Brittany Harrell
Worldview Essay
APOL 104
Liberty University
WORLDVIEW PAPER
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Part I
What is a worldview?
David Noebel, author of Understanding the Times, states that a worldview is “any
ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to
understanding God, the world and man's relations to God and the world,”. For Christians, the
Bible plays a vital role in shaping their worldview, gives insight to God’s view to all of life’s
greatest questions. The purpose of this paper is to answer how a biblical worldview impacts the
questions of origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny.
Part II
The Question of Origin
On the question of origin, one of the very first things Christians learn is God created the
Earth, oceans, and animals in seven days. Genesis 1 gives us insight to how God created
everything, including the universe and Earth. Genesis 1:1 makes it very clear that God created
our world. Romans 1:20 helps us to understand that God delighted in making the Earth and
choose to show himself to use through everything he created. There are pieces of God in
everything around us, through the natural world we see His power and beauty. Genesis 2:7
explains how mankind came into existence, created from dust and given life by the breath of
God.
The Question of Identity
Genesis 1:27-28 tells us that we (humans) are made in God’s image, Christians find their
human identity in their relationship with God and understanding how everyone is connected to
Him. Although we have been made in God’s image, sin takes us further from God, however,
because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we can be forgiven and gain a closer relationship
with God. Adam and Eve were created to rule over and take care of all of God’s creations. This
does not mean that humans are more important than God’s other creations.
The Question of Meaning/Purpose
The question of meaning seeks to answer that age-old question: Why Am I Here?
Romans 8:28-30 explains that God made us with a purpose and it is only through God and His
forgiveness that will be able to reach our true purpose. Towns states, “The old Presbyterian
catechism began with the question, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer was, “to glorify
God and enjoy Him forever.” This question pointed a person to God and His purpose for an
individual’s life. Jesus taught, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit
and truth” (John 4:23). That means the purpose of life is to worship God and serve Him”.
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The Question of Morality
How do we know the difference between right and wrong? The Bible gives the biblical
worldview and standards to which Christians are to live their lives, if you go against the word of
God then you are wrong. Exodus 20:1-17, also known as the Ten Commandments are a prime
example of how Christians are to live their lives. The 1 Chronicles 29:17 gives a biblical
worldview on the characteristics we are to show in all aspects of our lives. Christians answer to a
much higher power than nonbelievers and it is our responsibility to be wholesome, truthful, and
have good intent.
The Question of Destiny?
What happens when I die? This is perhaps one of the most perplexing questions in our
world. For many Christians, the question of destiny is centered around the idea of hope. The
Baker’s Evangelical Definition of Biblical Theology states that hope is “to trust in, wait for, look
for, or desire something or someone; or the expect something beneficial in the future”. Hope is
not just limited to one concept, hope can be in the form of a prayer, wish, or thoughts of the
future. Along with hope, faith, and the word of God Christians are given the answers to their
destiny. In Finding Your Worldview: Thinking Christianly about the World, Weider and Gutierrez
explain, “Christians believe in two eternal states for all human beings: heaven or hell. Heaven
and hell are both literal places where people exist eternally either in the presence and blessings of
God in heaven (Rev 21:1-7) or in a state of separation from God, being punished in hell (Rev
20:11-15). The choice of receiving Christ as one's Savior or not making that choice while on this
earth determines a person's eternal state”.
Part III
How might a biblical worldview influence the way you think about, treat, and speak to others
on a daily basis?
A biblical worldview means that you answer to a higher power, God. Romans 7:1-4 gives
a layout of how we are to treat others. As Christians, we need to understand that we are all made
in God’s image, are brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not sin against each other but be
respectfully of all people always. Matthew 7:12 give us instruction on how we are to live our
lives, unfortunately many people in our society do not live their lives abiding by the law of God.
As Christians, we need to understand that we are all made in God’s image, are brothers and
sisters in Christ, we should not sin against each other but be respectfully of all people at all
times.
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How might a biblical worldview influence the way you decide on a career?
When choosing to major in Marketing I never thought about if my major was consistent
with my Christian worldview. I never questioned how my Christianity would affect the way I
interact with people in the Marketing world or how it would impact how I do my job. However,
after much consideration, I know that because I am made in the image of God, as a someone who
works in Marketing, I should always act with respect for others and conduct my work with
integrity.
Towns states, “The indwelling Christ gives the believer love for his fellow man, peace in
the troubled world, and purpose in life.” With my degree in Marketing I know that I will be
working with many different types of people, from various backgrounds, who may have beliefs
different than mine. Although I may not agree with their views or particularly care for their
personality, it is important for me to always be respectful of others. 1 Peter 2:17 is important
because it gives us instructions on how we are to live our lives, we should be respectful of all
men, other Christians, and God. Integrity is another important concept that I will carry in my
field; integrity is the quality of be honest and having strong moral principles. In the Marketing
field, it will be my responsibility to project a certain image of the company I am working with to
the public. In projecting this image, to stay in line with the Word of God, I must ensure that I am
being honest.
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Work Cited
Holy Bible, New International Version
Noebel, D. A. (1994). Understanding the times: The religious worldviews of our day and the
search for truth. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House.
Schafer, G. E. (1996). Peace. In W. A. Elwell (Ed.), Baker’s evangelical dictionary of biblical
theology.
Towns, Elmer L. Core Christianity: What Is Christianity All About? Chattanooga, TN: AMG,
2007.
Weider, L., & Gutierrez, B. (2014).Finding your worldview: Thinking Christianly about the
world.
