View of the World

We have been empowered to do the work of the Lord in the earth - because we have been born again, we have a relationship with Christ, and from that relationship flow good works - lasting fruit - for the glory of God. In Acts 28, the writer gives us some insight into the devotion of the apostle Paul:
28 "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!"
29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.
30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him,
31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

We are servants of the King, the One who has come to establish His everlasting Kingdom, and our actions day by day are to reflect that we are citizens of that Kingdom, bringing honor to our Lord. We can exhibit dedication to the cause of Christ and determination to do His will. He gives us the capacity to speak His truth clearly and the confidence to know in our hearts that He is with us. We have to make sure that we adopt a worldview that is consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

+++++

We are called to be people who are dedicated to living according to the truth of God and advancing the Kingdom of God; devoted to knowing and speaking God's heart. Hebrews 10 states:
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

On The Meeting House program, I talk often about the development and application of a Christian worldview perspective - it is important that we allow the Bible to govern how we see ourselves and how we see the world.

And, as a new survey released by the Center for Biblical Worldview, a new arm of Family Research Council, over half of Americans believe they possess a biblical worldview.  CBN.com ran an article about the research, and reported that: "Among the 1,000 American adults interviewed across the nation, 51 percent said they have a biblical worldview. However, the survey revealed big inconsistencies between what they believe and what the Bible teaches."

The research was conducted by George Barna, who is now based at Arizona Christian University and is now a Senior Fellow for the new Center, which was featured in a recent conversation with Owen Strachan, who is also a Senior Fellow.  The Director, David Closson, spoke with me at the recent National Religious Broadcasters Convention, and will be featured on The Meeting House soon.

The survey summary stated that, "extensive testing through the American Worldview Inventory indicates that just 6% of the adult population actually has" a Biblical worldview.  It goes on to say:

• Among the 51% of adults who claim to have a biblical worldview, there are massive inconsistencies between what they believe and what the Bible teaches. There were 6 of the 12 worldview questions for which a minority of those who claim to have a biblical worldview actually possess a biblical perspective, plus another indicator for which 49% held an unbiblical point of view.

Some of the aforementioned discrepancies mentioned in the CBN article concerning those claiming to possess a Biblical worldview include:

• 33 percent believe that human beings are born with a sinful nature and can only be saved by Jesus Christ
• 47 percent believe that they will go to Heaven when they die if they confess their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior
• 48 percent believe that it is important for their religious faith to influence every aspect of life
• 49 percent say that the most probable source of moral instruction would be the Bible 

So, only a third of Americans believe in original sin and salvation through Christ and less than half believe they will go to heaven if they are saved.  When you consider that only half of those surveyed think it's important for their faith to influence "every aspect of life," and half look to the Bible as the primary source of instruction, it's not hard to comprehend the state of our nation, and even the state of the Church.  Across the board, in the categories of age, race and ethnicity, and political perspective, there is a huge gap between the percentage of survey respondents who believe they have a biblical worldview and those that indicate they actually do based on the follow-up questions. 

When people don't think Biblically, there are implications for the individual and the culture at large. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is quoted by CBN; he said: "Every Christian can and should obtain a biblical worldview -- which is only achieved when a person believes that the Bible is true, authoritative, and then taught how it is applicable to every area of life, which enables them to live out those beliefs. We look forward with eagerness for how God will use our new Center for Biblical Worldview."

Something that I am committed to is that we have to look first to the teachings of Scripture to address the issues and decisions we face.  Faith Radio desires to be a trusted source for solid Bible teaching that will help you grow in your walk with Christ.  And, as you grow in the Lord, you can be confident that He direct the course of your life.

We can also admit that the Scriptures are sufficient.  But, we have to be in the Word and hold to a high view of Scripture.  Just because we call ourselves Christians doesn't mean that we possess a Christian worldview - it's all about application...considering: how does God's Word apply to me?  And, how does that govern my interaction with the world around me?  Now is not a time to "shrink back," as the Bible says - it is time to advance the Kingdom of God.