Out of the Driveway, Into the Game: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Sloppy Agape

Since I graduated from college over ten years ago, I have made a concerted effort to keep myself in good shape. For many years I have followed a regimen that includes me doing several hundred push-ups every day and running 7 miles a day. My reasons for doing this were simple. I wanted to stay as “young” as I could and be able to enjoy my wife and sons well into my elderly years. Exercising is a good thing but it can have its negative side. For me, it came in the form of developing a superman mentality. I was in pretty good shape so I convinced myself that I could eat whatever I wanted.

My wife MyCresha, a registered nurse, warned me repeatedly that I should not just think that I could eat whatever I wanted. I would argue that I was thin, in good shape, and so I was healthy. She tried for years to convince me that I could not, in fact, eat whatever I wanted and be fine. I continued to exercise routinely but I also would buy a large stick of summer sausage, a bag of pepperoni, and a pound or two of pepper jack cheese every week. These all provided a rather heavenly bedtime snack. In addition to that, I ate a great deal of meat at every meal. I was burning so many calories through exercise, that I was sure that I was a well-oiled machine. To further bolster that image, I had in my head that my cholesterol level was only 121.

The problem is that I was self-deceived. That cholesterol test was taken when I was in college. I was in shape, muscularly, but that was not the whole story. I had come to the point, however, that I was not really listening to my wife. Even though she was a professional health care provider, I figured I knew my body, and I was quite healthy.

Then came my physical. I had avoided the doctor for quite a few years, figuring that I was so healthy that I didn’t need to see a doctor. Why waste my time with such trivial things? My wife made an appointment for me, however, and convinced me to go. I was shocked to learn that my cholesterol was now topping out at 206. I was stunned as I sat there listening to my doctor tell me that it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t good either. I was going to have to change certain things. He told me I should stop drinking soda and coffee and begin exercising. I proudly told him that I never drank either beverage and reminded him of how much I was already exercising. This perplexed him a bit, but then he told me that some people are just prone to high cholesterol based on genetics.

This is when I quietly confessed that I like to eat meat and cheese. When he asked me how much meat and cheese we were talking about, I told him. His mouth fell open, then he finally collected himself and responded, “You just can’t do that, I mean, you just can’t do that.” He proceeded to recommend a new diet for me that was largely going to turn me into a vegan. Since that moment, I have been eager to take vitamins that promote lower cholesterol and change my diet (even though I have hated every meatless bit of it).

So what changed for me? Why didn’t I listen to my wife but I did listen to the doctor? It comes down to evidence. I was self-deluded, and saw myself as completely healthy. When my wife told me I needed to change, I disregarded her words because it did not match up with the image of myself that I had created in my own mind. Why do something as drastic as cutting out foods that I love when there is nothing wrong with me? That trip to the doctor’s office changed everything. The doctor showed me, in no uncertain terms, the symptoms of problems within my body. He held up the facts and convinced me that my self-image was wrong. I was not nearly as healthy as I wished I was. I was on my way to impending doom. Now that I was convinced something was wrong, I was more than ready to hear what I needed to do to fix it. Even though I didn’t necessarily like the things I had to do, they were inconsequential to me once I realized my true condition.

We have this same phenomenon going on in our culture today, and it has, I’m afraid, seeped into the worldview of far too many of our children. The American culture has created a false image of God, His love, His law, His grace, and the interaction between God and people. Teens are walking around our churches completely separated from God and are objects of His wrath. Rather than realizing that and quaking with the fear of God, however, most unbaptized teens walk around believing themselves to be fine. This is a clear result of three things. The first is the humanizing of God; the second is trivializing sin; the third is an incorrect understanding of God’s law and grace.

