Consecrating one's entire life

Numbers 6:2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD"

For the past couple of days we have been looking at the subject of Christian consecration.  We have noted that consecration is when I by God's grace in sanctification, working in my heart, choose to cooperate and concentrate every area of my life on God.  So far we have noted how consecration functions like ripples in a pond:

1. Consecration of the heart Numbers 5:1-10
2. Consecration of your marriage Numbers 5:11-31

Today we continue on, moving to an even wider reaching vision of consecration - consecration of one's entire life.

Nazarites - people whose entire life was about consecration
The Hebrew root for the word Nazarite (Nazir) means "consecrated, devoted, dedicated."  According to the "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament", page 1340, the word Nazir had to do with "keeping away oneself from something."  Negatively it speaks of separation, positively it referred to the placing of a crown on top of one's head - an object designating the special office of the wearer.

In the history of the redemption we find four, and possibly a fifth man who took the Nazirite vow of dedication spelled out here in Numbers 6.  Clearly the Nazarite is a visual picture of the concept of consecration.  The words "dedicate", or "separation" occur no less than 14 times in Numbers 6.  Among other things, the Nazarite (male or female) had to abstain from "wine and strong drink" (Numbers 6:3) or even anything produced from the grapes. No razor is to be near his hair (6:5), nor is he to touch a dead body (6:6) nor is he to defile himself even in mourning for his family when they die by touching them (6:7).  

Three men that were life-time Nazarites for sure were Samson (Judges 13:5); Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15).  Gathering from their practices and foods that they abstained from, we can reasonably connect them to the prescriptions laid down here in Numbers 6.  The Apostle Paul in Acts 18:18 appears to have "taken a vow" which ended when he cut his hair.  Thus Paul illustrates a man who took a short-term Nazarite vow. 

The fifth possible man in the Bible who may have been a Nazarite was James, the author of the N.T book bearing his name.  In reading the first Church Historian Eusebius in his "Ecclesiastical Church History", Book 2, Chapter 23, reference is made from an eyewitness of James' life.  The witness was named Hesigeppus (Hes-i-gep-pus), who tells us of James having long hair, being a Nazarite and being a man of great piety.  In fact, he was known to have had knees like a camel for his long season of intercessory prayer.  James was martyred, being thrown from the pinnacle of the temple for refusing to renounce Christ.  Even while the mobs were stoning him (he didn't die after that high fall!), he prayed, in likeness to Jesus, that their sin be not held against them. 

Why consecration of one's life truly brings glory to God
When you look at the lives of some of those who were Nazarites, you begin to understand why consecration of one's life can truly demonstrate a devoted heart to the Lord.  Imagine a Samuel, whose resolve to proclaim God's Word in a day where the word of the Lord was scarce led to the anointing of not one, but two men who would occupy the throne of Israel. (1 Samuel 3:1)  The Bible tells us that not one word of Samuel fell to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19).

Or how about John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said was the greatest man born of women. (Luke 7:28)  He was the prophetic forerunner to the Messiah.  His consecration to God was a desire given to him by the Holy Spirit, who uniquely filled him from the womb, and who stated he was to be a Nazarite in vow. (Luke 1:15)  His undying commitment to his mission to exalt the Savior, even to the point where he utters the words: "he must increase, but I must decrease". (John 3:30) 

And if we take the testimony of history to be true (from not only the writings of Eusebius, the father of church history, but Josephus, the father of Jewish history so to speak), then we know that James was a man passionate about Christ and His word.  It was this James who was Jesus' half-brother in the flesh.  It was this same James who led the early church in Acts 15 and who authored the Book of James. 

To consecrate one's entire life is far from a cold, sterile activity.  Every Christian is called to give up all they have to follow Jesus Christ through the death of self in preference to the Master. (Luke 9:23-24)  Consecration is truly the chief expression of a true disciple willing to cooperate with God in the growth of their faith-walk with Jesus Christ. 

