A Biblical Worldview

Our texts are 2 Cor 4:18 and Jn 7:24.  These texts show us to see things that are not seen and to judge by righteous judgment rather than by appearance.  To do this you need a Biblical worldview.

Instead of looking directly at the things around us, let’s look at those things through the words of God.  Imagine holding the Bible up to your face and then looking through it at the things in the world. Of course, you can’t literally see through the pages, but the idea illustrates that you look at the Bible first and then you see things in the light of God’s words and not simply in the light of your eyes.  In other words, let the Bible be the words you always see and let it filter everything in the world that you see through the words of this book.

This kind of Biblical worldview gives you:

Clear insight into the Ways of Human Nature. Jn 2:24-25, “Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man”.  Jesus knew what the Jews would do when he entered Jerusalem; kill him.  Joshua knew clearly that the Jews couldn’t serve God in Canaan; they had their idols, Jos 24:19.

When you look at yourself through the pages of this book, you get a totally different perspective than if you look directly at yourself in a mirror, for instance.  Or if you look at your heart and mind through your own opinion of yourself.

When you look at others you see them in a totally different light through the pages of the Bible than you do if you’re just looking at them with your eyes and your own judgments and forming your own opinions.  Rom 2:1.  You don’t judge by what you see or by how you feel, you judge righteous judgment when you look through the Bible, first.  You get the real measure of men and you can anticipate their real reactions.

Clear insight into the Consequences of Temptations.  In Gen 2:17.  If Eve had filtered her view of the tree with the word of God, she could have seen the death of the innocent lamb, the murder of Abel, the the death of millions in the flood, the drowning babies in Egypt, the Holocaust, the death of 94,000,000 Russians at the hands of Stalin, and death from war, disease, pestilence, and natural disasters.

But she didn’t filter the temptation through the words of God.  When you are tempted, you should look through the book.  How about a young man flattered by a lady, Prov 7:21-27?  Or a man tempted with drink, Prov 23:29-35.  Or a fellow tempted by a get rich scheme, Prov 13:11 wealth gotten by vanity, Prov 28:22 he that hasteth to be rich.  How about a couple getting unequally yoked, Amos 3:3, Mk 3:25 a house divided against itself?  Or a man tempted by pride or anger or a loose tongue or a woman hanging on to bitterness or covetousness.  Take a look in the book and filter what you’re being tempted to do before you decide to jump in over your head.

Clear insight into the Fulfillment of God’s Promises.  In prayer, the Lord promised that he will do it.  You see the promise fulfilled in the Bible and then you see it fulfilled in your own life.  Phil 4:19 is promised to a giving church. In 2 Cor 8:1-2, you see the promise fulfilled in the churches of Macedonia.  Phil 4:13 is promised to a person with contentment.  You see it fulfilled in Paul’s life and then you see this promise fulfilled in your own.  Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  You humble yourself first.  This is what Job did and what God fulfilled in his life.  Then you see it in your own life.

Clear insight into the Unfolding of Future Events.  Enoch saw the Lord coming with 10,000’s of his saints.  In Heb 11:8-10, 13,  despite never receiving the promises, Abraham looked for a city.  Turns out this is New Jerusalem.  v.13 says “having seen them afar off”.  They could see the future by looking through the words of God.  Contrast Lot.  All he saw was a good place to raise cattle.

Look at Heb 11:17-19.  Abraham could see all the way to the resurrection when he looked at the sacrifice of Isaac through the promise of God [v.18].  Jesus said in Jn 8:56, Abraham saw Jesus’ day right through the promises.  Even Job saw his own resurrection, Job 19:25-27.  If you hold this book up and look through it you’re going to see some things coming that no one else but a true Bible believer is ever going to see.  If Abraham knew to look for a city just imagine how clear the view of New Jerusalem should be for you and me.  You can see the Rapture, the marriage of the Lamb, the Second Coming of Jesus, the restoration of the earth and Israel, and on and on.

Clear insight into the Outcome of God’s Judgments.  This is what causes you to fear.  Look at Ps 9:17.  Consider the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the terror of the Lord, 2 Cor 5:10-11.  Consider the White throne judgment, where all liars will have their part in the lake of fire, Rev 21:8.  We have family whom we love, that don’t want to hear this.  Yet we can “see” that the judgment is real and coming and we know what it is.  God is no respecter of persons.

Conclusion:  Judgment is coming.  In Jesus, you escape the White Throne Judgment.  Without Jesus, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation”?.  You don’t.  You need a Biblical worldview, and then you need to respond to what the Bible is showing you.