Christian Worldview Essay
Student Name
Bible 425-D03
December 9, 2015
1. Intro:
The book of Romans is an amazing book that teaches us so much about Gods amazing
forgiveness as well as the view that we should have on all things as a Christian. “We need to
know how to think Christianly about everything in our culture, not just what we happen to have
been taught. If we are to be prepared to respond to the array of religious options in our culture
and to live consistently Christian lives, we must operate from the broad perspective of the
Christian understanding of God, the world, and human beings.”1As we look deeper into this
amazing book of Romans we will see many things like, “What human beings really are like and
what they need, what God has done to provide a way of escape from our estrangement and
mortality, and what a lifestyle that grows out of a Christian worldview looks like”.2 Now let’s
roll up our sleeves and just dive right in.
2. Creation:
When it comes to Romans and the subject of creation we will be looking at Romans 1:18-25,
and something that is very important to remember in this section is that “only by fully
understanding the “bad news” can we appreciate the “good news””.3 “The particular section we
are now dealing with divides into three basic parts: God’s wrath against sin and its basis (1:18-
20), people’s suppression of truth and its consequences (1:21-31), and a concluding indictment
1 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 15.
2 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 16.
3 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 59.
(1:32).”4 As we look at 1:18-20 we see that “it is necessary for God to reveal his righteousness
in the gospel because God has also found it necessary to reveal his wrath against sin. Some
modern translations use the term “anger” instead of “wrath” for the Greek word used here (orge).
But “wrath,” while a bit old fashioned, preserves the more objective sense the Greek word has
when applied to God. God’s reaction to sin is not the “anger” of an emotional person, it is the
necessary reaction of a holy God to sin.”5 Now let us take a look at human nature and what
Romans tells us about that topic. “Paul uses in 1:26-27 to argue that those whom Paul condemns
here are only those who practice homosexuality when it is against their own nature. In other
words, it would be wrong for a person with a heterosexual orientation to engage in homosexual
relations, but not for a person with a “natural” homosexual orientation. Paul is using this word
as other Jewish writers did, to refer to the natural order of things as ordained by God. The
historian Josephus, for example, writes that “the Law of Moses knows no sexual connections but
the natural intercourse with a wife”. “Nature” in this passage refers not to individual human
nature or orientation but to the world as God has made it.”6 I would like to end this section by
talking about judgment, “their “judging” of other people rebounds directly onto them. For since
they are doing the same things as these other people, they condemn themselves at the same time.
No one can escape this judgment.”7 So what is God’s judgment based on, “God’s judgment is
4 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 59.
5 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 59-60.
6 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 66-67.
7 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 73.
“based on truth” (aletheia, v.2). It is just and impartial, based on the facts.”8 Lastly we can see
that we are all judged in the same way, no one is any better than anyone else and we are all on an
even playing field. “God assesses Jews and Gentiles on the same basis. In effect, Paul argues,
there is a level playing field when it comes to God’s ultimate verdict. The Jew, therefore, simply
by virtue of being a Jew cannot claim immunity from judgment.”9
3. Sin:
In this section the main topic will be the consequences of sin, but before we can look at the
consequences of sin we should look at who this sin will affect. “The issue of equitable judgment
for both Jew and Gentile is carried on from 2:1-11. What is new in these verses is the
introduction of the topic of the law.”10 But now that we see that sin can effect both Jew and
Gentile what does Paul say about this topic and does anyone have an advantage over anyone
else. The answer is no, we are all on one level judging field. “Paul intends to show here that the
Jew’s possession of the law does not give to them a decisive advantage over the Gentiles. He
shows this by arguing that (1) it is doing, not possessing, the law that counts, and (2) even
Gentiles have law in a certain sense.”11 So now let’s wrap up this topic of sin. Adam’s fall
introduced sin into the world, and death came as a result of sin. The Genesis narrative, of course,
makes this point crystal clear, as God warns the first human couple, “when you eat of it you will
8 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 73.
9 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000), 74.
10 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 84.
11 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 84.
surely die” (Gen. 2:17). What is this death? Theologians have debated the issue for centuries.
