A Renewed Worldview
A sweeping change is making its way around the world in the form of ideas that are contrary to biblical truth. How should Christians respond to these troubling issues? Do you find that Christianity is increasingly becoming irrelevant to modern society? In this article, Daniel Lau examines this clash of worldviews, and provides suggestions on how we can engage the world for Christ.
What is a worldview? First of all, let’s explore what a worldview is. A worldview can be defined as a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic make-up of our world.1 Essentially, a worldview is the way we view our world and our place in it. It answers fundamental questions such as why are we here? What is the meaning and purpose of life? Is there a difference between right and wrong? Is there a God? The truth is we all have ideas that attempt to answer these questions. Here’s another way of understanding what a worldview is: Imagine a tree and its different parts. We would usually draw a tree with its trunk, branches and leaves. However, what holds the tree up are its roots. Our worldview is like the roots of the tree – it is essential to our life and stability. We cannot see what is in the ground (our worldview), but we see the exposed parts (our actions). Ideas have consequences; each of us base our decisions and actions on a worldview.2 The ideas that we readily receive from the friends we interact with, the movies we watch, or the Internet websites we visit, all contribute to our behaviour. The question therefore, is not whether we have a worldview, but what worldview we hold to. Christians believe that the biblical worldview is the most consistent and coherent, and provides a reliable framework for all of life. We believe that humans are made in the image of Christ and the Bible reveals God’s design and purpose for all of life. Consequently, once Christians begin to think biblically, they will naturally live according to its principles.
James Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1988), p. 17. 2 Noebel, David A.. Understanding the times. 2nd abridged and rev. ed. (Manitou Springs, CO: Summit Press, 2006), p.16. 1
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