Everyone has a worldview. A worldview is the foundation from which one lives, experiences life, thinks, and responds to the world in which one lives.
Francis Schaeffer defined a worldview as “the grid through which one sees the world.”
Worldview author James Anderson says, “A worldview is an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us. Your worldview represents your most fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the universe you inhabit. It reflects how you would answer all the “big questions” of human existence, the fundamental questions we ask about life, the universe, and everything. “
Our world is full of conflicting and competing belief systems. However, there is only one worldview, the Christian Worldview, whose foundation is the absolute truth of God’s Word, the Bible.
The Barna Group, a quantitative research Christian company, defines a biblical worldview as the belief that absolute moral truth exists, the Bible is entirely inerrant, Satan is a real being, not symbolic, a person cannot earn his way into the kingdom of God through good works, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth, and God is the supreme Creator of the heavens and the earth and reigns over the whole universe today.
A Christian worldview matters because many think they are Christians but are not. Their children think they also are Christians with a future in Heaven and are not.
A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group found that less than 1 percent of the young adult population in the United States has a biblical worldview. Even more startling, the data shows that less than half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 have a biblical worldview.
Parents and their children have a limited understanding of what it means to be Christian. Mostly, parents are not having meaningful conversations/teaching their children about the Bible, truth, purpose, hope, and death. The churches are not teaching adults or teens biblical/Christian worldview, and they too are lost. Being Christian is not defined by growing up in a Christian home. It is not based on your church attendance, whether or not you are in a small group Bible study, a Christian friend group, or how much scripture you know.
A worldview answers fundamental life questions such as: From where did I come? Why is there such a mess in the world? What hope do I have? What is my purpose in life? What happens when I die?
From where did I come?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The universe and everything in it were created by the personal Creator, God.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27).
Why is there such a mess in the world?
When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered the world. As their descendants, we have all been born with a sinful nature, which separates us from fellowship with God. Our natural tendency is to live to please ourselves instead of living for God (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23, 5:12).
God’s character reflects His unchanging moral standard for the world, the standard that defines right and wrong behavior.
What hope do I have?
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life again, so that if we believe in Him, we can have a personal relationship with God (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 15:3-4). We become His children and receive salvation through Jesus Christ as a gift of God’s grace, not because of anything we have done (Ephesians 2:8-9).
What is my purpose in life?
My purpose on earth is to love God and others unconditionally and live life to the fullest (Matthew 22:36-40; John 10:10).
I aim to imitate God in what I do, say, and think. As I live my life in Christ, I can, through the Holy Spirit’s leading, help lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. I will also work for the renewal of our culture so that God’s justice and righteousness will reign on earth (Genesis 1:28).
What happens when I die?
Those who believe in Jesus Christ will live forever with Him in Heaven (John 3:16, 14:2-3; Revelation 21:1-4).
A person who embraces the Christian worldview is not perfect but will have the desire to live life to the glory of God, not self. They will clearly understand the Christian worldview through the study of truth from the scriptures, not only for personal growth, but to be equipped to answer people’s challenging questions about God, life, and death. The Christians will live out their faith as they serve others and are open to leading others, through the work of the Holy Spirit, into a personal relationship with Jesus. They are firm in their faith, life, and future with Jesus in Heaven for eternity.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built (Luke 6:47-48).