Renewing the Mind - #3

This is the third sermon in a series of messages focusing on the importance of having a Christian/biblical worldview of life. We are bombarded every day with the philosophies and values of the secular, godless world in which we live. Far too often, Christians have accepted the views and assumptions of the secular world rather than applying biblical truth to every area of life. This sermon addresses the topics of science, psychology and sociology. You may view a video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was delivered by clicking here. 

Written excerpts:

Colossians 2:8 ^(NKJV) Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Introduction:

I have given a couple of messages so far on the topic of “Renewing the Mind,” which addresses the matter of being transformed away from a worldly pattern of thinking to a biblical pattern of thinking. We have been using the term “worldview” to represent the lens through which we look to interpret the world we live in.

I shared a few definitions of “worldview” with you last Sunday, and I want to share some additional descriptions today.

(The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity) Worldviews are both visions of life and visions for life. They are both descriptive of the world… and prescriptive for the world…. worldviews tell us both what the world is and what it ought to be….

A Christian worldview is only Christian in so far as it is biblical. The Bible answers for us the ultimate worldview questions: (1) Where are we? We live in the creation that God calls into being, wisely structures and lovingly guides by his creative Word. (2) Who are we? We are special creatures called to love, worship and image God in our faithful stewardship of this creation. (3) What’s wrong? We are broken in our relationships with God, each other and the creation because we have fallen into sin and now serve false idols rather than the true God. (4) What’s the remedy? God has lovingly chosen to redeem us and the whole creation by making a covenant with Israel and fulfilling that covenant in the incarnation, cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the message last week, I mentioned that I would be using a list of disciplines or categories of study in order to show how a Christian worldview impacts each area. I tried to cover the disciplines of theology, philosophy, and ethics last week. Today, I will continue using that same list provided by an organization called, “All About God Ministries,” in order to discuss three more disciplines.

One of the observations I would make before considering the next three disciplines is this: All of these areas of study are intricately interconnected. It seems impossible to consider any one area very deeply without bringing up questions that are related to the other disciplines.

I.          Science

Science – The search for truth regarding the material universe.

There are separate fields of study that fall under the general discipline of science, such as: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and many others.

The scientific method is a series of steps used by scientific investigators to answer specific questions about the natural world… The steps of the scientific method are as follows: Observation, Question (I wonder if, how, why…), Hypothesis (I think it is, will, ...), Experiment, Results, & Conclusion; repeat.

The scientific revolution began with the assumption that the world had been divinely created in an orderly way and therefore could be studied (The Truth Project, Focus on the Family). Some pioneer scientists such as Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton and others truly believed they were discovering truths about the world that God had designed and created. To them, facts about nature and the universe provided reasons to praise the Creator.

There are a number of questions that the scientific method cannot answer, namely any questions about the earth’s history. That is because any phenomena that has already occurred cannot be subjected to repeated experiments, testing and observations. When it comes to science (the study of our material universe), there are various times when some assumptions must be made in order to proceed. Secularists and atheists naturally bring assumptions that are antagonistic toward any idea of a Creator. Christians hold assumptions that presume the existence of a Creator/Designer. The one area where that distinction is the most pronounced is the question of the earth’s origin. The beginning is something that only happened once and cannot be repeated like a scientific experiment to be observed and recorded. Therefore, scientists look at the evidence available (or we might even call it the testimony of nature) and draw their conclusions from the testimony/evidence.

The atheist looks at the evidence and declares, “It’s obvious, this proves that everything evolved from nothing.” The creationist looks at the evidence and declares, “It’s obvious, this proves that everything was designed by a Master Designer for a purpose. Each of them has interpreted the evidence through the lens of his worldview.

One evolutionist was quoted as saying, “Biologists must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.” (Francis Crick in The Truth Project). Crick is essentially admitting that biologists must remember that they are always interpreting what they observe through the lens of a secular worldview, and must not allow themselves to fall prey to any ideas inconsistent with that worldview.

