Worldview Paper Assignment
Fruit
Who or what are you becoming? This question has plagued the psyche of most every
human to ever walk the face of the earth. The way people think, how they react to life, and the
lives they lead are all based upon a personal commitment to those ways of thinking, feeling, and
living—a commitment to become (or not become) something or someone. At a deeper level,
these reactions to life can be founded upon an array of life experiences, all of which mold and
shape the person—who they truly are and who they present themselves to be to the world in
which they live. Oftentimes, people are not even aware they have made these commitments; they
are conceived and develop at an unconscious level and all the person has to do is exist while life
and the world begin to shape them and their worldview.
The assumptions one has about the world around them or the story they believe—what is
good, what is bad, what is true, what is false, and who they are within it all—makes up each
individual’s worldview. Everyone lives life from a worldview, even if they are not aware of what
that worldview is. Jesus taught, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
(English Standard Version, Matthew 6:21). A person’s worldview is not simply what they claim
it to be. Whether one realizes it or not, what is most important to them is often what they form
their worldview around. Dallas Willard wrote, “We don't believe something by merely saying we
believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it
were true” (Willard, 2006). If money and status are most important, a person might live and
build their entire life around a career and having things which represent their accomplishments.
If their faith is most important, they might be seen volunteering in the community of that faith or
sharing that faith with others. In the words of Christ, “The good person out of the good treasure
of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of
the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (English Standard Version, Luke 6:45). In other
words, a tree is known by the fruit it produces and a person’s worldview can be seen in the fruit
of the way they live their life.
As far as worldviews go, a Christian worldview stands alone, unique amidst the vast
array of worldviews that exist. While the views of most of the secular world are formed by the
world around them, a Christian worldview is established upon the truths found in God’s written
word—the Bible. No matter what society and culture deem to be “truth,” the worldview of
scripture is to be the ultimate truth to all who profess Christianity. The Apostle Paul clearly
states that “the righteous will live by faith” (English Standard Bible, Romans 1:17)—faith in the
finished work of Christ, faith in the merciful favor of God, and faith in the fact that this library of
scripture is the written word of God passed down to man and protected by the Holy Spirit’s
intervention with mankind. From the creation and origins of the physical world to creations fall
away from their creator, God, to the reunion of God’s spiritual world with that physical world,
the Bible tells the entire story of God’s plan for His creation to be united as one, and how
mankind can be a part of that story through faith in Jesus Christ.
His Story: Creator and Creation
The Bible is a vast library of books, authors, and stories from over a substantial amount
of time and backgrounds. This library joins these multiple stories—narratives—into one grand
story—metanarrative—which tells the overall story of God’s interaction with and salvation of
humanity (Engen, p. 2). This biblical metanarrative brings out and articulates a consistent
worldview from within each of these stories which is understood to be a “biblical worldview,”
and in the very first line of its pages, beginning with the creation of the world and all that is in it,
the scriptures set forth a few foundational truths for the Christian’s worldview to be built upon.
Firstly, this story is about who God is, who human beings are within God’s world, how they
respond to God, and how God responds to humanity. It is a story that confronts mankind and
forces them to face who they are in relation to the holy God who created them (Engen, p. 6).
Secondly, God not only exists, but He exists eternally. In order for God to be the creator of the
universe, God must have existed prior to anything created, therefore, He exists eternally, outside
of creation (Engen, p. 3). Thirdly, this truth also points to the reality that God is not a created
being but is the creator and is over all creation—God created everything that exists, including
humanity. From the Old Testament, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth”
(English Standard Version, Genesis 1:1), to the New Testament, “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made (English
Standard Version, John 1:1-3), the fact that God is the creator of all that exists remains
consistent. However, God set humanity apart from the rest of creation when He “created man in
His own image” (English Standard Version, Genesis 1:27). Even though God exists outside of
creation, He desires to interact with it. God is active, hence the reason He created all that is to
begin with. Due to God’s desire to interact with His creation, He created human-beings to live in
union with Him, in harmony with one another and creation, and to represent His goodness and
power over all that exists.
His Story: His Image
The beauty and the wonder of creation unceasingly sing of God’s existence without ever
missing a note. From the stars and the planets, beyond our farthest dreams, to the chirping of the
frogs and crickets at night, God’s work is impossible to miss. And though God’s word—His
breath of life—brought a spark to every creature on this earth, God set apart mankind and made
them unlike anything else He had created. Scriptures tell that “God spoke: ‘Let Us make human
beings in Our image, make them reflecting Our nature,’” and “God formed man out of dirt from
the ground and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The man came alive—a living soul!”
(The Message Bible, Genesis 1:26; 2:7). God created man differently than the rest of creation.
