THINKING BIBLICALLY TODAY

THIS BLOG ADDRESS THE QUESTION – WHY DO I NEED A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW?

  • 1. No biblical worldview – you will believe in anything “When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.” ― G.K. Chesterton
  • 2. No biblical worlview – Leads to a multitude of standards and beliefs. Where God and His word are not the standard then people will do whatever is right in their own eyes. Judg. 21:25   In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
  • 3. No Biblical worldview – People spiral down and are given over to an unfit mind to do those things which are not proper. Romans 1:18-32

Why should you read this Blog? 

  1. I believe a biblical worldviw is necessary to ground us in Christ and keep our minds from being stripped away to evil.
  2. I believe it is necessary because with a biblical worldview it is possible to compare what the bible declares agaimst the great issues of our day.
  3. I believe it is necessary to have a biblical worldview as a foundation to successfully live Godly and faithfully in this life. 

Chapters Genesis 1 to 3 are the foundation chapters for the rest of the bible. 

In these chapter God has provided for us the 6 foundational elements of a biblical worldview. Seem below are the 6 foundational elements of a biblical worldview. These underpin the full biblical message concerning the glorious Gospel. 

  1. God is/God created – Gen 1:1
  2. Man made in His image and given a purpose – Gen 1:26-27, Gen 1:29-30,
  3. God speaks to us – Gen 1: 29-30
  4. God makes the rules – Gen 2:15-17
  5. Man wants to be his own God and pays the price – Gen 3:1-7
  6. Man hides God finds. Salvation and Reconciliation is of the Lord.  – Gen 3:8-21

Odds and Ends – Hope

When we are in the middle of a shipwreck – We need HOPE

What do we need when every circumstance of life seems to be working against us? Is it possible in such cases not to lose hope? Not to give up? Have you ever wondered where God has gone?  I think we all go through times in our life when everything seems bleak and we are fully in hopeless mode.

Acts 27 records such a time for Paul and his fellow travelers as they were attempting to sail to Italy. The ship sailed right into the middle of a great storm.  A storm which lasted 14 days.  In Act 27:20 it says all hope was gradually abandoned of being saved. Think about this for a moment. Even the experienced crew and the captain lost all hope of survival. 

But Paul steps in, he inexplicably declares to them all to be cheerful, and states the ship will be lost but no one will lose their live – Acts 27:22, and again in Acts 27:25 He encouraged the men to be cheerful.  How is it Paul had not lost all Hope with the rest of the crew? Where did all this cheerfulness and hope come from?

I believe we can see why in the following text – Acts 27:22-26

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.” Acts 27:20-26

In this text there are three elements of Hope

  1. Knowing to whom you Belong –  For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, Acts 27:23.

Paul had hope because he knew God had adopted him (he was a child of God) and he knew to whom he belonged.  He knew that God had already prepared him for this very moment, He knew the one to whom he belonged and he had promised him he would stand before Ceasar.   We are his, he created us for a purpose and we will one day live with him in paradise.

  • Adopted: In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Eph 1:5-6
  • Purpose: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Eph 2:8-10 (Rom 8:28-29)
  • Eternity: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  John 11:25,26
  • Knowing whom you Worship – For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, Acts 27:23.

When Paul was down, he turned to worship.  Do we turn to worship in troubled times? Do you know God lives in you? Do you know you are a temple of God? Do you know that praise even in difficult times will generate hope.  Do you know we are called to rejoice always? Really, even when in the midst of a deadly storm?  Yes even then we praise and pray in all circumstances

  • We are a temple: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Cor 6:19
  • Praise: Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Heb 13:15
  • Prayer: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thess 5:16-18
  • Knowing God’s Word – For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Acts 27:23-24

What did Paul know?  He knew what God said.  For us we can know what God says by reading his word daily.  By drawing near to him in and growing in faith

  • The Word results in Faith:  faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17
  • The Word brings assurance: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb 11:1
  • The Word produces hope in us: for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Paul’s three elements of Hope – should be ours as well.

Acts 27:23- 24 – For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid,

What really matters to having a deep abiding hope is to know:

To Whom you belong

To Whom you worship

To Whom you listen

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