But Paul seems to think of death as both physical and spiritual: Separation from the body and
estrangement from God. Both are the result of sin.”12 So what do we need to remember about
this topic of sin, well simply put remember Romans 3:23, because we all fall short, but we
should always know that there is hope in Jesus.
4. Salvation:
In the topic of salvation there is so much that could be discussed but I would like to start my
explanation that “Christ’s power as the “second Adam,” who more than reverses the dire
consequences of the first Adam’s sin, to ensure that those in him will have eternal life (vv. 20-
21).13 Another way of looking at this topic is that “Paul reveals the very heart of the good news:
God’s righteousness is available to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness is
the same as Paul already announced in 1:17. It is better translated “the righteousness of God.”
Paul refers to a definite “righteousness”: the process by which God acts to put people in right
relationship with himself.”14
5. Eschatology:
So what is God’s ultimate goals for Christians, well in 8:18-30 Paul is “assuring believers of
their sure hope for salvation in the judgment (5:1-11). He now returns to where he started,
setting before us the wonderful fact and the solid basis for our hope as Christians. The
12 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 181.
13 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 180.
14 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 126.
immediate stimulus is the end of 8:17, where he reminded us that we need to share in Christ’s
sufferings if we expect to share in his glory.”15 So is it worth the struggle that we (Christians)
will endure throughout our lives to enjoy life for eternity in Glory with God, well “Paul does not
try to hide the fact that believers suffer. Indeed, he highlights it. As people who identify with
one who came to overturn the values of this world, Christians will inevitably share in the
rejection and trials Christ himself experienced. Committed Christian living will always rub the
world the wrong way at some point, and friction is inevitable. But those sufferings aren’t worth
comparing to the glory that will be “revealed in us” (v. 18)”.16
6. Ethics:
In this section we will look at how a Christian should live in this world. “As new covenant
Christians, we no longer offer animal sacrifices, we now offer ourselves as living sacrifices.
Living perhaps has a theological meaning: We offer ourselves as people who have been brought
from death to life.”17 But why should we do this, well simply put, “God demands sacrifices that
are “holy”, that is, apart from profane matters and dedicated to his service.”18 So in this life that
we have been given from God, we should live every day in a way that will bring glory to God
and in all things be thankful for anything that we have.
15 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 265-266.
16 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 266.
17 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 394.
18 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 394.
7. Theology:
So what does Romans teach us about the nature and attributes of God? Well if we look at
Romans 1:19-20 we see that “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because
God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities
his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has
been made, so that men are without excuse”.19 So what does this mean to us, well we as
God’s creation have since the time of Adam have been in constant communication with our
creator (God) and since we have been with him in spirit that long we cannot say that we do
not know him. We see that Paul tells us that “God’s wrath falls on people who suppress the
truth. One can only suppress something of which one has knowledge.”20 Lastly we see that
Paul tells us once again that we have knowledge of our creator, he tells us that us three
amazing attributes of God. In 1:32 we see that “Paul reiterates its key themes. (1) Human
beings are in a position to understand God’s truth. (2) The next key theme that Paul
expresses one last time is the fact of divine punishment for sin. Sinners deserve death.
Death is spiritual death, the condemnation or wrath of God, under which all human beings
stand as a result of sin. Lastly, (3) He suggests it is worse for a person to approve those who
practice sins than to do them oneself.”21
19 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 58.
20 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 60.
21 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 63.
Lastly I would like to bring light to something from our textbook. It says that,
“Christians who struggle to think of themselves as “worth” to be in relationship with God need
especially to understand this truth. We, in ourselves, are never worth, not the best one of us. The
gospel is precisely “good news” because it announces that God accepts us anyway, all that we
have to do is receive his offer in faith to be sure, a faith that must, be its very nature, always be
accompanied by obedience. Justification reminds us that our standing with God is by grace and
that thankfulness should be the hallmark in all our dealings with him”.22
Bibliography
Moo, Douglas J. Romans. The Niv Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing
House, ©2000.
22 Douglas J. Moo, Romans, the Niv Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Publishing House, ©2000), 57.