Consecrating your marriage

Numbers 5:12 & 16 - (12) “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him" (16) ‘Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD,"

Why consecration works from the heart out to the behavior, rather than being another form of behavior modification
Yesterday we noted that consecration is a grace-motivated desire to concentrate every area of life on God.  As we noted from Oswald Chambers discussion on the issue, it is where the Christian is making his interests to match God's interests.  Before we move onto the realm of consecrating one's relationships and marriages, the emphasis upon consecration of the heart cannot be over emphasized. 

Consecration can be mistakingly taken to be nothing more than some type of behaviorial modification.  Often people in a church service or atmosphere charged with the presence of God will rashly make promises to God to change or remove habits without first dealing with the heart that produces those behaviors.  In their minds, they vow to stop doing certain behaviors and adopt better ones.  Granted, there may be genuineness involved, whatever name we call it (rededication, recommitment).  However more often than not, some rededications are aimed only at behavior modification.  Unless we are beginning with God's sanctifiying work already operative in the heart, our rededication and recommitments will lead to legalism and failure.  Let me explain. 

Sanctification is a two-sided coin - a "me and God" thing. In sanctification we have God working in us His perfect and pleasing will while at the same time we are opening ourselves in response to His work by "working out our salvation with fear and trembling". (Philippians 2:12-13)  

True consecration begins with an acknowledgement of a transforming work of grace in the heart leading to a conforming of attitudes and behaviors that concentrate on the Lord.  The biblical word "consecration" is a more helpful word than mere "rededication", since the heart and behaviors, and not the behaviors by themselves, defines the aim of consecration.  

Consecrating our marriages
In the remainder of Numbers 5, God is laying down prescriptions for dealing with allegations of unfaithful spouses.  Three times the accused wife is told to present herself before the Lord.  A water mixture called "The water of bitterness" is given to the woman to determine whether her denial of infidelity is legitimate or not.  If she ends up being infertile, then she was unfaithful, whereas if she is still able to have children, then she was clearly faithful. 

The phrase that captures my attention here is the phrase: "before the Lord". (Numbers 5:16, 18, 30)  The woman, her husband, the priests involved in discerning the allegations and the people were all reminded that marriage was covenant made before God - and that God see all things! (Hebrews 4:12-14) 

Time and time again the Bible reminds us that our marriages are pictures of what the Lord desires to have with his people in terms of oneness, closeness and loving trust. (Ephesians 5:25-27)  To consecrate our marriages means for husbands and wives, with consecrated hearts, to make that marriage's interests to match God's. Hebrews 13:4 plainly states - "marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." 

Benefits and suggestions for consecrating your marriage 
First and foremost, regard everything you and your spouse does as being in the presence of the Lord.  The older Christians used a Latin phrase to describe the Christian life lived before God: coram dei (in the presence of God).  Approaching everything from your T.V watching to what you both do seperately to even marital intimacy as being pleasing to God will greatly affect how you view your marriage.
Seeing marriage as not only having to do with finances or physical things, but as supremely interconnected as a covenant with one another before God captures its true meaning. (Genesis 2:23-25)

Practically making the effort to be more faithful in church attendance, or instituting praying with your spouse or even writing simple little notes letting them know you're praying for them are ways to consecrate marriages.  By consecrating marriages, you are being more proactive in managing the health of your relationship, rather than reactive.  Proactiveness to marriage reinforces positive, Godly edifying values that ensure protection against the temptations and forces waged against marriage in today's world.  Reactive marriages try to overcompensate through desperate measures to correct behavior, without addressing the hearts that led to the behaviors. 

The fruit to be born in consecrating marriage is that of stronger, God honoring marriages that can withstand the storms that attempt to drown the passion and commitment needed in 21st century marriages. 

The Importance of Consecration

Numbers 7:1 Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also.

Defining consecration
Today we begin a new blog series on a subject of extreme importance in the Christian life - consecration.  Oswald Chambers in his landmark devotional classic: "My Utmost for His Highest" writes the following definition of consecration: "Consecration is our part, sanctification is God's part.  Consecration is when we have deliberately determined to be interested in that which only God is interested." 

