no other Healer

Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. Je 9:23-24

What is a worldview? I like Dr. Ken Funk’s definition in a paper he wrote at Oregon State University in 2001.

“A worldview is the set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and influence all one’s perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing.”

He went on to clarify further: “One’s worldview is also referred to as one’s philosophy, philosophy of life, mindset, outlook on life, formula for life, ideology, faith, or even religion.”

So, a worldview, “one’s philosophy”, is actually a set of “beliefs.” One popular worldview is Natural Philosophy (which later evolved into Natural Science in name). While it encompasses several areas of study, the one most at odds with the Christian Worldview is the persistent study by its believers in the first cause of nature. Simplified, they want to better know “Mother Nature.” More to the point, they want to know her to harness (control) her. As a follower of Christ, and believer in the Bible, the born-again Christian must understand that the first cause of all things is GOD!

This view of this world is based on the “reality” that God created the heavens and the earth. He created everything – period! How do I know this? Because the bible tells me so. That is a lyric in a song I learned to sing as a child. There is more truth in that little lyric than all books written by the many hundreds of philosophers still searching for truth.

I don’t know whether philosophers have more inherent wisdom when they expound their theories about the nature of things. They possibly are more book smart than I because they use words that I sometimes can’t understand. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am working on becoming 66-book smart. I believe it only takes one collection of books to obtain the truth about “the fundamental aspects of Reality.” For a Christian, (and everyone else who chooses blessings over curses) the Bible is the only reliable book to read in order to obtain the perfect truth. The only knowledge the Lord wants us to have is found in Scripture between the books of Genesis and Revelations. As written in Jeremiah, “Let a wise man … boast … that he understands and knows Me.” My “formula for life” as Dr. Funk defined it, is to seek and apply the wisdom that is in The Holy Bible.

So, when I have a question about something going on in the world, good or bad, I now look to scripture. Here are some of the verses I primarily rely on to form my Christian worldview.

1. 2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

Belief starts here. If you can’t accept the truth of that verse, nothing else in the Bible (our owner’s guide for the body and mind our creator endowed us with), is absolutely true. I personally accept Paul’s statement to Timothy as the absolute truth. The rest of the verses I will be revealing here support my Christian worldview. So, if you don’t believe that Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ wrote that to Timothy – and that it was God-breathed truth – you likely won’t believe anything else I write on theses pages.

2. Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

There is a lot of detail about how and when He did all of this – including creating man and woman – but I don’t really need to know all the details to form my Christian Worldview. Natural philosophers for centuries keep looking for the answer to how, when, and why are we all here. They intentionally leave out the ‘who’ in their study of “first causes.” God, in very simple terms, created us. He did it! He is the “first cause” of everything that exists. Other questions – other than why – are irrelevant. Of course, ‘why’ and many of the other questions are answered in scripture, but a firm Christian Worldview doesn’t need every verse and chapter in the Bible to support it. He, the Great I Am, is the Creator.

3. John 1:1-2: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. And John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

These verses also inform my worldview that must be based on “truth.” Jesus is the “one and only Son” of God. Jesus is the “Word.” “He was with God in the beginning.” The philosophers’ quest for the first cause of nature is easily answered if they choose to look for “who.” I pray you will also accept the truth of the Gospel of John 1:1-14.

4. John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Jesus Christ is the truth. I need to look no further than the Word (Jesus) for the truth. That is why I have – and utilize daily – a Christian Worldview.

5. 2 Timothy 4:3-4: For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (4) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Note, that “time” was already among “them” in many areas of the early Church. These verses describe perfectly how people, even Christians, then and now continue to search for a belief “their itching ears want to hear.” What are myths? Half-truths and lies! Satan tempts each man and woman to satisfy their personal longings, rather than accept the will and purposes of God. In these verses, Paul warned us from the beginning what was about to happen. Too many churches, and its congregations, have adapted inappropriately. God’s word does not change with time, but peoples’ beliefs change with the culture of the world in which they live.

6. John 3:16-18: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:16 is frequently quoted without the other verses. I believe it is very important to include verses 17 and 18 to capture a fuller meaning of God’s purpose in sacrificing His one and only son on the cross at Calvary. What many don’t understand is the meaning of “believe” in these verses is so much more. I don’t just believe it is true that Jesus is the Son of God, I also believe in God’s purpose, which is, “to save the world through him.” I believe that Jesus, as well as God the Father, wants to save everyone in the world. In that fully trusting belief I have adopted His purpose as my own – to support Jesus with everything I have. That is the full meaning of believing in Jesus in John 3:16. Finally, John 3:18 spells out why we should believe in Him. While believing in Jesus remains a choice, being condemned is not our best choice.

7. Mt 1:21: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The name “Jesus” means, “he shall save.” I like this verse because it clarifies John 3:18. John says, “but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John doesn’t even mention his name, Jesus, in this verse. So, if we don’t believe in “he shall save” we stand condemned. That is why we must believe (trust with everything we have) in His purpose to save sinners, not just that he is the Son of God.