The Shrinking of God
Our culture today has become very good at shrinking God. With each passing day He gets smaller. We have defined God down in our culture to the point where He is barely holy anymore, if at all. Instead, we have created a politically correct God that loves everyone and because of that, He will apply near-universal forgiveness to everyone.
There are really two causes for this. The first is the post-modern re-definition of the word love. The biblical concept of our word love implies more of a loyalty to someone else than pure emotions. The love of God is perfect and pure, but inherent in God’s love are the ideas of justice and holiness. God cannot be in the presence of sin. Paul says that those who sin are objects of God’s wrath bringing down judgment on themselves (Romans 2:5). Our society, however, has nicely redefined the concept of love. In the post-modern worldview, tolerance is the greatest virtue of love. To love someone now means to accept and affirm someone fully for “who they are.” Love no longer involves telling someone the truth out of a loyalty to them and the laws of God. It now means accepting them fully in whatever lifestyle choices they make. Anything less is considered oppressive hate.
Armed with a new definition of love, our post-modern culture has now set their sights on God. The Bible tells us that God is love, so if we redefine what we mean by love, we are redefining God. Rather than a righteous and holy God that will not tolerate sin, we have a God that will accept nearly everything. We have fashioned a kinder, gentler, more tolerant God; one that accepts everything because of His unquestioned love for humanity. “He is all grace, so no grace is necessary. He is love without discrimination, mercy without law, power without intimidation, knowledge without conviction, truth without an attitude. He might even be a ‘she.’”
The second cause of the shrinking of God is that we have made Him more of a buddy than a holy and omnipotent God. No longer is God a being of immense power to be feared and awed. He is our pal. Most Christians today talk of God in a way that if He showed up in their presence, they would be totally at peace; like hanging out with an old friend. This is quite different than the biblical descriptions of those who came into the presence of God.
Cowering in fear is a more apt description of men who had a glimpse of the glory of God. Isaiah fell apart at the sight of God, crying out “Woe to me! I am ruined” (Isaiah 6:5). Ezekiel sat stunned and “overwhelmed” after seeing a vision from God (Ezekiel 3:15). Daniel was terrified and fell prostrate before a heavenly encounter and was exhausted and ill following (Daniel 8:17; 27). Belshazzar “face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way” (Daniel 5:6). After hearing from God, Job repented in “dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). The Roman guards at Jesus’ tomb “shook and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). The apostle John saw Jesus after His ascension and “fell at his feet though dead” (Revelation 1:17).
It is no small thing to come into the presence of God. No man can see God face to face and live. His glory is far more intense than any man can stand. We can apprehend but not comprehend an all-mighty and all-powerful God.
Rather than being given this picture of God, most teens think of God as much smaller than that. Our society no longer fears God. The Bible is clear that “God cannot be mocked” (Galatians 6:7), yet you wouldn’t know that by the attitude of most kids concerning God. The fear of God has not been discarded by our children, it has in most cases, not even been taught to them. Countless books on the shelves of Christian bookstores describe having a close and personal relationship with God, our best friend. The holiness of God is seldom discussed in our society anymore.
When God is more like us and less of who He really is, standards begin to diminish as well. Rather than a perfect and absolute standard of holiness to be chased after, God has been reduced to being like us. If there is no perfect standard then we cannot move closer to or farther from the truth. There can be no law or standards unless there is someone fit to make them. Without a right concept of God, sins become alternate choices and lifestyles and there is little to no incentive to change or aim higher. For those who do become Christians, a shrinking of God causes a lower level of commitment. Both the Christian and non-Christian began to judge themselves by those around them rather than by the standard of a perfect and holy God.

The Trivialization of Sin
The idea of sin has all but disappeared in our culture today. Sin is no longer talked about it, no longer feared; it is as if it barely existed anymore. Author Steve DeNeff says that it’s “Not because we have bettered ourselves, nor even because we have denied it, but because we have given it another name besides ‘sin,’ another meaning besides ‘rebellion,’ another perpetrator besides ‘self,’ another enemy besides God, and another cure besides ‘atonement.’”
Rather than blaming criminals for their acts, we blame society. A young man guns down someone in cold blood and it is blamed on the lack of basketball leagues. Riots are blamed on racial tension rather than immoral behavior. A mother coolly drowns her five children and is found not guilty.
Our society no longer likes the idea of sin. It means that God is better than we thought and we are worse than we would care to admit. When we realize that we are living below the standards of God’s holiness, we are left with two choices. We can either live up to that standard or we can lower the expectations.
DeNeff in his book, Whatever Became of Holiness, says that there are four methods through which our culture has defined down the concept of sin. The first is that we have diminished the holiness of God. The less we think of God, the higher opinion we have of ourselves. If God’s holiness is diminished, then our depravity is decreased exponentially. If God is not holy, though, we don’t really have to worry about things like sin, repentance, forgiveness, deliverance, or the need to change.
The second method is that of the vanishing conscience. People today no longer feel guilty because personal responsibility has been taken away. All of our problems can be blamed on genetics, psychology, or our parents. People no longer feel the shame of sin because it is always someone or something else’s fault. This leaves them dead in their sins because they never feel a reason to change.
The third method is the defining down of deviancy. Rather than sin being sin, we have neatly divided sin into the categories of sins, errors, and normal. As sins become more popular and accepted in our society, we move them down a category so that sins become errors and errors become normal behavior. DeNeff gives examples of this categorizing of sin:

Bad people swindle others out of money. Normal people don’t report all of their income, or they sue for more than damages.
Bad people get divorced. Normal people presume upon their marriages.
Bad unwed teenagers abort their babies. Normal ones proudly carry them to full term. Good ones put them up for adoption.