Admittedly we don't hear much today about the word nor the subject.  Whenever I see the word "consecration", it reminds me of another English word with a similar sound: "concentration".  As Chambers points out, consecration is an act of the Christian's will resolving to make God's interests their own.  This of course can only occur in proportion to the Holy Spirit's ongoing work of sanctification, whereby He is working forth and imparting to us the affections, desires and life of Christ. Thus concecration is the "human side" of the cooperation we daily have with God's Holy Spirit following conversion.  In consecration, I simply aim to have greater concentration on Jesus Christ.

The Pattern of consecration in the Bible
As God was calling the nation of Israel to be a God centered congregation (Numbers 1-4) composed of Godly servants (Numbers 3-4), God prescribed an ever increasing pattern of consecration (Numbers 5-7).  The Law of God sets forth the patterns of Godly living, requiring and pointing God's people to reliance upon Grace to have power for Godly living.  

Like a series of ripples in a pond, Numbers 5-7 gives us a series of ever-increasing concentric circles of consecration that we aim to explore over the next several blogs.  This pattern, spelled out in the Old Testament, is repeated in a fuller way in the New Testament.  The pattern requires the grace of God working in the human heart to both desire it and carry it out.  The pattern we will be looking at this week involves consecration of the following:

1. Consecration of the Heart (Numbers 5:1-10)
2. Consecration of your marriage (Numbers 5:11-31)
3. Consecration of your life (Numbers 6)
4. Consecration as a Church (Numbers 7)

The Ever increasing nature of consecration in the faith-walk
Consecration of the heart. Numbers 5:1-10; 1 Peter 3:15
The Apostle Peter writes these words in 1 Peter 3:15 - "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."   That underlined word, which we could also translate "consecrate, set apart", has virtually the identicle meaning as the Hebrew word underlined above in Numbers 7:1.  To "set apart, dedicate, consecrate" as refer to the same thing.  The New Testament reinforces the grace-motivate pattern of consecration outlined in passages such as Numbers 5-7.  The place to begin is with your heart.

The heart in the Hebrew Old Testament scriptures was the causal, emotional control tower of the person.  The camp of Israel in a physical way was to picture the interior of the person: with God at the center in the human spirit - as so pictured by the tabernacle.  On the outer perimeter of the tabernacle was encamped the Levites, who stood between God and the people.  We could say that the conscience, that part of the soul which interracts most with the heart/human spirit, is what reminds the people of God's law and condemns us when we have done wrong.  The remainder of the people camped around the Levites pictures for us the remainder of my soulish realm - mind, emotions and will, as I live out the Godly life through my human body. 

When God was telling these people to send away the lepers and diseased from the camp, He was not being mean nor unreasonable.  A reading of Leviticus 13-15 explains how leprosy and infectious diseases needed to be quarantined, to both protect the people and to reinforce the danger of the infection of sin in their hearts.  Consecration has me separate from something keeping me from fellowship with God, in order to draw closer to God. 

In Numbers 5:5-10 we see instructions on restoring stolen or damaged property.  The people needed to treat one another with love, since their regard for one another revealed how they regarded the Lord.  Jesus even comments in passages such as Matthew 26:40 and Acts 9:4 that "whatever is done to the least of these little ones, so have you done unto me."   If we begin consecrating our hearts, we will be ready to consecrate our emotions, thoughts and attitudes towards how we treat people and respond to situations. 

In tomorrow's blog we will take a look at another area of consecration that leads out logically from the heart - namely consecration of our relationships and marriages.

