duty between husbands and wives, and they are ordered to not refrain from sexual union (1 Cor 7:2–5).

Though sex within marriage is accepted as pleasurable (Prov 5:15–19), the Bible consistently links procreation with sex and marriage (Ps 128:3).  Sexual pleasure and procreation are linked in a healthy and natural approach that avoids the denial of either.

The biblical writers are honest and open about sexuality.  The apostle Paul acknowledged the reality of sexual passions and instructed to marry those at risk of allowing their passions to turn into sinful lust (1 Cor 7:9).⁶

What values are implied by those beliefs?

The fact is that we are instructed to honour God with our bodies (1 Cor 6:15–20).  Honouring God is important; therefore, being chaste and celibate outside of marriage is important.

What choices should we make?

God did not intend loneliness for humankind, he blessed us with sex and marriage (Gen 2:18–24).  Therefore, we would do well to avoid premarital sex by not allowing ourselves to be tempted beyond our control.  This means not putting ourselves into compromising situations (e.g. no snogging alone in the basement at 1 in the morning).

Should Christians Work in the Entertainment Industry?

You may think this an odd example, but I recently finished reading a book entitled Primetime Propaganda by Ben Shapiro.  The author describes there the overt and militant liberalism of the executives and creatives of the American television industry.  When I think of the overt sexuality and homosexuality in modern television shows, of the increasing use of foul language and graphic violence, of the constant portrayal of Christians and conservatives as laughable and unintelligent and ‘anti-progressive’, I cannot help but wonder why any Christian would want to work in the entertainment industry!

Yet the conclusion of the author is that conservatives need to work in the industry, despite the overt prejudice and discrimination, so at to save television.  Similarly, I would argue that Christians should work in television, fashion, movies, the arts and other areas of popular entertainment, with an intention to be “in the world but not of”, specifically so that we can save our culture.

What beliefs apply?

The phrase, “in the world but not of”, is taken from a prayer of Jesus recorded in John’s gospel (Jn 17:15-16).  How we understand this prayer has lasting impact on the way we live in this world.

God created the world (Gen 1:1) and loves it (Jn 3:16).  He created humankind and instructed us to care for his world (Gen 1:28), a passage often taken as a cultural mandate.  Nevertheless, we are warned not to love anything in the world as it is more likely than not to be not of God (1 Jn 2:15).  We would do well to not conform to the values and behaviour of this world (Rom 12:2).

Christians need not withdraw from the world for the gospel is the power of God (Rom 1:16), a power we can use to destroy the strongholds of evil and Satan, found even in the systems and industries of this world (2 Cor 10:4–5).

We are to think on things that are good and praiseworthy (Php 4:8).  If we do not give glory to God, including in our art, nature will (Luke 19:37–40; Rom 1:20).

What values are implied by those beliefs?

The Bible is filled with songs and poetry, so giving expression to our life and faith in art is good and necessary.

The systems and industries and media of this world fall under the influence of Satan (Eph 6:12), an influence which must be countered.  We are to be witnesses to our faith in God (Mt 5:14–16), as our witness brings blessing to a city and a nation, as much as to individuals (Pr 11:11; Jer 4:2).

What choices should we make?

Working in the entertainment industry, as an executive or creative, can provide a positive influence, if we are strong enough to resist the inevitable temptations.  We too can create and provide art and entertainment that brings glory to God and draws people closer to him.

While the Bible does not speak directly to each and every situation that we will face in life, a biblical worldview can and will guide us in and through any area or concern of our life because all of our life in interesting to God.

The Signs of One’s Worldview

Maybe you’re thinking that living according to a biblical worldview is too hard.  I understand your apprehension.  Even the Bible recognises this as a transformation: before our salvation, we lived according to “the patterns of this world” which are much easier to maintain, as the world and its systems are structured to promote such worldviews.  Now that we know that God exists and that he is perfectly revealed in Jesus, we are commanded to adopt a biblical worldview and enabled in this process by the Holy Spirit.

There are certain signs of a biblical worldview, indicators that one is living a transformed, Spirit-filled life:

Habits

According to Barna,

Your behaviour is a direct outgrowth of what you believe to be true and significant about reality.  The behaviours you repeat are the core reflections of your worldview.  How satisfied are you that your habits describe a person committed to completely loving and obeying God? (pg 192)

I once described for you my slightly obsessive ritual for brushing my teeth.  This habit is a reflection of some of my beliefs about the world: I believe that I need to be thorough and comprehensive when I approach an issue; I believe I need to be at least pleasant to look at, as a public speaker; etc.  Yet, how quickly that ritual of teeth-brushing can be abandoned when the circumstances of life change my beliefs (e.g. when people are critical of me, I may feel bad about myself and not take care of my personal grooming or sermon preparation as I should).

