CHRISTIANS ENGAGED BLOG
Biblical Worldview - Part 15 - Conclusion: By Their Fruit You Will Know Them
The Biblical Worldview is essential not only for salvation, but also for a sure foundation to living well. It alone teaches us about the living, Creator God. It alone provides us with the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. It alone instructs us on the right way to live, which brings peace and builds up society.
If a person or culture adopts the Biblical Worldview, submitting their thoughts and will to God, the results will be the Fruit of the Spirit, a virtue and love that is the foundation for a free and just society. This is the answer to our culture’s plight. This is the answer that we need today more than ever!
Biblical Worldview - Part 14 - The Pale Blue Dot
The “Pale Blue Dot.” Have you seen the picture? A truly beautiful photograph… It’s amazing to realize how tiny the earth is in comparison with the vastness of our solar system — not to mention the universe! To Dr. Carl Sagan this photograph revealed that humanity, the earth, and life itself are all insignificant given the scale of the cosmos. We’re just a tiny blip on the canvas of nature. So he suggested we find meaning and purpose by exploring space, searching for extraterrestrial lifeforms, and colonizing remote planets. Of course this begs the question: how can space exploration (a hopelessly too large task) give meaning?
The Revealed Word
Jesus said He would build His church upon this foundation—the Spirit-revealed knowledge of Jesus written upon the hearts of His people. God builds the church by revelation knowledge “precept upon precept,” stone upon stone—it will be His building. Psalms 127:1 puts it this way, “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. …” Can you think of a better foundation for God to build His church than Spirit-revealed knowledge of His Word?
Biblical Worldview - Part 13- What is the End of the Story?
The ending of a story is crucial in determining the meaning of the story. If Romeo had simply not panicked and committed suicide, both he and Juliet would have gone on to live happy, joy-filled lives. If Gollum had not bitten the ring off of Frodo’s finger and fallen into the fires of Mt. Doom, the dark Lord Sauron would have regained the ring and the unquenchable power that went with it.
As humans, it is very important for us to understand history and where we fit into it. Every one of us has a basic need to know the meaning of the story of history.
Hiding God’s Word in Your Heart to Pray Effectively
“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalms 119:9-11 NKJV)
Prayer and Your Position in Christ
Knowing your position in Christ, who you are in God’s sight, will allow you to see and experience life from an eternal perspective. Your walk with Christ will no longer be a hum-drum experience weighed down with rules, worries, lack, and woes. Moreover, knowing and then realizing that you are a child of the King, will vanquish low self-esteem and any lingering feelings of unworthiness.
Yielding to God in Prayer Will Change Your World
There are limitless expressions of prayer offered by way of thousands of belief systems. However, as sincere Christians, praying effectively means that we seek to use patterns, principles and examples given to us through God’s Word. The Bible guides us to petition God by coming into agreement with His Word—we want to pray His way. Praying His way means finding out what He says about prayer and then submitting to Him and His ways when we pray.
Biblical Conduct - Part 12 Impossible Rules
How are we supposed to conduct ourselves, as believers? Should we follow tradition? Should we follow rules for character and etiquette?
Psalm 69 – An Urgent Plea for Help
When life overwhelms you, it’s normal to look for comfort. As Christians, we should search in two places: God’s presence and God’s word. Trials will require you to shift your focus. Instead of looking all around you, or living in fear of your circumstances, you can look to the God who holds you. That begins with recognizing who God is.
What is Biblical Civil Disobedience? (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 9)
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
God’s Word shows us the best way to live. Believers are supposed to live righteous lives marked by virtue. We are supposed to honor and obey the government. But when the wicked rule, they harm the people by enacting unjust laws and unbiblical policies. So Scripture also authorizes civil disobedience, that is, obeying God’s law when doing so requires disobeying human edicts. But biblical civil disobedience doesn’t mean we can just do whatever we want, and it doesn’t mean we can disobey any law we don’t like. So what should we do when the government becomes unjust? And what should our civil disobedience look like?
Personal Response: Evaluate! (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 14)
It is not enough to hear the Word – we must do what it says. Over the past 13 articles, we’ve looked closely at what the Bible teaches about Racism, and we’ve applied it to our personal lives. But there is another step: Evaluate.
Now that you know what God’s Word says, look closely at the ideas that are being presented in the culture around you and compare them with the Word of God.
Personal Response: Obey! (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 13)
You are about to leave to go to an important meeting or date – quick! – check the mirror! Is everything in place, everything ready, everything in tip-top-shape? How crazy would it be to look in the mirror, see that something needs to be adjusted, but then walk away and do nothing? You’re probably thinking you’d never do that, but this is the same picture the apostle James uses about people who only hear God’s Word without doing what it says…
What is the Purpose of Government? (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 5)
There is so much confusion and disagreement about the role of government! It’s little wonder, considering the many different types of government (monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, republic, etc.), and the many different political parties (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Communist, etc.). How are we to know what viewpoint is correct? Why do we even have a government, anyway? What is its purpose?
How much gas did you just buy? (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 4)
These days going to the gas station can be a scary experience. There’s a certain amount of fear – just how much is it going to cost to fill up? But there’s another question we don’t consider as often – how do we know how much gas we just bought? What if the pump charged you for 15 gallons, when it only gave you 10?
The Just Judge (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 3)
Imagine you are standing in court before the judge. The evidence has been presented, and you have been found guilty of committing a great crime. Your sentence is certainly coming, and it will be terrible: you will be faced with a fine so large you will never be able to pay it off, even if you work for the rest of your life. It will mean isolation, suffering, and death.
I Kings 21 - Time for a Hero (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 2)
Do you have a favorite movie or TV show from your childhood? Mine was The Lone Ranger. It was incredible how he could sense someone’s need for help, out-shoot, out-think, out-ride, and out-fight everyone, restore order, put the bad guys behind bars, and wrap up every detail in just 30 minutes, while still managing to sneak away in the last scene, so the people he had helped would be left saying “I never even got to thank him!” and “Who was that masked man?” To me as a nine-year-old, that formula never got old!
I Kings 21 - Justice and the Vineyard (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 1)
It can be difficult to define “justice” when put on the spot. Many of the greatest philosophers of the Western tradition, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the doctoral professors of the 21st Century have struggled with the question, “what is justice?” But amazingly, even when we can’t define it, we all somehow know that justice is important.
In this series of articles, we will dig deeply into Scripture to see what God’s Word says about justice, and how we can to apply it to our lives and to our culture. The Bible’s teaching may surprise or upset you, but remember that we are seeking wisdom from God — looking to discover what the whole of His Word truly says, not just what we would like it to say.
The Miracle of Reconciliation, Continued (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 12)
In the aftermath of the death of Botham Jean, many people were rioting. Most were heartbroken or angry. Most wanted justice. But Brandt Jean spoke words of such supernatural power that they were shocking to those in the courtroom. His words are still shocking today.
The Miracle of Reconciliation (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 11)
A slave girl. A slave boy. They had suffered unspeakable pain. They had been separated from friends and family. He was thrown in prison because of false accusations. She was made to serve those who had likely ordered the raid on her homeland. How would they respond to those who wronged them?
Two Misunderstandings about Restitution (The Bible’s Answer for Racism, Part 10)
In the last article we learned the importance of bringing justice to a culture through biblical restitution. But before we start implementing reparations, there are two common misunderstandings that must be cleared up.