We all live by faith. But what is our faith in? Some people place trust in themselves, their riches, their education or their careers. While others have placed their faith in human nature, social relationships or government for solutions. However, all these things are temporal and subject to change. Without being fatalistic, is it possible to have a faith that's unshaken by changing events and circumstances?

This month we address fundamental areas of faith and practice. We start by examining the concept of "worldview" -- the presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view all of life and reality. And as you might expect, we do this from a Christian Worldview. Next, we take things a step further by examining the evidences for Why we can trust the Bible as the basis of our outlook. And finally, we offer some insight on how to interpret the Bible's "message of the ages" by examining the concept of Dispensation.

What we center our worldview on and place our trust in, affects vital issues like: how we relate to others in the world around us, our approach to God, and ultimately our eternal destiny. It is my hope, that in understanding these concepts better, the statement "in God we trust" becomes more than just a motto for our currency.

Roy Tanner



Worldview

Worldview is the latest buzzword in Christian circles. We're all told we need one, and whether we know it or not, we all have one.

Although the Bible never uses the word "worldview," in Colossians 2: 6-8, we are commanded to be able to discern and discard false philosophy-which is essentially worldview. "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ."

But what is a worldview and how is it formed? A person's worldview consists of the values, ideas or the fundamental belief system that determines his attitudes, beliefs and ultimately, actions. Typically, this includes his view of issues such as the nature of God, man, the meaning of life, nature, death, and right and wrong. We begin developing our worldview first through interactions within our family, then in social settings such as school and church, and from our companions and life experiences. Increasingly, our media culture is playing a key role in shaping worldview. We are a culture saturated with powerful media images in movies, television, commercials and music. Consistently consuming entertainment with false ideas though will inevitably distort our view of the world.

Although our worldview is well established by the time we're adults, the challenge is to formalize it by asking probing questions to help you understand what you believe and why you believe it. During this process, if your thinking is inconsistent with biblical teaching, you can discard the false ideas and replace them with truth. Different resources employ somewhat different approaches, but they all provide foundational answers to the big questions of life. To help formalize your own worldview and evaluate competing worldviews, seven questions are common to many worldview resources:

1) Is there a god and what is he like?
2) What is the nature and origin of the universe?
3) What is the nature and origin of man?
4) What happens to man after death?
5) Where does knowledge come from?
6) What is the basis of ethics and morality?
7) What is the meaning of human history?

It doesn't matter how many questions you use, just that you begin asking the big questions of life in four key areas -- deity, origin, nature and rules -- and then answer them based on Scripture. Finding answers using the Bible provides the foundation of the Christian or biblical worldview. For example, someone who holds the biblical worldview would answer the question, "Is there a god and what is he like?" using what he knows to be true about the character of God according to Scripture. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign, personal, infinite, transcendent, just, omniscient, immanent, and good. These attributes are not exhaustive by any means, but do establish the basic character of God. This checklist provides a starting point for identifying false or competing worldviews.

Answers to the other questions can be derived from Scripture as well, and are presented in numerous worldview books or works of Christian apologetics. Once you can answer those questions clearly for yourself based on Scripture, you then can apply them to everything you watch, read or listen to. Why is this important? Any objective social analyst would conclude that the United States faces its fair share of moral and spiritual problems. A recent research study from the Barna Research Group also suggests that a large share of the nation's moral and spiritual challenges are directly attributable to the absence of a biblical worldview among Americans.

For the purposes of their research, a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and a firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were that: Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.

Citing findings from a national survey of 2,033 adults showed that only 1 in 20 hold a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making, and researcher George Barna described the outcome. "Behavior stems from what we think -- our attitudes, beliefs, values and opinions. Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life. We're often more concerned with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance."

One of the most striking insights from the research was the influence this way of thinking has upon people's behavior. Adults with a biblical worldview possessed radically different views on morality, held divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrated vastly different lifestyle choices. Today's "culture wars" for example are, in fact, "worldview wars." Whether in the student's classroom, the neighborhood school board meeting, or the office hallway, dialogues and debates over abortion, gay and lesbian issues, or how the federal budget should be balanced are ultimately grounded in a person's worldview. And because we get our worldviews by and large from our parents, family, and larger surrounding culture, -- today's generation, unfortunately, is being grounded in whatever worldview dominates the arts and media of popular culture.

Upon comparing the perspectives of those who have a biblical worldview with those who do not, the former group were 31 times less likely to accept cohabitation (2% versus 62%, respectively); 18 times less likely to endorse drunkenness (2% versus 36%); 15 times less likely to condone gay sex (2% versus 31%); 12 times less likely to accept profanity 3% versus 37%); and 11 times less likely to describe adultery as morally acceptable (4% versus 44%). In addition, less than one-half of one percent of those with a biblical worldview said voluntary exposure to pornography was morally acceptable (compared to 39% of other adults), and a similarly miniscule proportion endorsed abortion (compared to 46% of adults who lack a biblical worldview).