Throughout scripture, the writers use the word “ruakh” when they speak of God’s life-giving
breath, but when God breathed life into man, they use the word “neshmah.” Neshmah describes
God’s divine life given to man. Though animals and humans are both living beings, humans
receive far more from God. Unlike any other creature in creation, mankind possesses God’s
neshmah—the soul, human consciousness, or spiritual awareness—for mankind, and mankind
alone, was made in the image of God.
To the modern worldview, the word “image” might bring to mind an image on a
computer screen or perhaps the idea of a painting in a gallery. However, the term “image” within
the Biblical worldview would have brought to mind what was known as an idol. An idol is
something made by man to represent a god. Idols are meant to glorify the god which they are
created to represent and are thought to hold the power and authority of the god whose image they
are created in (Small, 2016). In this same light, when God made man in His image, man was
meant to represent God in all that they do—to glorify God with all that they are, and rule over
creation with His power and authority. “We are Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade
men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right
between them (The Message, 2 Corinthians 5:20). Furthermore, because God is a triune being—
Father, Son, and Spirit—as well as working through and with His heavenly hosts and many
divine agents, like God, man has an innate desire for relationship and community living. “God
has mingled the body parts together […] intentionally so that every member would look after the
others with mutual concern, and so that there will be no division in the body. In that way,
whatever happens to one member happens to all. If one suffers, everyone suffers. If one is
honored, everyone rejoices” (The Passion Translation, 1 Corinthians 12:24-26). This relational
nature is also the root of humanity’s longing for connection with the divine. Mankind’s
possession of God’s neshmah causes them to pursue Him and allows them to relate to Him in a
way that no other living creature ever could.
His Story: Diminished
The third chapter of Genesis gives an account of the fall of humanity. This is where
humankind’s relationship with God is profoundly shifted from unity and likeness to separation
and strife through the act of sin: Humanity’s unwillingness to trust that what God wants for them
is their deepest happiness—that God’s plan is better than any other plan. This not only estranges
them from God, but their transgressions have changed the very nature of their heart. “They say
that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black;
bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter (Living Bible, Isaiah 5:20). Sin corrupts humanity, aiming their
affections towards unholy desires and perverting their passions, creating constant emotional and
spiritual turmoil. God’s perfect law—the scales to what is universally right and wrong—are no
longer balanced within humanity, and though mankind knows what is right, the corruption of sin
creates a desire to do what they know is wrong, and “any person who knows what is right to do
but does not do it, to him it is sin” (Amplified Bible, James 4:17). This righteousness consists of
keeping God at the forefront of their thoughts and loving others over oneself; however, without a
relationship with God, this righteousness is impossible for mankind to achieve. It is humanity’s
belief in God and in His plan for humanity—a faith which reveals itself in their actions—that
brings humanity closer to His likeness (English Standard Version, Hebrews 11:6). However, no
matter how faithful man is; no matter how hard they try, mankind cannot work their way back to
God’s righteousness—mankind cannot save themselves from their own fallen nature. But God is
not willing to see His creation perish without an opportunity to be restored to unity with Him.
His Story: Redeemed
Mankind’s choice to turn from God’s way brought sin upon all humanity and all creation;
however, God is love and love is merciful. God gave mankind a second chance through placing
their faith in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ—the physical incarnation of God Himself. Jesus
is the perfect image of God—both God and man in the flesh—and through their faith in Jesus,
humanity receives the Spirit of God. God’s Spirit helps mankind die to themselves and live out
God’s righteousness, restoring them back to His image. “For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only [begotten] Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son
of God” (English Standard Version, John 3:16-18). But what does all of this lead to? What is
God’s ultimate plan and purpose?
God’s plan is, and always has been, to live in unity with and through mankind. God will
not rest until all of humanity has been presented with the opportunity to be restored, through
Christ, to His image. Just as Jesus proclaimed, “whoever hears my word and believes Him who
sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life”
(English Standard Version, John 5:24). Through faith in Jesus, humanity can encounter salvation
and eternal life after death. Though mankind experiences salvation here and now, in their current
life, complete salvation will not be experienced until the appointed time, in the life hereafter, of
which only God knows. On that day, mankind will be reunited with God and their old, perishable
bodies will be replaced with new, imperishable and honorable bodies (English Standard Version,
1 Corinthians 15:42-53). This will not only be the salvation of those who place their trust in
Jesus, but through Christ, God will restore all creation from the destruction and turmoil
humanity’s rebellion has reaped upon all that God ever called good. God’s goal is not for the
human person to be diminished, but to recover, restore, and more fully redeem all that humanity
has lost. If mankind places their faith in Jesus, they will fully be redeemed and find themselves
in eternity, glorified with God in His new kingdom and new earth.
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References
Engen, D. R. (n.d.). The Grand Story: A Worldview Framework .
Small, G. a. (2016). Everyday Theology: Exploring the Christian Faith. B&H Accedemic.
Willard, D. (2006). The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on
Discipleship. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
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