Habits protect us and guide us through the activities that we need to accomplish.  Because of their repetitive nature, we are freed by them to become involved in other activities (e.g. while brushing my teeth, I can think about my sermon for Sunday; although, when I do this I invariable become unsure of whether I fulfilled by teeth-brushing routine).

When you read the gospels of Jesus, you will find that Jesus’ life was actually quite routine.  He repeated many activities because he was sure of “his purposes, moral limitations, and imperatives” (Barna, pg 191).  He often took time for prayer and solitude; he regularly enjoyed meals with his disciples; he debated with the Pharisees; he spoke gently with the crowds drawn to him; etc.

Now consider the routines of your daily or weekly life.  What commitments do you have?  What do the repetitive behaviours reveal about your beliefs?  Compare your routines to that of Jesus?  Are there any ways that you can align your activities and commitments to better mimic those of Jesus?

Time

Time is so precious that how we use it reveals much about our character and worldview.  Like our habits, the usage of our time needs to imitate the patterns established by Jesus rather than that promoted by the world.

Character

There are many character qualities identified in the Bible as being important to God.  Barna argues that they all fall into thirteen clusters:⁷

1. Faith maturity: attempting to integrate faith into every dimension of life.
2. Trustworthiness: earning people’s confidence that what you say and do is right.
3. Promoting truth: valuing and representing truth and truthfulness.
4. Wisdom: seeking guidance from the Bible and the Holy Spirit, and applying it appropriately.
5. Sensitive conscience: disturbed by sin and injustice, with a conviction to act appropriately.
6. Virtuous morality: following the principle’s of the Bible in the full scope of human behaviours.
7. Godly demeanor: consistently sincere, kind, genuine, etc.
8. Controlled temper: patient and reasonable.
9. Appropriate speech: speaking only in love, rather than anger or gossip, etc.
10. Loving heart: quick to forgive and slow to anger, etc.
11. Proper values: concerned to love God totally and living consistent with such a commitment.
12. Servanthood: ready to sacrifice self-interest and resources for the sake of others.
13. Humility: having a proper perspective of one’s place in the world; submitting to authorities.

We should be concerned to analyse ourselves and to reform those character traits not in conformity to that of Jesus.  According to Barna,

Jesus was capable of loving his enemies, serving his creation, and resisting temptations because of his inner strength and depth —in other words, his character.  If you want to think like Jesus, then fortify your character according to the factors that God has identified for us in Scripture.  The more your character reflects these elements, the more Christlike you become.  (pg 194)

The outcome of such a transformation of a person’s character by the Holy Spirit is what the apostle Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).  The experience of these comes to those who live their life led by the Spirit.  They are the signs of those who think and act like Jesus.

Conclusion

While his framework for a Christian worldview may raise questions for some people, and may not be comprehensive in its scope, George Barna’s book Think Like Jesus has certainly provided us an excellent introduction to understanding the importance of having a biblical worldview and to applying such a worldview in our daily lives.  Thus, I am happy to leave the last words of this sermon series to the author:

To be a genuine Christian is more than simply believing in God or Jesus Christ; even the devil meets that criterion.  Being a true Christian requires more than simply believing that the Bible is a reliable ancient document; many archaeologists and historians who are atheists believe that.  To be an authentic Christian is to accept that God is the Creator of all things, the indisputable Ruler of the universe, and the One who gave us life and purpose —the purpose of loving and obeying Him, and of loving and serving other people, and of living in accordance to the guidelines He provided in the Bible and in concert with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit that He instills within us once we surrender fully to Him.  It is at that point that we see the world for what it is and invest our time and energy in trying to think like Jesus so we can behave like Jesus —all so that we might please and honour God.

If imitation is the sincerest for of flattery, what better way is there to express your reverence for God than to commit yourself to thinking like Jesus? (pg 198)

[sermon delivered on Sunday, 30 October 2011, at St John’s Sutherland (7pm); first delivered on Sunday, 16 September 2007, at Hurstville Church of Christ]

Endnotes

Series Navigation

What is Truth?