This is the third of the blogs under the heading… “there are at least six things we must have straight in our thinking if we are going to progress in our walk with God”. I will review number 5 and 6 now. I pray they are of value to you.
The six are:
- The scripture is the infallible Word of God.
- God has a purpose for my life and I can know it.
- We are the Priesthood of Believers
- God’s plan for our life is to be God’s person and prepare for our return to Heaven
- Learning how to think biblically through Studying, Interpreting and Applying the Bible. attached
- Accountability attached
This time my emphasis will be on our world view and the people who will help us stay the course.
Good thinking to you… Romans 12:2
Merry Christmas and thanks for your support. Love your family and love Jesus…
Gayle
- World View/Synoptic Truths distilled from learning how to think biblically through Studying, Interpreting and Applying the Bible.
To put this another way, we must gain a worldview from God not the world.
What’s a worldview?
“A worldview is the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world.” This is from Focus on the Family
What is the process?
Years of study, meditating, discussions with people of God, thinking are the only route to developing your Christian World View. We must learn to take the propositions of God into our world. The Scripture should interpret the culture…NOT the culture interprets the scripture.
The base to the Christian Worldview is to believe in
A Sovereign, loving, rewarding, judging God-The Creator..to be feared — Prov. 90:1-17, Matt 10:28
Jesus His only begotten son who died on the cross for our sins and our salvation, who taught us of God
The Holy Spirit which as the agent from God who lives in us to help us in our lives
The Word which is from God and by God
After years of study and thinking, some of my world defining truths(filters) I see the world are as follows.
- I am saved by Grace and the work of Christ. I cannot contribute to my salvation but how I live my life after salvation will largely determine life in Heaven and also help with your assurance of your salvation during your sojourn on earth.
Comment: I should have a focus on rewards/consequence with God. - The reason I have this time on earth is primarily to prepare myself and those around me for Heaven. It is not to become the perfect person or fix society; it is to prepare myself for Heaven.
- Justice without Grace leads to abuse and legalism.
Comment: If we see our relationship with God as only with a judging and just God we will tend to build a network of thinking to protect me from God. Therefore, all must have rules to judge yourself and others with. Legalism! - Grace without justice leads to license. If I see my only relationship with God as one of Grace, ergo no consequence to my life, then I will tend to compromise my thinking and obedience to the Word. License!
- My temporal hope is “God is in control and has my best interest at heart”.
Comment: I have had trying times. That is when I can’t see “good things” ahead. I have learned I can gain strength and focus when I view the world and my circumstance through this lens. - My eternal hope is the “blessed hope”. Hurry back Jesus.
- God is good and He gets to define what good looks like.
Comment: I know He is good because He says He is good. The temporal evidence doesn’t always tell me this. - The Bible is the Word of and from God. As the professor said, “Revelation in the Word without application is Spiritual abortion”.
- I must have authority in my life. “Accountability”
- God is doing many things with many people in His work. We should:
- With a scriptural view and discernment, abstain from judging others work for the kingdom-encourage them.
- Be thankful that God is letting you play in His plan.
- Work for God whatever your age and skill base. Seek His plan in your life. Finish the race with your hand to the plow.
- Accountability
The Word is rife with examples and commands of all people having a spiritual authority in their life. The following are a sample of these..
- Nathan and David
- Hilkiah and Josiah
- Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Negop
- Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority but of God; the authorities that exist are ordained by God.
- 1Co 7:37 But. he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but who has authority over his own will that he does well.
- 1 Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
- 1 Ti 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence.
- Tit 2:15 Speak these things, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you
- 1 Ti 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except before two or three witnesses.
- 1 Pe 5:1 I exhort the elders who are among you, I being also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
We need counsel and accountability. I can get counsel without being accountable. But having accountability infers counsel.
Questions for yourself:
- Do you have any spiritual authority in your life?
- Do you have any family affair authority in your life? This means to have people that looks over how you run and manage your family and especially children areas and gives you observations.
- Do you have any ministry authority in your life? This means to have people who have a vision for ministry and helps you think through your roll and calling,
- Do you have any physical health authority in your life?
- Do you have any financial authority in your life? You need a Christian financial adviser on money matters and the quality of your budget and your adherence to that budget.
Paul spent a significant space in his letters on the importance of Elders and their qualifications. Do you have Elders in your life and are you listening to them? Are they committed to your best interest? Does your family know you listen to Godly men who are looking after your soul?
This coming year look for men to speak into your life and challenge you on your thinking. The rules for lasting and succeeding in your walk is first the Bible and second “surround yourself with Godly, wise men and be accountable”.
My friend Lance Gowen sent the following to me in response to the Blog. I thought it meaningful so I am including it here, Good thoughts. It requires you to think what he is saying…
Thoughts on Worldview by Ron Nash
…a worldview is a set of beliefs about the most important issues in life. …these beliefs must cohere in some way & form a system. …A worldview, then, is a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe & by which we interpret & judge reality.
…It can be argued on the basis of facts concerning the nature of man & the conditions of human life that human beings have a deep-seated need to form some general picture of the total universe in which they live, in order to be able to relate their own fragmentary activities to the universe as a whole in a way meaningful to them; & that a life in which this is not carried through is a life impoverished in a most significant respect.
…Instead of thinking of Christianity as a collection of theological bits & pieces to be believed or debated, we should approach our faith as a conceptual system, as a total world-&-life view.
…Religious belief should be assessed as a rounded whole rather than taken in stark isolation. Christianity, for example, like other world faiths, is a complex, large-scale system of belief which must be seen as a whole before it is assessed. To break it up into disconnected parts is to mutilate & distort its true character. We can, of course, distinguish certain elements in the Christian faith, but we must still stand back & see it as a metaphysical system, as a worldview, that is total in its scope & range.
…What kinds of beliefs make up a worldview? A well-rounded worldview includes beliefs in @ least 5 major areas: God, reality, knowledge, morality, & humankind.
My friend John Hartshorn added much to this letter and the following definition of World View:
Oxford English dictionary..”A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world”
Mission statement of this blog
These blogs are to stimulate your biblical thinking to become Issachar’s of our time.
1 Chr 12:32 and from the sons of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…
These blogs are an attempt to articulate key biblical issues of our day so that we can
- Learn and understand the propositions of the Bible concerning our life
- We can apply the truth in our life in the sanctification process
- Contend/defend against heresy or apostasy.
- We can draw closer to God
We now have a Web site for the blog. Thanks to Mr. Matt MacMillan we are now modern era. Here are some facts on the site
- The address is JacksonsJournal.com
- No password is required
- You may print any document.
- If you want to correct one, you must first pass it past me.
I hope these bless you….Gayle
