Christian Worldview

This month, we conclude our discussion of the Christian worldview and why it is important. Last month, we examined the first two components of a biblical worldview, namely Creation and Corruption. This month we briefly consider the other two: Christ and Consummation. 

Christ. From the biblical worldview perspective, Christ speaks to three specific aspects of life—solution, sovereign, and standard. 

Solution. We live in a world that because of sin is marred by decay, despair, and death. By God’s grace, the ministry of Jesus is the solution to all these blights. As Paul states in Ephesians 1:7, we have redemption through Jesus’s blood, the forgiveness of sins. Although it is our own personal sins that separate us from God, in Christ we are reconciled to God. 

As one examines today’s culture, one observes a myriad of individuals desperately seeking meaning and purpose in life. A cursory survey of the daily news shows clearly our culture is off course and crying out for correction. Although I admit it sounds like sappy preacher talk, a life lived for Jesus is a life full of meaning, value, and purpose. What provided meaning to Jesus’s life provides meaning to ours: a life lived in pursuit of and submission to the will of God. 

Of course, Jesus is also the solution to the problem of death. Of all the profound things written by the apostle Paul, perhaps the most powerful is his statement in 2 Timothy 1:10. Here Paul exclaims our Savior Jesus Christ has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The word abolished means “to render useless or unproductive, make powerless.” This is a fascinating concept. In His conquering of death through His bodily resurrection, Jesus rendered death powerless in that we no longer need to fear death. Many people, and far too many Christians, live in fear of death. This should not be so! The resurrection of Jesus guarantees both our future resurrection and the promise of eternal life. 

Sovereign. Jesus is truly Lord, sovereign over all creation. In Ephesians 1:21, Paul teaches Christ is far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. Christ is indeed head over all things. 

From a biblical worldview standpoint, this truth is essential. As Lord, Christ has authority over every aspect of our lives — family relationships, job performance, financial stewardship, etc. As such, every facet of our lives is to be brought into subjection to the lordship of Jesus. 

Standard. Quite simply, this is the Word of God. Jesus has all authority, and this authority is exercised through His Word. I’ve mentioned many times how much I love Colossians 2:6-7, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught” (NKJV used throughout). Similarly, Paul says in Ephesians 2:19-20 the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Paul is teaching we are to construct our Christian lives on the words delivered by the apostles and prophets. This is totally consistent with what Jesus told the apostles when He promised they would be led into all truth. 

Christ — the solution to our sin problem, sovereign over all aspects of life, and the standard upon which we build our daily lives. 

Consummation. This final aspect of a biblical worldview is consummation or the completion of all things. The old cliché says only two things are certain: death and taxes. To this we could add the judgment. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Paul in his famous sermon at the Areopagus, proclaimed, “God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness.” Yes, final judgment is coming. 

Revelation 20 paints a powerful word picture of this coming day. In that passage, we read that the books will be opened, one of which is the Book of Life. Furthermore, that all will be judged according to their works, by the things which are written in the books. Finally, anyone not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second (and final) death. 

As one constructs a philosophy of life, the reality that each of us will stand before the creator of the universe and give an account is particularly sobering. Knowledge of final judgment—consummation—is a powerful influence on how and why we live day to day. 

God as Creator, a world stained by Corruption, the solution in Christ, and the reality of Consummation all work in perfect harmony to form a complete worldview—a perceptual framework upon which we build our understanding of the world. Furthermore, this Christian worldview is not something that can exist only at church on Sundays, it must be incorporated into everyday life.