A Biblical Worldview

 

A paradigm is our personal representation of truth as we see it. We process and categorize everything, which occurs around us or to us, through this model of our reality. Our paradigm makes us feel secure and allows us to live an orderly life. We often shift our paradigm to adjust to the changes in our experience or our philosophy of life.

One of the greatest shifts in our paradigm occurs when we respond to the call of God to accept Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. He transforms our lifestyle, thought processes and behavior. We no longer seek futile pursuits, our morals line up with the Word of God, our character takes on the nature of God, our soul is satiated with all the fullness of God and our spirit is renewed by the power of God (2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Peter 1:13-15; Romans 12:1-2).

As we grow in our faith in God's faithfulness, we develop a Biblical worldview. Our paradigm takes on the values, prophetic encouragement and truth, as well as the hope, which God gives us in His Word. God's grace creates in us a clean heart and we repent of each instance of sin (Psalm 51:10; Acts 3:19). He regenerates our spirit, sanctifies our soul and promises to glorify us with an immortal body at the resurrection (Luke 21:25-28; 1 Corinthians 15:53; Philippians 3:21; John 5:28-29).

As the foundation for everything an Authentic Believer thinks and believes, the Bible affects how we view the world. We reject any ideas presented in printed, audio and visual media, which are contrary to Biblical principles. We refuse to allow these carnal concepts to conform us a worldly pattern, because God gives us everlasting life, and no one will ever snatch us out of His hand (John 3:16, 6:40, 10:28).

Prayer:

Father God, we find the answer to all of life's questions in the pages of the Bible, which You provided in order to give us hope and light in this troubled world in which we live. We refuse to take part of this world, because our citizenship is in Heaven (John 15:19; Philippians 3:20). We are no longer strangers and aliens, pilgrims who have no home, because we are now fellow citizens with the Body of Christ, and we belong to Your family as co-heirs with Christ of all that You possess (Eph 2:19; Romans 9:17). Your Spirit transforms us and renews our mind to God's Word (Romans 12:2; John 17:17).  Remind us to seek Your Kingdom first, because You always provide everything we need to sustain our life and to walk in serenity (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:7).

Thought for the Day:

Authentic Believers make a covenant with God to reject all carnal influences from the world and to focus on the pursuit of godliness. 

- 1 Timothy 6:11

A Paradigm Shift

Prior to coming to Christ, we determined our daily routine by our priorities. We valued, worked toward and pursued anything that would assist us in reaching our goals. We developed these habits, day in and day out, living by our human reasoning and working to please our self and to secure our future. We focused on our success and make sure we came out on top (Romans 1:25; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

Our flesh formed habits as we trained our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions to respond and react in certain ways to the challenges and trials of life. We are used to living independently of any restraints or parameters on our behavior (Romans 8:7-8). We do good deeds for others, but we want the praise. However, when the Spirit of God comes into our life, He encourages us to entirely shift our mind-set.

This sets up a dichotomy in our life, which causes a tug-of-war within our soul. God wants us to put to death the carnal deeds of our flesh, so that we can live an abundant spiritual life (Romans 8:13-14). Yet, our flesh wants to maintain the status quo, so that we can retain control. The tie-breaker is God’s Spirit. He resurrects our spirit, which was formerly dead in sin (Ephesians 2:5).

Our spirit is Born Again and Spiritually alive (Colossians 3:3). Then, He crucifies our old nature with Christ, and we partake in the divine nature of Christ (2 Peter 1:4). The fruit of the Spirit replace our formal carnal character (Galatians 5:22-23). We no longer live independently, but in dependence on God’s love and will. Yet, some of the former traits, alien to God’s ways, still influence our thoughts, words and behavior.

Gradually, we experience a shift in our paradigm. As we lay down our independent and willful tendencies on a daily basis (Matthew 16:24-26), and obey the will of God instead, we willingly submit our old fleshly habits to the work of God’s Spirit within us (Romans 8:12-13). Each day we walk in more and more victory over the flesh (Romans 7:14 - 8:12). We eventually abide in God’s Spirit and daily follow God’s desires for our life (Galatians 5:16-26).

Prayer:

Father God, Your saving faith, a gift to us from Your mercy and love, comes from Your Holy Spirit and influences and transforms us. You draw us to Your heart and You renovate every aspect of our life by Your Spirit. This free gift is priceless, and we thank You for the sacrifice Jesus paid for our eternal life (Ephesians 2:8). We give You all of the praise, honor and glory for what You accomplish in our life.

Thought for the Day:

We overcome the deeds of our flesh by renewing our mind and surrendering our life to Christ. - Romans 12:2; Mark 10:28-29