First, you must know what you believe through a biblical lens. What does the Bible say about the Past, the Present, and the Future?
The Past.
Answer these questions to form a biblical perspective on our origins and purpose. Where did we come from? Why are we here? What's our purpose for existence?The Present.
You know, what we believe about our origins and purpose will influence what we believe about our present. What's wrong with the world? What's the solution? How do we know the solution is the right solutions? In other words, does the solution fulfill our purpose for being? And does the solution lead us to our ultimate destiny?The Future.
Our ultimate destiny is intertwined with our purpose for being. If we have no purpose, our future has little meaning except for the desire to survive. So, what is our destiny? Is death the end, or just the beginning? Will this world go on forever, or is there an end? Are we to create our future, or is it out of our hands?The Christian worldview.
These questions are not easy questions. And especially concerning our purpose and future, some Christians may even disagree a bit. But the overarching theme is clear. We are created with a purpose in mind. God created us for his good pleasure, and he plans to glorify himself through us. Mankind has rebelled against his Creator, and sought to establish his own purpose. This is called "sin." Since God is a holy God, he must judge sin. And the ultimate consequence is the ultimate death of eternal separation from God.But, God truly loves mankind too much to allow this to happen. So, his plan, before the creation of the world even began, was to save some people for himself — to be with him for eternity. He decided to take on that punishment we are rightfully due, and allow those, who so desire, to come to him to be saved. He did this as God the Son in human flesh, sent from God the Father. His followers are granted eternal life, God the Holy Spirit to be with and in them, and are given a mission to make fellow followers.
Unfortunately, not everyone will choose life. There will be some who will continue to follow their own way. But, this world will not last long in its present form. God will renew all things, and those appointed for eternal life will be preserved forever. And, sadly, those who had rejected him will be cast into the lake of burning sulfur, or rather, suffer an excruciating separation from God forever. This will be accomplished when Jesus comes back to raise all the dead, and commence the final judgment upon all of mankind.
How do ideas stack up against the Christian worldview?
After sorting through your honest assessment of the biblical worldview, you must seriously believe it. This sounds like a redundant step, because, after all, you read the Bible because you believe it, right? Not necessarily. Does your life conform to what you say you believe. Do you make decisions — even if it doesn't seem advantageous — from a biblical perspective? Do you even consider the biblical perspective of reality, or do you live what you believe to be a more "practical" lifestyle? Only you can answer these questions.If you decide to believe reality is adequately explained through the Bible, the last step is to compare ideas. All ideas fit in one or more of the three big worldview questions.
- Where do we come from? (Our Past)
- What's wrong with the world? And what's the solution? (Our Present)
- And where are we headed? (Our Future).
This is only a guide, and it obviously takes more thought. But always seek wisdom. Fear God. Honor his Word. And it will go well with you.
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