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Kirsten Lewis
Professor David Brinkley
BIBL 104-B47
October 10, 2016
Biblical Worldview Essay
Of all of the books in the Bible, my favorite ones are the ones that are written by Paul. I
love his writing style and enjoy his writings I think because I love his background, where he
came from and the way he evolved into a believer. From the things he has written, I truly think
the book of Romans is my favorite. There is so much good and in depth information provided.
Just the first half of Romans addresses components of a worldview that relate to the natural
world, human identity, human relationships, and culture.
Natural World
We know that God is the one who created the world. The world was formed by God
speaking things into motion. In Romans chapters 1-8 Paul mentions quite a few things about the
natural world. He mentions that the ungodly have no excuse to not know God, for even to look at
creation is to witness Him. Romans 1:20 states, “for ever since the world was created, people
have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible
qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God”
(New Living Translation Study Bible). In the book Illustrated Bible Survey it is said that the
general revelation is the self revelation of God that can be objectively seen in nature. No matter
what, creation shows that God is all powerful and that He is of divine nature. (Romans 1:20
NLT). Even if a person is completely deprived of all things but is able to be outside, they see the
nature that God created. “They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to
them.” (Romans 1:19). Hearing what Paul has to say about the natural world makes me see the
world a little different. I used to always wonder what would happen to someone if they died
without having ever hearing about Christ, but now I know that God has clever ways of revealing
Himself, such as through dreams or in nature, and know I know that God is more than capable of
reaching someone that has never verbally been told about the Gospel.
Human Identity
Human identity is something that Paul also talked about in his letter to the believers in
Rome. We find our identity in Christ and not in anything else. We, as humans, are made in the
image of God (Genesis 1:27) and we were also made to worship Him. Whenever we confess
Christ as our Savior and Lord, we find that we are fulfilling our purpose in life. On our own we
are not righteous at all (Romans 3:10) and we do not do good things on our own accord (Romans
3:12). We are hopeless on our own and we need Jesus to sanctify us and make us clean. When
we put our faith in Jesus Christ and surrender our life to Him, we get the marvelous opportunity
to honor Him forever and we get to spend an eternity with Him in Heaven when our earthly
bodies pass away.
Human Relationships
Human relationships are so very important. God wants us to have fellowship with other
believers so that way we can be encouraged and learn more about Him and His word. One of the
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things that I most thoroughly enjoy about Paul’s letters is the fact that Paul was so encouraging
and he was good at building others up. He always states in his letters that he is encouraged by
their faith and that he is praying for them. He always thanks God for the people that he is writing
to. In Romans 1:8 it’s shown that Paul compliments their faith but that is not done until he gives
God the glory for what he is able to do. Paul had a servant’s heart and he just genuinely loved to
serve others. Paul mentions that he prays without ceasing for these people. He not only prays for
himself, but he prays for the peace of those people and also for God to provide for their needs.
“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace… Day and night I
bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the
Good News about His Son.” (Romans 1:7b, 9). Paul was a good example of the relationship that
we are supposed to have with fellow believers. We are here to pray for them and to encourage
them in the faith. Likewise, they are here to encourage us in the faith and here to lift us up in
prayer.
Culture
The culture that a person lives in effects a lot about their life. It effects the way they grew
up, the things they were taught, their morals, how they view things, and so much more.
Whenever Paul wrote the letter to the believers in Rome, he met them where they were. Paul was
well aware that God was working in the Church in Rome and he was anxious to be a part of it.
No matter what is going on with a set of people (no matter what religion they are, gender they
are, nationality, group, etc.), they all deserve to hear the message that the Gospel preaches. The
Gospel is for everyone. Paul wanted the Romans to be willing to press forward, as a culture.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us
develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our
confident hope of salvation” (Romans 5:3-4 NLT). Paul also wanted to let them know they were
not under the law, but instead under the grace that God freely gives. Romans 6:14 says, “sin is
no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live
under the freedom of God’s grace”. Since reading what Paul has to say in Romans about culture
and living under God’s grace and not the law, I know now that no one is out of God’s reach.
Everyone deserves to hear the Gospel and everyone can come to know Jesus Christ as Lord.
Of all of the books in the Bible, my favorite ones will always be the ones that were
written by Paul. His books are so packed full of good information too. One of my favorites is
Romans because it covers a lot of material but it specifically talks about the natural world,
human identity, human relationships, and culture. All of those things are very important
especially when you are trying to figure out what a passage of Scripture is really saying. Paul had
a lot to say and I still have a lot to learn about the messages he was trying to pass along to the
recipients of his letters. Every single person that has ever been born has come into the world
already a sinner and are in desperate need of Jesus. We all need His love and His grace.
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Works Cited
Hindson, Edward E., and Elmer L. Towns. Illustrated Bible Survey: An Introduction. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. Print.
NLT Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008. Print.