8. Mt 28:18-20: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

All three of these verses are critical to my worldview, but for separate reasons. I combined them because in #8 because they relate to each other. I will explain how they inform my Christian Worldview individually. In verse 18, Jesus states again (also in Mt 11:27) that “all authority in heaven and on earth” was given to Him. The Greek word for “authority” means a “delegated power to act” on behalf of the one who gave it. God bestowed upon Jesus all His power as well as His permission to use it over everything in heaven and on earth. Do you believe that? Does God have power over all His creation? Does God have power over life and death? He, our Almighty and Powerful Father in Heaven gave that power to Jesus which allowed Him to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was also able to delegate that incredible saving power to His disciples and Apostles. The Apostle Paul raised Eutychus from death. Do you believe God and Jesus also had power over nature? Didn’t Jesus calm the seas? Did God keep the lion from devouring Daniel? Both God and Jesus have power over the largest and smallest of creatures. God even used viruses and/or bacteria to cause plagues on the Egyptians. Now, Jesus has all those powers and the authority to use them!
Next, verses 19-20 are a command for us to obey, not just the Apostles. If the command in verse 20, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” is then taught to their disciples, (as it must because it is now part of the rest of the things Jesus commanded them to obey) then we, as disciples, are commanded to obey verses 19 and 20 also. Therefore, my Christian Worldview must include my active obedient role in His plan of Salvation for everyone.

My Christian Worldview isn’t limited to just these verses I have included above. As Paul said to Timothy, “ALL SCRIPTURE … is useful.” However, these are enough for me to use only the Word (Jesus, Truth) of God as the lens with which to determine what is good and evil (or truth and lies) in this world we live in. Absolute truth is so hard to find in this cultural age of ‘relative truth’. Much of what has been described as truth really consists of half-truths and lies if you look closely. In other words, whenever I have a question about the truth of something I see, read or hear, I study it through the eyes of Jesus. God is the first cause of what happens. What is He seeing? What is He feeling? What would He do in a particular situation? What is He doing to influence what is before me? I consider whether the thing in front of me – the activity, question, or perhaps someone’s statement-of-belief – conforms to my belief that God created the Heaven and the earth and “he shall save” the world through His Son Jesus Christ. I pray and search His truth by reading the Word. The answers that everyone needs is there in the Holy Bible.

If you want more knowledge, as many Christians do, Satan will promise you more knowledge. The serpent is ready to give you the knowledge that Jesus knows you don’t need. Ask God for more knowledge, or better yet, wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) Satan offers the knowledge that will condemn you, because the sin is in seeking it. Like money, by itself it isn’t bad. The love or thirst for money is idolatry. The love or thirst for more knowledge, apart from a deeper knowledge of God, is also idolatry. God knows what we need more than we do.

Most scientific theories have been fully accepted as truth for the last few centuries. Darwin only presented his theory of evolution, but many accept it as absolute truth – enough to deny the truth that is in scripture. There are mostly half-truths in Darwin’s theory. I must agree with the author Ed Cole, “half-truths are really whole lies.” Satan is the great deceiver and has done severe damage to many a Christian’s faith with his ability to turn half-truths into whole truths in those of us not shielded with the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13-14: “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (14) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”

I am probably not as intelligent as most of the famous philosophers of the ages. That actually makes me feel relieved. Did you know the Greek word philosophy means “love of knowledge?” Jesus told me through scripture that I can’t have two masters. I can love God, or I can love knowledge. It really is true what Jesus said. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (the treasure a person trusts in)” (Mt 6:24) Many of the renown Natural Philosophers, from Lucretius in 50 BC, to Stephen Hawking, who love knowledge and trust in their professed knowledge about first causes of nature, hate God, Jesus and the Church.

I choose to accept the love God first showed me; and I choose to love Jesus with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind. I am truly glad I am not an intellectual searching for wisdom beyond what is revealed in Scripture. ‘At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” (Mt 11:25). I have learned so much more about Jesus, and His will for me, since I quit trying to discover more insignificant knowledge outside of scripture. He has revealed to me what he wants me to know. It is for my own benefit. I believe it would be to every Christian’s benefit.

Christianity is referred to by philosophers and scientists as a religion, belief or faith. True Christianity is none of those things. In its fullest reality Christianity goes beyond mere faith and “belief”; it becomes acceptance of the truth that Jesus Christ is everyone’s savior. You go beyond the gift of faith to the gift of knowing the truth. It happened to me. To achieve that “acceptance” requires a personal relationship with our creator. Christianity isn’t just another philosophy; it is a relationship with Christ, our Lord and savior. The Bible is not another philosophy book; it is an Owner’s Manual for His creation to turn to in times of trouble. It reveals to us how to live a long, joyous and healthy life. It gives us the blueprint to build our Christian Worldview so we can be better at “perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing” God’s will.

Would you like to adopt a Christian Worldview? All you really need to know is in the song lyrics; “Jesus loves me yes I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Jesus loves you, too. If He could love this sinner, He can certainly love you. He died for you! What more evidence do you need? Isn’t it time to love Him back with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind? Become a true disciple of Jesus today. Give Him your ALL. Then, adopting a Christian Worldview is an easy next step.