The final cause lies in the lap of the church. Most churches have shifted their focus from repentance to recruitment. Churches that focus on recruitment will make every effort to meet the felt needs of the community rather than dealing with sin and whether those needs are even righteous and should be met. They will talk about how to be happy and enjoy life rather than pleasing God and being holy. The Christian life will become confined to a couple of hours on Sunday morning.

Grace
The most often used term in the Bible in describing God’s love for us is agape. It signifies a deep, non-sexual affection. I have heard sermons on agape love since I was a small child. It is probably the first Greek word that I ever learned. I, in no way, intend to lessen or cheapen God’s love for us as his creation. I do, however, feel the need to address what I see as a major error made in most Christian circles that has negatively impacted our children.
The gist of the 2nd Commandment of God is to not create our own image of God. We should not invent our own God or our own, comfortable version of the God of the Bible. Despite that serious warning from God, we see different “versions” of God everywhere we look.
I cannot tell you how many young people I have talked to that admit that they have not lived their life to please God, yet they think they will go to heaven because God is so loving and forgiving. This is very serious delusion to fall into. As far as the eye can see our society is full of people under this delusion as well as people who were seemingly converted only to walk away from God. I believe that a large majority of these people got where they are because of a mistaken impression of God’s character. The Bible never says that God will let us into heaven because He loves us so much. The Bible never says all we have to do is ask God for forgiveness and He will do so. Why do so many people believe this then? One of the main reasons for this is the so-called church itself.
For the last one hundred years or better, most Christian churches have stopped preaching and talking about the fear of God and true repentance. They have gone to an approach of preaching love, love, love. The love of Christ is all you need and it covers all your problems. What is wrong with that you ask? In our Humanist dominated culture, love means something different than what it means in the passages in the Bible. In the Bible a big part of love is truth, justice, and commitment. Without truth, love becomes enablement. Without justice, love becomes disrespect. Without commitment, love becomes abuse.
The recent survey conducted with Christian youth indicated that 85% percent gave a “4” or “5” answer indicating strong agreement to the statement that “God will show His grace to the unsaved when they are judged.” The average score of all respondents was 4.2. This is a totally unbiblical and extremely dangerous belief that they have, one that comes straight out of our culture rather than the Word of God. In a similar vein, the average respondent score was 4.0, agreeing to the statement “It would be fair to say that the unsaved will be more affected by God’s love on judgment day than His wrath.” This belief too, goes clearly against Scripture.
Focusing on God’s love and grace with the non-Christian teen, however, is not only unbiblical, it is damaging. We tell kids that there is a God-shaped hole in their heart that only Christ can fix. They will never be happy without God. The problem is that approaching young people with all the wonderful things that being a Christian will do for them and how much God loves them is a big mistake in our culture of relativism, and utopianism. Believe me, the last thing we want is for kids to enter into a relationship with God because they think it will give them a better life. Allow me to share an example that I used to use with my young basketball players when I was coaching.
Imagine if one of them was getting ready to play some pick-up basketball at one of the parks near their house. As they prepared for the game, I convinced them to put on a bulletproof jacket to wear during their games. I tell them that it will improve their game and make for a much more enjoyable experience. So they put the jacket on hoping that it will be of benefit to them. They do not really understand the true purpose of the jacket but they put it on hoping that it is all I have cracked it up to be. Hey, maybe it will improve their game.
As they begin to play they notice that it is heavy and somewhat uncomfortable. They are not used to wearing it. The jacket slows them down and makes it quite difficult to shoot the way they used to. They also notice that everyone else is laughing at them. They are making fun of the fact that they are wearing this bizarre jacket and look different from everyone else. They try to persevere because I have promised them that this jacket would solve all of their problems. They figure that maybe they just put it on wrong. So they readjust it a little bit and continue playing. Now, on top of everything else they notice that wearing it makes them extremely hot. Finally, in disgust they rip it off and throw it to the ground. The other players give them a high five because they have finally come to their senses. They will walk away from that experience bitter towards the jacket and me. It will be a long time before they decide to ever put on that thing again.