The Evangelistic Motives for knowing about Philosophy

Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Today's blog will close out this week's introduction to Worldview studies.  I hope in future blogs to write more on this important subject.  In future blogs we may explore Biblical Christianity's historic interractions with other areas such as science, logic, mathematics, medical ethics, psychology and other issues.
Theology, the Queen of the Sciences, and Philosophy the hand-maiden
In the middle ages (800 A.D - 1500 A.D), the highlighted phrase above was used to distinguish between the discipline of studying philosophy from that of theology.  The Bible and the language used by Bible teachers to articulate scripture's contents (Theology) was viewed as supreme over all other forms of knowledge, whether they be science, philosophy, mathematics or logic.  In a very general way, all of those other avenues of understanding were placed under the greater umbrella of theology.  I

A brief history on how theology got separated from other academic disciplines
If you would had been studying in a European University in the middle ages, you would had studied theology along side other subjects. Most thinkers believed that any knowledge gained was as a result of God's general revelation in nature. Whole movements (such a schollasticism) developed that attempted to construct a "natural theology", which in short tried to develop assumptions about God and his relationship to the world into a working theological system based off of the "General Revelation" of God through creation. (Romans 1:18-20, 2:15) 

The wars that would ensue between Protestants and Catholics following the wake of the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-reformations of the sixteenth century led many European thinkers to be dissillusioned with the authority of scripture. Men such as Rene Decartes and Immanuel Kant attempted to construct an understanding of the world based more on human reason rather than revelation.  The movement of the Enlightenment in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, wherein Reason was enthroned above revelation and individual opinion was elevated above external authority, separated theology from the other disciplines in the major European universities. 

Why Christians must better understand the relationship and history between biblical authority and philosophy
As settlers from Europe came over to this country, an attempt was made by Christian thinkers to once again unite all known knowledge under the banner of scripture and theology.  Universities such as Harvard, Brown, Yale and Princeton were conceived to train pastors who were knowledgeable of what was going on in other lines of thought. 

The revival of the 18th century known as the First Great Awakening was led by the greatest theologian/philosopher ever born on American soil - Jonathan Edwards.  His famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" launched a movement of revival that would be responsible for re-igniting spiritual and intellectual movements for the glory of God.  Sadly, as the eighteenth century closed out, and the nineteenth century came into view, American universities and many of the larger urban churches were giving themselves over to liberalism coming from Europe and their own pre-occupation with heresies that were being born on American soil.

Sadly by the nineteenth century, those universities lost their moorings and became secularized, shaping their beliefs around the disciplines of science, philosophy and logic rather than building those disciplines around an informed understanding coming from scripture.
Soon Universities in this country dropped the study of theology in favor of "religious studies", which aimed to understand the religious nature of human beings, rather than the revelation of God through scripture and Jesus Christ. 

Biblical reasons why Christians should know the questions being raised by philosophy, and be ready to supply biblical answers
As we saw earlier in Ecclesiastes 12:12-13, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was summarizing the meaning of life.  All of life's purpose and meaning derives from and is aimed towards God Himself.  Revelation tells us that desiring to know life's meaning is what it means to be human.  General revelation in nature and the conscience furnishes all men with a knowledge about God, and only God's special revelation through the scripture in Jesus Christ enables men by grace through faith to know God personally.  Only in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ can such a meaning be understood. 

Philosophy too aims to understand meaning - meaning of right and wrong (ethics), meaning in thought (logic), meaning in knowledge (epistemology) and meaning in reality (metaphysics).  Philosophy's weakness lies in it approaching such questions apart from the revelation of scripture.  With that said, our job as Christians is to be ready to give an answer to those who ask us about the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:15)  We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ that attempts to raise itself up against His authority. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) 

By knowing what questions are being raised in the culture by disciplines such as philosophy, we can supply answers from scripture.  Men like Jonathan Edwards evangelized the culture with solid biblical truths, knowing the questions being raised by the culture.  Any reading of Edward's works will demonstrate his unflagging commitment to biblical truth and deep familiarity with the philosophical questions of his day.  They did so without compromising scripture nor watering down the message.  To be able to show people how the Bible raised similar questions, and to communicate the answers God supplies through Jesus Christ, we can be more effective in reaching out to others for Jesus sake. 