Conservative Christians trust the Bible in matters related to science even though the Bible is not a science textbook. In other words, the Bible doesn’t use scientific terms or vocabulary when describing various phenomena in the world of nature. Professing Christians who are more liberal in their view of Scripture would claim that the Bible is certainly reliable whenever it speaks about the nature of God and the matters of salvation, but contains errors when it speaks about matters of history or science. Their willingness to make this concession seems to be a result of their acceptance of evolutionary theory and a desire to blend it with the Bible.

Before we move on, let me simply share a few of the verses that give us a biblical view of our natural world.

Colossians 1:16 (NKJV) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Amos 5:8 (NKJV)  He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name.

Psalm 19:1-4a (NLT2) ¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ² Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. ³ They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. ⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world…

If we truly possess a biblical worldview of science, then the more we understand about the material universe, the greater our adoration of the Creator will be.

II.        Psychology

Psychology – The search for truth regarding human nature.

The word “psychology” comes from the Greek word for soul (ψυχή, psyche).

Understanding human beings and human nature through a non-Christian worldview has produced claims that people are merely a higher form of animal. Any reference to a soul or spirit is to be understood in the same manner that any other animal has soul and spirit. The mind is nothing more than chemical processes in the physical brain. In this secular understanding, humans and human behavior is defined in the same way as animal behavior. (stimulus/response)

In the Christian view of human nature, we understand that human beings are clearly distinct in many ways from the animal world. Yes, there are some similarities, but there are some extremely critical differences.

 Genesis 1:27 (NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

The Christian view accepts the Bible’s description of soul, spirit, mind and body. The Christian understands human beings to be a combination of physical (material, natural) and spiritual (supernational) qualities. The Apostle Paul asserts that humans are more than just a material body when writing to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One example of the difference between secular and Christian approach to psychology is observed in regards to guilt. The usual secular/non-Christian viewpoint would define guilt simply in terms of “feelings” and point to outdated standards of church, family, or society as the cause. The remedy is to change the oppressive standards to set the guilt feelings free.

The Bible view, on the other hand, recognizes both “feelings of guilt” and actual/real guilt. According to the Bible, human beings have an inherited problem with sin that began with Adam and Eve. We refer to the condition as inherited depravity or original sin.

Romans 5:19 (NKJV) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV) “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

While there may actually be times when over-active guilt feelings are generated by the unbiblical expectations of a particular social group, not all guilt feelings can be dismissed as such. There are clearly times when we feel guilty because we are guilty. We feel guilt because we have violated the moral law of God and insisted on having our own will. The Bible’s remedy for guilt is confession, repentance, and faith. The result of such steps will be peace.

Romans 5:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

III.       Sociology

The final area of consideration for today is the field of sociology.

Sociology – The search for truth regarding social structures.

Dr. Del Tackett, in The Truth Project, identifies six social structures or social relationships as family, labor, church, state, community and the human-divine. Christian and non-Christian worldviews acknowledge the existence of such structures, but differ on their origin, purpose, and authority.

The Bible teaches us in the very beginning chapters of Genesis that human beings are social beings and not meant to be alone.

Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

Atheistic worldviews that propose evolution as the explanation for human life also accept evolution as the explanation of social structures. If all of these structures just evolved by time and chance, then none of them are sacred. The Bible clearly teaches that each one of these relationships were designed by God and are given specific roles and responsibilities by God.

In this verse in Hebrews, obligations and responsibilities are identified for those in submission and those in authority.

Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV) Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

If human beings are created by God with an eternal soul and intrinsic worth, then it matters whether any of the social structures tend to destroy the individual for the “benefit” of the whole. On the other hand, from a biblical point of view, each individual has certain responsibilities for the benefit of the social structures of which he/she is a part. However, if every person and every social structure just evolved by chance, then nothing is sacred, and everything is dispensable.

Conclusion:

We should be getting a picture by now of how important it is for Christians to acquire a biblical view not only about how life is, but also how life should be. Truth affects every area of life. It really matters whether we believe God is the author of truth or if truth can be whatever we say it is.

Finally, I would remind us again that being a Christian and living as a Christian is more than praying a prayer of faith in Jesus, but it includes adjusting our lives and our world to come into alignment with God’s eternal truth as revealed in His Word. It really is imperative to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Closing Song: I Then Shall Live