Tag: theology

WORLDVIEW

Posted on by West Oaks Fellowship

A Christian worldview is more than a religious belief system.  In fact, it is a complete and integrated framework through which one views the entire world from a comprehensive biblical perspective. Therefore, a faithful/committed Christian’s worldview is an integrated whole which is comprised of distinct, biblical elements that allows every believer to actively filter his or her life (thoughts and activities) through spiritual goggles, seeing the world in light of a harmonious set of biblical truths, beliefs, and assessments.

A biblical worldview resolutely affirms the existence of an intelligent, powerful, loving, just, and supreme being who exists in the trinity — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit — who is also the creator all things.

One of the single most important philosophical truths in the Christian worldview is that Jesus Christ is also the Word (Logos) and Truth (Psalm 119:160, John 1:14, John 17:17) and offers the explanation for the existence of the universe and everything in it … including humanity. One of the major charges against a biblical worldview in general, and Christian philosophy in particular, is that it is unscientific.

Nonetheless, Christians uphold that the doctrines of God, creation, the Word/Truth, intelligent design, purpose, law, order, and life are reasonable, and consistent with all the findings of factual and authentic science, history, and/or personal experience in a way that the philosophies of anti-god dialectical materialism and philosophical naturalism (aka materialism) will never accomplish.

According to a biblical worldview, God’s moral nature/character is an immutable (unchanging), unassailable absolute. God simply hates evil/sin and consistently loves good/righteousness.   As a result, God’s Word, the Bible, the Truth, is of supreme importance because it alone perfectly defines good/righteousness and evil/sin, as well as clearly and decisively distinguishes their differences. 

This provides a framework on which completely unambiguous ethics are established. Consequently, from a biblical worldview, ethical/moral relativism leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Christian/godly morals/ethics are inseparable from Christian theology for the simple reason that Christian ethics are grounded in the character/nature of God Himself.  Rather than believing in some ethical scheme bound to society’s ever-changing whims, an authentic Christian’s worldview has a specific moral order which is revealed to humans through both the general revelation of nature/creation and the special/unique revelation of the Bible/God’s Word/Truth, as well as in the person of Jesus Christ.

In addition, from the perspective of divine creationism, a biblical worldview can adequately account for the intelligent design displayed throughout all of nature.  It unequivocally postulates a Designer outside the realm of the actual creation itself — a law-giver, developer, architect, engineer, and builder, coupled with an orderly, methodical cause. The materialist can only, at best, hypothesize chance and randomness!  An honest, untainted biblical worldview holds that the creationist model as described in biblical text better fits the facts of science than any old earth/evolutionary model.  

Therefore, believers must come to fully trust (which may mean working through one’s own questions and confusion) the authority of God’s Word and the Genesis declarations concerning creation, in the same manner Christ Jesus believed.  

Consider Mark 10:6: “But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.”

How about the message of Colossians 1:16:

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him” and John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

While many in today’s church are unwilling to consider God’s design, and actually believe that science stands in contradiction or is even superior to God’s own revelation, true, un/non-politized science and research, void of unconfirmed presuppositions and theories concerning deity, actually demonstrate the compatibility and union of science and the Bible.  Thus, the biblical/Christian worldview declares in unison with the evidence of science that God undeniably “created all things!” (Ephesians 3:9-10).

The Bible text provides every believer who desires the TRUTH with information about the Lord God and His creation/universe, while science, in each and every realm, can only provide information about our God’s handiwork/creation/universe.         

Just study the TRUTH! –PF

RECKLESS

Posted on by West Oaks Fellowship

The word reckless, which appears 4 times in the biblical text, is an Old English/German word meaning to be utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; taking specific action without considering or caring about the consequences of that action; action or activity without any concern or caution; being or acting careless. (dictionary.com  and  merriam–webster.com)  

In Judges 9:4, one finds the Hebrew word “pachaz” translated in English as reckless, which is used to describe the worthless cadre hired by Abimelech.  A similar phrase, “pachazuwth,” is employed by the Prophet Jeremiah in 23:32 to describe the false prophets of his day.  In Zephaniah 3:4, “pachaz” is once again used, this time in reference to rebellious and defiled nations whose prophets are “reckless and treacherous” individuals. 

In the New Testament, the Greek word, “propetes” is translated reckless, along with a host of other carnal traits and behaviors in II Timothy 3:4, to describe the nature and character of human beings during “the last days.”

Recently, a new contemporary Christian song by Cory Asbury, has risen to enhanced popularity that employs the word “reckless” in reference to God’s love.  While he may offer an explanation for his use of the term in his song, this word used in reference to God’s love is absolutely ungodly, inexcusable, and in reality, a reckless theological error and heretical lie. 

Some will say, “that’s not fair, you’re judging him.”  NO! The truth is that God’s love is NOT reckless — no matter what the justification for use of the phrase may be, and those words should never be uttered by the mouth or flow forth from the lips of a genuine believer in Jesus Christ!  If some catchy song with a good hook in the chorus and a great rhythm said, “Jesus is a liar,” would you repeat that phrase?  Would you use that song during worship?  Would you sing along with your car stereo blasting?

Confusing, degrading, anti-God, heretical lies have occurred before in Christian music, both traditional and contemporary, and, in each more recent case, some lame exegesis of an excuse is offered in hopes of gaining popular approval and imploring the faithful to overlook the obvious doctrinal catastrophe.  In 1982, Leon Patillo brought forth a popular song, “Star Of The Morning” on his album entitled The Definitive Collection.  Who is the Star Of The Morning (Isaiah 14:12) as opposed to The Bright And Morning Star?  Sadly, no retraction or correction.  Then, Phillips, Craig, and Dean make the same blunder and declare the same heresy in the 2012 song, “When The Stars Burn Down!”  How can a clear reference to Satan himself be substituted for the one and only true Messiah, Jesus Christ, who, as The Bright And Morning Star, (Revelation 22:16) stands in direct opposition to the Star Of The Morning? 

GO FIGURE CHURCH!

While one may have been living a completely reckless life when they experienced the fullness of God’s love, that provides no foundation or possible justification for assigning such a characteristic to His love which is poured into our hearts (Romans 5:1-5), causing us to be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37-39), working to bring about unity (Colossians 3:14), perfect  (I John 4:15-21), and is manifested (displayed) among us (I John 4:9-11).   In fact, genuine Christianity is the only world religion that sets forth the Supreme Being as Love (I John 4:8)!

Just in case you were wondering, there is nothing reckless concerning the love of God for all humanity. In fact, just the opposite is true, because He is not, will not, and cannot be reckless about anything!  It is entirely and absolutely against His very nature and character.  In addition, our salvation is a strategic move/plan on His part, and the nature of who we are becoming in Christ Jesus is void of anything reckless!  For that I thank Him daily!  How about you?

Were you redeemed as some part of a reckless adventure, or distinctly set apart by God, uniquely created and designed for a divine/holy/blameless relationship with Him through Jesus Christ from the very foundation of the world “according to the kind intention of His will?” (See Ephesians 1:3-6)          

His & Yours, PF