Biblically defining Philosophy's relationship to Christianity

Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Discerning the relationship between philosophy and biblical Christianity
In the two above texts, we see the Apostle Paul preaching and writing in two different environments.  In Acts 17 he is preaching to a group of Philosophers at a place called "Mars Hill".  He uses quotations from their own philsophers to lend support to His biblical message on the Sovereignty of God in creation and salvation. 

In the Colossians text, Paul is under house arrest in Rome.  That text was written 10 years or so after his sermon on Mars Hill.  In reading his remarks in Colossians 2:8, one may have the impression that Paul has changed his tune on the use and value of Philosophy.  Is he forbidding its use all together?  No.  Rather he is warning his readers of misusing Philosophy or uncritically accepting all of the answers that Philosophy offers to the questions raised by people about the meaning and purpose of life.

Paul still used philosophical categories, in a sparing way, to demonstrate the validity of Christianity over against the paganism of his day.  For instance, whenever He states Christ to be the "fulness of the Godhead bodily" in Colossians 2:9, the word used for "fulness" is taken straight out of the pagan Gnosticism of which he was battling.  The Gnostics taught that "the fulness" was an impersonal force that revealed itself in varying levels or "emanations" of lesser deities and beings. 

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul took this Greek Philosophical concept and turned it on its head, taking every thought opposed to Christ and bring it under subjection to Christ's authority. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  Moses and the children of Israel took the gold of the Egyptians given to them during their Exodus out of Egypt to use in the construction of the tabernacle - demonstrating God's Sovereignty over that false system.  Paul like-wise too took elements of the false system he was battling and revealed how the Gospel calls every Christian to be more than a conqueror.  Christ indeed is Supreme, personal and above any so-called thought of man, philosophy or otherwise.

Sifting everything through scripture
Paul showed that Christ is the embodiment of all authority, and that He alone is the mediator between God and men.  He is the personal Fulness of Deity who revealed Himself in history, and who can be know by Grace through faith.  In one verse Paul undermines an entire philsophical system, with some of the very tools used by the philosophers themselves! 

There are going to be times when encountering any system of thought outside of scripture that believers have to discern whether such a system is valuable, of limited value or of no value whatsoever.  If questions raised by Philosophers mirror those addressed in scripture, then we may have something useful.  The discernment comes in not using the answers given by that system. 

Keeping in mind the distinction between General and Special Revelation
God's General revelation of Himself through nature and special revelation of Himself in scripture can be used to explain why we find similarity of questions raised in Philosophy and scripture.  No doubt Paul had this assumption going into his dialogue with the Athenian Philsophers on Mars Hill in Acts 17.  Paul identified the common questions raised by the pagan philosophy and sacred scripture - testifying to the former's reaction to God's general revelation in nature and God's special revelation in the Bible.  However, Paul was also quick to direct his sermon's answers to those questions to the Special revelation of scripture. 

Conclusions on the biblical relationship between philosophy and Christianity
Questions about meaning, purpose and life, so often raised by philosophy and scripture alike, can only be clearly answers by scripture alone.  Christians can use Philosophy, providing they are careful, discerning,  and draw conclusions that mesh with the biblical record, rather than the philosophical system.  The idea of sola scriptura (the Bible alone) is an important doctrine to uphold in this discussion.  Sola Scriptura is defined as the Bible being the final authority on all matters in comparison to secondary forms of authority - whether it be science, philosophy or tradition.    

One author has noted that "all truth is God's truth".  As we consider how to evaluate things like Philosophy in comparison to scriptures, I would offer this additional thought: God's Truth, perfectly revealed in scripture, discerns the truth He reveals in creation.  There is "truth" that we as human beings imperfectly perceive in disciplines such as science, math, and philosophy and then there is TRUE Truth which is perfectly revealed in scripture alone.  

Why The Christian should be aware of Philosophy

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

Quick Review
As we saw from my wife's guest blog a couple of days ago,  a worldview is defined as: "how we perceive, interpret, and respond to the world surrounding us." Also too, we saw yesterday that if the Christian is to develop an effective Christian Worldview, consideration of Genesis 1-12 must be considered. 