Although attributes such as gender, age and household income showed no statistical relationship to the possession of a biblical worldview, adults who have a biblical worldview possessed a somewhat different demographic profile than those who did not. For instance, individuals who attended college were three times more likely than those who did not to have this perspective. Married adults were more than twice as likely as adults who had never been wed to hold such a worldview. And whites were slightly more likely than either blacks or Hispanics to hold this ideology.

One of the largest gaps was between Republicans (10% of whom had a biblical worldview), Independents (2%) and Democrats (1%). Also, residents of Texas and North Carolina were more likely than people in other states to have a biblical worldview. Among the states in which such a worldview was least common were Louisiana and the six states in New England. The nation's largest state - California - was average (i.e., 4% of its residents had a biblical worldview).

This research also found that one of the most effective methods of enabling people to develop a biblical worldview is by addressing the seven critical questions that consistently lead to beliefs and behaviors that are in tune with biblical teaching. Outlining that process in a new book he has written (as an outgrowth of the research), entitled "Think Like Jesus," Barna also noted that many churches are already helping their congregants to implement such a way of addressing daily challenges and opportunities.

"The emphasis of these churches is to not only teach biblical perspectives," according to Barna, "but also to help people connect the dots of the core principles taught. Rather than simply provide people with good material and hope they figure out what to do with it, these are churches whose services, programs, events and relationships are geared to weaving a limited number of foundational biblical principles into a way of responding to every life situation. The goal is to facilitate a means of interpreting and responding to every life situation that is consistent with God's expectations. These are not perfect people, but once they catch on to the critical principles found in the Bible and train their minds to incorporate those views into their thinking, their behavior varies noticeably from the norm."

So how about your worldview, is Jesus Christ at the center of it? Have you invited Him into your heart as your Leader and Forgiver? Do you know why you are here, what you are to do, and where you are going? Do you have an everlasting certainty and hope in your heart of heaven, or a sense of foreboding regarding the afterlife? The Christian worldview transcends all others because it meets humanity's deepest need, namely peace with God, from which flows purpose, acceptance, belonging, significance, destiny and glory.

The Christian worldview can be summed up in a single phrase: "Jesus is Lord" -- which is the first creed of Christianity. Yielding to Christ's lordship over all of life is no easy task though. Yet, once we begin to understand that all of life -- not just "church" life -- is of intense interest to God, we are able to bring a renewed sense of purpose to our lives and faith. As such, the Lordship of Christ does not allow us to ignore art, politics, or literature, any more than it allows us to ignore the lost, hungry, sick, or the poor.

Only by seeing the world through God's eyes, or being "Christ conscious" will we understand our mandate to redeem the fullness of our culture and reach out to a dying world.

This report references data from Barna Research and Focus on the Family.



Why We Can Trust The Bible?

When asked, "What credentials back-up the claims of Christianity?" how do you respond?

As Christians, the basis for our beliefs (and worldview) are dependent upon the Truth claims as revealed by the God of the Bible. Consider however, that the Bible was penned over a span of 1,500 years, comprising over 40 generations and over 40 authors (from every walk of life), across 3 continents, and in 3 languages. As such, can the Bible be trusted as a reliable source of our faith and practice in the 21st century? After considerable personal due diligence on this topic, I join a multitude of scholars by answering that question with a resounding yes!

Essentially, our trust in God's plan of salvation not have to be based on just blind faith, sincere feelings, or circular reasoning -- when we have objective biblical (and extra-biblical) data to draw from. While this article does not provide exhaustive sources, I have listed some summary thoughts for why we can trust the Bible as the source of our faith and practice. This format, which originated from the Bible Answer Man's "MAPS" acronym, has since been embellished with the work of other Christian scholars as noted. Essentially, we can place our trust in the world's most prolific book based on:

Manuscript Evidence, which answers the "accuracy" questions. As for the NT alone, there are over 24,000 manuscript copies in existence today. These are comprised, according to McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict (pg. 39), of more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts, plus over 10,000 Latin Vulgate, and at least 9,300 other early versions. As for the OT, there is a wealth of corroborating manuscript evidence as well, such as the Greek Septuagint and the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls. Given the weight of available manuscript evidence, there is no basis to question the accuracy of Scripture. To do so, is to discredit all books of antiquity.

