“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” 1 John 4:5
According to the Barna Institute, only 17% of Christians who regularly attend church have what would be considered a “biblical” worldview.
17%. That’s it?
Yikes. This is quite alarming.
But wait. What is a worldview?
…and…
Why is this 17% such a staggering statistic?
Simply put, a worldview is a lens through which we see and interpret what’s happening in the world. It is our basic beliefs and assumptions about reality.
Author Ed Stetzer explains why our worldview is so important, “It is responsible for hundreds of reactions and decisions we make daily. In essence, our worldview is the machine running in the background of our thinking that influences us at all times.”
So, if our worldview influences us all day every day and only 17% of church-going Christians possess a biblical worldview, then, for most of us, there must be a huge disconnect between our faith and daily life.
As John points out in today’s key verse, we don’t live in a vacuum but in a melting pot of religious and secular ideas. Each day, we step into a world with hundreds of voices speaking to us from the “viewpoint of the world” (1 John 4:5).
Good grief, if this was true in John’s day, it is especially critical for us to recognize it in our modern, digital age, right?
These worldly voices could be anything from a smooth-talking “false prophet” within the Church, to an outright atheist, to everything in between (1 John 4:1). And most voices in the secular world don’t exalt Jesus as King or espouse Him as Lord of creation. It’s just the opposite. They are from the spirit of the antichrist, which is “already in the world,” denying that Jesus is God (1 John 4:3,4).
Ready to sound the alarm? Hold on – there’s more.
If we carelessly listen to these voices, won’t we absorb some of what they’re saying?
Yes.
Might we start believing what they say is true?
You betcha.
Can these anti-Jesus voices influence our worldview and lead us astray?
Absolutely.
John Stonestreet, author and president of the Chuck Colson Center, states that many of us acquire our worldview much “like we get a cold, catching it from our environment and our culture.”
My friends, I fear that many of us have caught a “cold” – I mean a worldview – from our culture.
(Okay, now you can sound the alarm.)
Though the situation is dire, it is not without hope. The Word of God can restore us to health and mend our worldview. The first step towards healing is being aware of our problem. We’ll dig deeper into how we can actively change our perspectives, but for now, here are three quick steps to get over our “cold:”
- DIAGNOSE
Time for an honest self-diagnosis. Ask yourself, “Is the Bible the primary influence on how I perceive reality, evaluate truth, and formulate my values? Or am I part of the 83% of Christians that lack a biblical worldview?”
- PAY ATTENTION
We must open our eyes and stay alert. We don’t have to believe every voice we hear! (1 John 4:1)
- DISCERN
John calls his readers to “test the spirits and see if they are from God” (1 John 4:1). To keep from being deceived, we must discern truth from falsehood, rejecting the voices that don’t align with the Bible.
Tomorrow, we’ll examine further how to create a biblical worldview in How Do You See the World? Part 2.
See you there!
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