What to do with Philosophy?
One of the subjects frequently encountered in worldview studies is whether or not philosophy has a purpose or place in the Christian worldview.  This is a very important question, since how we define philosophy's role, or lack thereof, will determine how we treat other subjects such as science, technology and the arts.  The umbrella goal of developing a Christian worldview is, as my wife said, "perceive, interpret and respond to the world surrounding us."  As we'll be contending over the next few days, scripture must be the Christian's grid and guide in discerning these matters. 

Equipping our young people going back to school
To be completely ignorant of what philosophy is saying ignores how much of our culture is shaped by it. Most T.V shows are shaped by various philosophies that run counter to scripture. If we can discern what those are, we can offer a more informed biblical response.  If you and I can pick up on questions being asked in the Bible, and find those similar questions being raised in the culture, we can draw a connecting point and hopefully share Christ with those who don't believe in Him.   

My aim on this blog site is to equip Christians with the tools they need to affect a wider sphere of people for Jesus Christ. School will be starting up soon, and more than ever, we need our Christian young people - from the elementary to the college/university levels to know how to give an answer for the hope that is within them. (1 Peter 3:15)

The chief aim of man is to know God
When you survey the whole of scripture, time and again the number one concern is knowing God.  God has made Himself known by revelation in creation, the Person and work of Jesus Christ and the words of the Bible.  One cannot say they have truly known God unless they have experienced the New Birth in conversion, that is, salvation in Jesus Christ by grace through faith alone (John 3:16; 17:3). Flowing from saving faith is sanctification, the "faith-life", wherein the believer has a faith-walk of obedience and desire for God (Philippians 2:12-13).  The faith-walk of the Christian should have an outlook that is governed by a desire to glorify Christ in all things. (Romans 11:33-36; Hebrews 12:1-2).

The Biblical emphasis on Wisdom
When we speak of bridging the gap between the Christian mind and Christian action, we look to what the Bible calls wisdom.  Wisdom in the biblical sense deals with excellence in applying Biblical principles for the glory of God.  To be a lover of wisdom, in the Biblical sense, means my aim is to know God, and by knowing God I know myself well enough to live out the claims of scripture. 

What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a word that comes from two Greek words: "Philos" meaning "love" and "sophia" meaning "wisdom".  In the formal discipline of philosophy, from the days of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato in ancient Greece to current times, four branches have been identified to describe the task and activity of philosophy.

1. Epistemology - This branch of philosophy deals with how one knows what they know.  For instance, how do I know that there is anything outside my mind? This is usually the first area one looks at when studying philosophy. Epistemology comes from a Greek word that gives the idea of "standing in front of" something and determining how to know it.  It is normally in this branch of Philosophy that questions such as "meaning" come into view.

2. Metaphysics - This second branch of philosophy has to due with the natural of reality itself.  Is reality composed of a supernatural and natural realm? Is God real? Is the world only that which can be seen, or is it more than that?  Questions such as these compose the branch of philsophy we call metaphysics.  Metaphysics comes from two Greek words: "meta" meaning "after or beyond" and "phusis" meaning "the nature of something, or the stuff of things".

3. Logic - The third major branch of the formal study of Philosophy is that of logic.  Logic delves into how we use our minds, and how we can evaluate the sense of things.  You have no doubt heard of terms like "logical", "illogical" to describe arguments, belief systems or statements that have know coherence or consistency.  Logic comes from the Greek word "Logos", which literally refers to that quality that brings order and stability to the world.

4. Ethics - This fourth major branch of philsophy is what many would consider to be the most "practical" branch of philosophy.  You will often hear people refer to "morality" and "ethics", often interchanging the words.  The two terms are, in their historic use, quite different.  Ethics was originally used to describe principles that told people how they "ought to live".  Morals on the other hand, coming from a word "mo-ray", described how a given people or culture actually lived. 