Archeological Finds, which addresses "authenticity" issues. For example, in Ron Rhodes book, The Complete Book of Bible Answers (pg. 21), sources indicate that more than 25,000 OT region sites have substantiated Scripture by producing artifact discoveries of ancient Biblical societies and cultures that have long since disappeared. It goes on to state categorically "that no archeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference." Only the Bible substantiates its historicity in this manner.

Predictive Prophecy, which answers "authority" questions, since only God can demonstrate that He knows the "end from the beginning." Involving over one fourth of Scripture, the Bible contains over 2,000 specific prophecies (involving people, places, and events), made hundreds of years in advance of their fulfillment (according to apologetic works by McDowell, Lindsey, Jeffrey, Kennedy, Swindoll, Hagee, etc.). For me, the book of Daniel is most notable in that it traces the rise and fall of world kingdoms like Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (before they happened) as they intersect with Jewish history. Also, 1 of every 30 verses in the Bible refers to the prophetic 2nd return of Christ. Predictive prophecy sets the Bible apart as divinely inspired.

Statistical Probability, which answers "absolutely," scientifically. In evaluating the claims that Jesus is the Savior of the world, Norman Geisler in When Skeptics Ask (page 116) mentions, "Logically, it is possible for chance to have caused all things to converge on one man, but it is certainly not probable. Mathematicians have calculated the probability of sixteen predictions being fulfilled in one man at 1 in 10 (to the 45th power). If we go to forty-eight predictions, the probability is 1 in 10(157) ...All evidence points to Jesus as the divinely appointed fulfillment of the messianic prophecies." By the way, if chance exceeds 1 in 10(50), it's considered beyond reasonable probability. So for Jesus to be anybody other than who he claims, is beyond reasonable doubt.

In summary, the Bible is altogether trustworthy and uniquely different from every other so-called "holy" book based on evidences of divine inspiration and inerrancy. As such, the Bible's message to you and me today is as relevant as when it was first delivered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And what is that message? Essentially, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible deals with God reconciling mankind to Himself through the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"In God we trust" becomes more than a motto for our legal tender, when the Almighty speaks to us through His Word -- the Bible.

Roy Tanner



Dispensation

The only thing mankind has ever learned from history, is that -- mankind has never learned from history. With this lament in mind, we can still draw some "lessons learned" on how God has chosen to deal with mankind throughout the ages -- in each dispensation.

Many people are familiar with the concept of covenants made between God and man on the basis of law and grace. Facilitating this relationship is the concept of dispensation (or administration). From this concept a school of Bible interpretation known as "dispensationalism" has emerged that is associated with evangelical Christianity. It has been most influential in the United States, outside of which its influence is mostly limited to areas evangelized by dispensational missionaries. However, some political analysts have argued that dispensationalism has also had large influence on American foreign policy and hence had a large indirect influence worldwide.

Dispensationalism seeks to address the apparent contradictions in doctrine and practice that arise from viewing both the Old and New Testament as Scripture. The dispensationalist approach to reconciling these issues is based on what they call "rightly dividing the word of truth" (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). They do this by breaking sacred history up into several different "dispensations" (time periods) which mark separate covenants that God is thought to have made with humanity. The word dispensation is occasionally used in the King James Bible to translate the Greek word "oikonomos," which refers originally to the government of a household, and is the origin of the English word economy. The most common lists include seven such dispensations:

1) Innocence - With Adam in the garden
2) Conscience - After man sinned, up to the flood
3) Government - After the flood, with the death penalty instituted
4) Promise - Abraham to Moses and the giving of the Torah
5) Law - Moses to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
6) Grace - The cross to the Millennial Kingdom
7) Millennial Kingdom - The 1000 year reign of Christ on earth

Dispensationalism teaches that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be a physical event, by which a world-wide kingdom will be established in human history, geographically centered in Jerusalem. As such, dispensationalism is associated with the circulation of end times prophecy, which professes to read signs of the second coming in current events.

Dispensationalism tends to go hand-in-hand with a very protective attitude toward the Jewish people, and the modern State of Israel. As such, God looks upon the Jews as his chosen people and continues to have a place for them in the dispensational, prophetic scheme of things. While virtually all traditions of Christianity teach that the Jews are a distinct people, irrevocably entitled to the promises of God (because "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance"), dispensationalism is unique in teaching that the covenant with the Church is only a provisional dispensation, until the Jews finally recognize Jesus as their promised Messiah (during the trials coming upon the Jews in the Great Tribulation). This approach envisions Judaism as continuing to enjoy God's protection, parallel to Christianity, literally to the End of Time, and teaches that God has a separate track in the prophecies for Jews, apart from the Church.

