Worldviews are like noses, everyone has one, and it always points in the direction we are going. Our worldview begins the day we are born. Me, me, me. It is then developed by the environment we are raised in; whether we have parents or not, poverty or great wealth, religious or atheist, a caring home or being abandoned. Whatever environment we have contributes to forming our worldview. It controls what we eat or don’t eat, where we work or don’t work, etc. Basically our worldview defines who we are.
Our disposition, outlook, our framework, our core beliefs, is the overarching explanation of all we have learned and understand. We use it to make sense of life. A big question that we all face is; Are the things we believe trustworthy, are they true? Do we act or react in a way based on truth or learned error? Is our, or your worldview Biblically or Naturalist based?
Everyone in the world has their own personal worldview, the foundation of each can be separated into two categories, Biblical and unbiblical. Didn’t Jesus say, “Broad is the way (worldly worldview) and narrow is the path, (Biblical worldview) and few there are who find it. Let’s try to contrast the two and see where they differ.
Worldviews Contrasted
| Worldview – 1 | Worldview – 2 |
| Is naturalistic, evolutionary, and most widely held | Is God-centered, Creator-based, Biblically-defined, and held by very few. |
| The end result is despair, Sagan said we are marooned on a pale blue dot in a possibly endless cosmos. We are unnoticed, insignificant, and on our own. | The end result is hope. God says humans are created beings in a created Universe, formed by the only uncreated being there is, our Creator: and that our Creator has revealed Himself in God’s Word the Bible |
Here are some questions that we may want to ask to see where our worldview falls.
- Is there a Supreme God or not?
Worldview – 1:
Naturalistic – Does not recognize a divine being. There is the natural world, nothing else and by protecting it they make nature their god. This includes Atheist: who do not believe in a god. Agnostic: who are not sure if there is a god or not, and Deist: who believe that a god created everything and set it into motion, then went on vacation.
Worldview – 2:
Biblical – Believe that God, i.e. Supreme Being spoke the universe into existence , and created a place suitable for man to dwell i.e. The Garden. Then provided a way for man to communicate with and respond to His love and grace i.e.Prayer. As Supreme Being, He knows the past, present, and the future of His created beings, planet and universe, establishing Him as a supreme everlasting God.
- How did the Universe originate?
Worldview – 1:
Naturalistic – The Big Bang Theory (Other than the TV show) is believed and taught as the way the universe started. Granted it is only a theory, it cannot be proven and leads to a lot of speculation. Can there be life any place else in the universe? Where did the physical stuff, (my scientific term for rock, water, dirt, etc.) come from?
Worldview – 2:
Biblical – We are taught in the first chapter of Genesis that God, Supreme Being spoke the universe into existence. He put the stars into space and has named each and every one. He set the sun and moon into our universe for life sustaining seasons.
- How did humans originate?
Worldview – 1:
Evolution plays a great role in their thinking. Somewhere back millions of years ago the right conditions evolved and a one cell organism appeared, then it began to grow into every known type of animal and mankind. Another theory is aliens visited the earth and planted the seed for all mankind.
Worldview – 2:
The biblical view follows along with God creating the heavens and earth, then populating it with every type of animal. He then created man and woman to tend the garden and watch over the animals.
- What happens to humans at death?
Worldview – 1:
The naturalistic view varies from culture to culture. In India they believe in reincarnation, which means that when someone dies, the soul reincarnates into a different physical body or life form. When a Muslim dies there are differing views as to what happens as well. Some believe that the person is buried and awaits the resurrection and judgment. Others say that at death an angel will meet the departed and question them about their life before leading them to paradise or hell depending on their answers.
Still others believe that when you die you are just gone, eternal sleep. There is no hope of existence after death, only loss. This can cause a deep dread of fear of death.
Worldview – 2:
The biblical view is full of hope, joy and freedom from fear. The apostle Paul states in Second Corinthians 5:8, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Unlike the religions of the world which require works or some other manner of pleasing their god, Christianity is a relationship with the living Savior Jesus Christ.
- Are there absolute truths, morals, or ethics?
Worldview – 1:
Many scientists believe that there are absolute truths: the law of gravity, the speed of light, the law of thermodynamics, to name a few. When it comes to morals or ethics, they tend to be less likely to admit to an absolute truth of morality. As they admit to the laws of science they do not acknowledge the God of Heaven who created these laws that they adhere to.
Worldview -2:
The godly man, scientist, teacher, father, has no difficulty accepting the laws of nature as they are referred to by all, as established by God. But he does not limit the absolutes to that. He extends them to the truths in God’s word, the Bible that explains that immoral living is sin, and, an absolute, sin destroys.
So, where is your worldview based? Paul writes in Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
Paul also writes that we should be in the world but not of the world, which means that by renewing our mind in God’s word we can keep within our Worldview based on God’s word and not drift into a compromised Christian life.