If we were to summarize the four branches of philosophy in terms of questions, they would be these: "How do I know?" (epistemology); "What is there to know" (metaphysics); "What makes the most sense?" (logic) and "How ought we to live?" (ethics).  Philosophy's basic questions can sometimes be useful in communicating the Gospel to unbelieving culture - providing we screen such questions through scripture.

The Bible believing church has held to belief in the principle of scripture's unique authority above all other secondary forms called the principle of sola scriptura (scriptures alone).  This simply means that we don't exclude the use of other authorities, providing we use them according to their appropriate design and function.  However whether it be science, tradition, disciplines such as philosophy, reason - all those authorities play second fiddle to the Bible's unique authority as obligating human beings to its words and being used by the Holy Spirit to convert sinners unto salvation. (Psalm 19:7; 1 Peter 1:23).  The Bible Alone gives us the categories by which we perceive, understand and interpret the world around us.  May we keep those things in mind as we develop our Christian Worldview. 

The Far-Reaching Significance of a Christian Worldview

The Extensive Nature of the Biblical Christian Worldview
In today's blog I want to briefly cover some of the major disciplines, areas of knowledge and life that can be addressed by a Christian worldview.  We noted the beginning point of the Christian worldview as being Genesis 1-12.  From those twelve chapters, key areas of thought in not only the history of redemption, but in virtually every area of thought had their beginning.  Below is a thumb nail sketch of potential areas that a Christian worldview addresses:

1. Origin of the Universe or Cosmology, Astrophysicis, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology = Genesis 1
2. Cosmogeny or the structure of the universe = Genesis 1
3. Anthropology or the study and origins of humanity, Psychology = Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2
4. Criminology, Ethics, Problem of Evil and Suffering, Family Counseling = Genesis 3-4
5. From some of Adam's descendants we see the introduction of metalurgy, music, the arts, the beginning of urbanization and human culture = Genesis 4
6. Genaeology, Philosophy of History = Genesis 5
7. Hydrological cycle, Hydro-dynamics, Geology, Earth Science, Ship building = Genesis 6-9
8. Population distributions, Statistics, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Development = Genesis 10
9. Linguistics, Palentology, Origin of the nations = Genesis 11
10. Historical, Redemptive and Eternal Promises of God are brought to bear in the Covenant begun with Abram in Genesis 12

The Christian Worldview is the most extensive and comprehensive worldview around
These are but just a few areas.  Every field of human thought and study is addressed in its most basic form in the Biblical worldview.  A Book that does an excellent job on this subject is by Bible Believing scholar Henry Morris entitled: The Long War Again God. Sometimes you will hear such a worldview referred to as a Judeo/Christian worldview, meaning that the basis derives from the Jewish Old Testament and Christian New Testament.  For instance, the Bible may not be an Astronomy Text book, yet some of the most fundamental assumptions of science, such as the regularity of physical laws and the belief in an objective, measurable reality are assumptions scientists borrowed from a Judea/Christian worldview.

Being able to understand how God's revelation in scripture relates to such disciplines as Science, Philosophy, Ethics, Law, Culture, Government, as well as its ability to discern truth from error in other belief systems, makes the Judeo/Christian Worldview (i.e the Biblical Worldview) the most comprehensive worldview in existence. 

Why Christian Worldview Development is so crucial - some thoughts
Worldview development is crucial, since by it Christians are able to reach out to the unbelieving culture with a biblical informed, historical tested and coherent system that is God centered, Christ exalting and Biblical sound.  Worldview development aims not merely at information, but transformation.  It begins with the mind and aims to affect the conscience so as to yield transformation fo the heart.  It is critical for a person to have been Born-Again by the Spirit of God by grace through faith in their human spirit, since the Christian life is all about bringing the soul (mind, emotions, will) and body into allignment with God's Word while making and impact on the world for Jesus Christ.  Without a genuine conversion experience, the Christian Worldview cannot be appreciated, embraced and applied.