Now imagine the same scenario with a few minor changes. Rather than telling the player all of the great things this bulletproof jacket will bring to them, I simply explain to them that about ten minutes into their game there will be a drive-by shooting. If they are not wearing this jacket, they will likely die. Out of fear and the wish to avoid this disaster they will put the jacket on. Once they fully understand the danger they are in, their perspective changes. With this knowledge their attitude towards the jacket will also change dramatically. They will not care if it is uncomfortable or hot. That’s not why they put it on. They will not even think about whether or not it improves their game. They are overwhelmingly grateful that this jacket has saved them from the coming tragedy. Other people mocking them or the fact that they look different will not even faze them. They have been saved. Their fear motivated them, which led them to a deep sense of gratitude, which in turn leads to a profound appreciation of the bullet proof jacket.
Many teens look to a relationship with God for what they can get out of it. Some are looking to fill the “god-shaped hole” in their life. Others are looking for God to be their best friend or the father they never had. Some are looking for peace and comfort. Some are hoping to replace the need for friends or to gain the admiration of the church in which they grew up. Still others are looking for the approval of their parents. They are, in short, looking for the fabled utopia.
We, as Christians, have fallen into this mistake. We draw people into our church and sincerely tell them how great the church is. We share with them what a family we are and how much we help one another. We even attract some to the hard work of discipleship because it fills the emptiness of their boring and empty life. We share with them the wonderful things God has done in our lives. He has saved our marriages, made us better parents, and blessed us in our careers. We show people how much God has blessed us and many of them want in. We inadvertently pass on this same attitude to the young people in our church. They want to know how they can get the same blessings, the same peace, the same joy, and the same stuff. These things are not bad but they can be a problem if these are the motivating factors in people coming to Christ.
The trouble comes when the inevitable struggles of life come. I see no promises in the Bible that our life here on earth as disciples will be peachy keen. All one would need to do is to ask the first century Christians, who were tortured and killed, if the disciple’s life was so perfect. Listen to Paul’s description of his life as a disciple from II Corinthians 11:23-27:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move, I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Jesus warned his followers that following him meant persecution and picking up our cross daily. We were called to sacrifice our own desires not look to fulfill them through a life in Christ.
The roadside of the past is littered with people who went into discipleship looking to see what they could get out of it. Once they realize that the Christian life does not guarantee blue skies, rainbows and perfect friendships. It doesn’t guarantee that they will do well on every test when they pray for God’s help, or never again be tempted to sin. The only thing that is guaranteed is that if this is their motivation they will get disillusioned. Like the example with the bulletproof jacket, they rip off their new Christian lifestyle in disgust because it did not live up to the vision of blissful utopia that they had imagined. Many of us have been unwittingly influenced by the Humanist view of utopia on earth and so we come into the church looking to find it and unwittingly pass this hope on to our children. Once people come to terms with the fact that life in Christ does not offer utopia here on earth, they become disillusioned.
In the second scenario of the bulletproof jacket, the young man who first came to terms with his impending doom had a different motivation and a different perspective. It is vital that in order to fully appreciate these “benefits” that come from being a part of the Kingdom of God that our motivation is correct. If we go looking for happiness, we will not find it on this earth. If we go looking for truth, we will eventually find truth and happiness. When you truly understand the wrath of God and the fact that he is angry about sin and will punish those who sin, then you have a real appreciation for the reality of this life. When you understand what God has saved you from, you will not care about the things this world has to offer. Anything you get here on earth is gravy.
As stated earlier, the problem with using love as the great motivator to God is that people have a distorted image of what love is. For the majority of our society, love means helping someone in any way possible and not letting any harm come to them. They then throw this perception on to God and in effect create their own version of God. Our society has created a god who is so “loving” that he will not send anyone to hell. He wants only the best for us and will provide all the best things for his children. He will accept us just as we are because he is loving and forgiving. This way we do not really have to change; God’s love is all we need. They have turned God into a big sappy god, and transformed his wonderful love into a sloppy agape.
People count on the fact that God is good and loving to get them out of going to hell; even though they have chosen hell by the way they have lived their lives. Imagine a referee in a basketball game who intentionally let people commit fouls and did not penalize them because who knew that they were good people at heart and didn’t mean it. Or imagine a judge who did not punish someone convicted of murder because they said they were sorry. These men would be fired and no one would think they were very professional or good at what they did. God is a perfect judge and he must punish sin. People are banking on God’s goodness to save them, yet sadly it is that very goodness that will convict them. If God does not punish sin he ceases to be good.