The Apostles determined at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) that it was not necessary for Gentiles to become Jewish in order to become Christians. Thus, the church is not a sect of Judaism but a separate entity. The term 'Israel' in the Bible always refers to physical descendants of Jacob. Similarly, the terms 'church' and 'kingdom' are never used interchangeably in Scripture. Paul claims that Israel will be grafted in again (Romans 11). Abraham was saved by faith, 430 years before the Law was given to Moses. (See Galatians 3:6,16-19.) The Book of Galatians is understood to teach that the Law continues to have binding force for Jews, but not for Christians. Now that Christ has come, Christians are not under the supervision of the law (3:25), but Jews are still governed by the law (5:3) unless they are in Christ (3:28).

Dispensationalism also teaches that Christians should not expect spiritual advocacy from earthly governments, but that social conditions will decline as the end times draw nearer. Dispensationalist readings of prophecies often teach that the Antichrist will appear to the world as a peacemaker. This makes some dispensationalists suspicious of all forms of power, religious and secular, and especially of human attempts to form international organizations for peace such as the United Nations.

Almost all dispensationalists reject the idea that a lasting peace can be attained by human effort in the Middle East. Dispensationalists teach that churches that do not insist on Biblical literalism are in fact part of the Great Apostasy. This casts suspicion on attempts to create church organizations that cross denominational boundaries such as the World Council of Churches. (See also Ecumenism.) Dispensationalism as a school of Biblical interpretation is associated with a number of fundamentalist institutions, of which the best known are the Dallas Theological Seminary and the Moody Bible Institute.

Some political analysts have argued that dispensationalism has had a major influence on the foreign policy of the United States because as believers in dispensationalism have had large amounts of influence through the Republican Party. This influence has included strong support for the state of Israel and rejection of Palestinian calls for a separate state as well as a general distrust of multinational organizations such as the United Nations. Some dispensationist authors such as Hal Lindsey have explicitly identified the Antichrist with the Soviet Union or the European Union. Dispensationalist themes also form the basis of the Left Behind series of books.

Lessons Learned

Of the many things God has shown man through the dispensations, the lesson that should stand out above the others is that -- man is in a hopelessly lost position without God. He is simply not capable of living up to God's righteous standard no matter how "enlightened" and able he may think he is.

From BC: Place mankind in a beautiful garden with everything he needs, including fellowship with God, a beautiful and compatible wife, the earth under his dominion, access to the Tree of Life, etc., -- and man will forsake it all and choose death. Leave him alone with his conscience to guide him -- and man will become so exceedingly wicked that he must be removed from the earth with a flood. Give him great and sure promises -- and man will flee them and speak lies in unbelieving fear. Make of him a chosen nation for God to speak through and dwell among, with His holy Law and priesthood, -- and man will abandon his God and worship dumb idols.

Through AD: Give him an eternal redemption from sin and hell, everlasting life, an indwelling Holy Spirit, the promise of a new body, a home in New Jerusalem, and birth him into God's own family making him His son, -- and man will repay his Savior with rebellion, worldliness, and indifference. Give him a perfect, uncursed earth, a cooperative environment, no Satan to tempt him, extended lifespan, and Jesus Christ himself to reign over him, -- and man will revolt and try to force Christ from His throne.

The evidence is clear. Apart from God, man is a sinful and vain creature, utterly hopeless and bound for damnation. The surest proof of this, is a quick review of current events. After 6,000 years of recorded history it is apparent that mankind has not tamed his fallen nature in the least. That's why, regardless of the age in which we've been placed, our only hope is in God.

Throughout history, God continues to initiate relationship with us. This is seen first when He revealed Himself through the light of creation (Romans 1), then by the light of conscience (Romans 2), and finally in the light of Christ (Romans 3). However, from Adam's first transgression, God provided a sacrificial covering for sin that pointed to the Savior.

In the fullness of time, God incarnate walked among us to perfectly satisfy the demands of His law, before laying down His life as the substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world. With peace between God and man restored, by grace through faith in Christ, the cross, juxtaposed between the covenants of law and grace, acts as a fulcrum in human history for mankind's redemption. So, while prophets of old looked forward to Messiah, we look back to the Savior's atoning death and resurrection.

In the final analysis, we are to "believe in the Lord" (Acts 16:31) to be saved. Through every age and every administration, whether on the basis of conscience, law or grace, God demonstrates mankind's inadequacy without His intercession. Alas, "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men -- the testimony given in its proper time" (1Tim 2:5-6).

Regardless of the dispensation, this common theme reminds us that reconciliation between God and man, is only on the basis of grace through faith in the Lord God -- our Rock of Ages.

Sources for the article included:
Enns, Paul: The Moody Handbook of Theology
External links:
http://www.dispensationalism.com/
http://www.hallindseyoracle.com/
http://www.alternet.org/print.html?StoryID=15221
When U.S. Foreign Policy Meets Biblical Prophecy