A recent conversation I had with a young person demonstrates the dangers of a misconception of God. This young lady that we will call Catrina seemed to understand that she had broken God’s law and that God would find her guilty of this. For some reason, though, there seemed to be something hindering her. I was confused because I could not understand how someone could admit that they would be found guilty by God and be in very real danger of going to hell, and yet not want to do everything in their power to change their situation.
As we began to talk further, the problem finally came out. It seems that earlier in her life Catrina had made a serious attempt to get close to God. Her grandmother, who had basically raised her, was quite ill while she was still a teenager. She occasionally attended her grandmother’s church and went there seeking comfort from God. She was given the impression that it was God’s will for everyone to be totally happy on earth and that He would give us whatever we asked for if we asked with an unselfish heart. He told her that all she had to do was pray and God would answer her. This sent her soul soaring. She now had hope. She began to pray that God would heal her grandmother and make everything better. Her motivation to come to God was what he would do for the family. I know a lot of Christians who would see no problem with that. It does not matter how you get there, as long as you get there, right? After a short time, Catrina’s grandmother died. She was devastated and she was angry with God. She had been promised that this God of love would make everything better and he had not. This left Catrina with two options, in her mind. Either God was cruel and did not truly care about us or He did not exist.
How sad. I believe that Catrina would have felt very differently had she been presented with a clearer picture of God. Catrina needs to come to God because she needs to be saved from the coming judgment not because God will do stuff for us. If she truly understood that God was angry with her and that she needed to repent, her perspective would change. Then she would, I believe, begin to see that God owes us nothing beyond salvation. That is all we really need, we do not need other blessings. Unfortunately, it was a pastor who gave her the wrong impression of God.
It will be very difficult for these people who have bought into the sloppy agape version of God or who have been given the wrong motivation to find God to view Him with the proper perspective because we have given them the impression that the life of a disciple is without the problems that normal people face.
The things of the world can be fun, let’s just admit it. They are only temporary, true, but they sure can be enticing. Not everyone who is not a disciple is walking around miserable and lonely. They have been so deceived by Satan that they think everything is fine. These are the people who have the comfortable life, the decent marriage, and they feel happy. Or they are the teens that have popularity and seemingly everything else going for them. Ignorance can be bliss. They have no need, in their view of the world, for the things of God.
When we attempt to draw people to the Kingdom of God with promises of love and happiness, then we are creating an additional twofold problem for ourselves. We set up a situation in which we are trying to compete with the world on their level and we are limiting the people that will be attracted to God’s Kingdom.
Competing with the world on their level cannot be done. It is fruitless. We cannot do this on the adult level and it is even more fruitless on the teen level. We should stop trying to make church fun all the time. I am not saying that having fun is bad or wrong but it cannot be what we use to draw people to God. The youth group or church simply cannot compete with the world on a “fun” level. We fool ourselves if we try. There is nothing more ineffective than to attempt to attract non-believer to the church with methods that appeal to the flesh and then bait-and-switch them over to spiritual things. Attracting people to God through physical and earthly happiness is to do just that, though.
The same is true for kids who have grown up in the church. We spend 15 years trying to convince our kids that God’s Kingdom is better and even more enjoyable than the world. While that is true, I believe it takes a while to get to that level. The ability to truly enjoy many of the fruits of the Kingdom of God requires the proper motives in entering it. This is related to the last issue talked about above. What happens, though, is that when the kids hit those teenage years they start to see that their friends can go to parties, and have boyfriends and girlfriends, and live a lifestyle that they cannot. If they have not yet grasped how to think Biblically, the ways of the world will look much better than being a disciple. The rough parts of being a disciple are always on display for them, while often the best parts are internal and hard for kids to understand. Then they begin to think that something is wrong with. They begin to think that they are just not wired to have an intimate relationship with God the way everyone else is.
If our kids have the proper motivation, however, they will have a whole different perspective on the competing lifestyle that the world is offering. If they see themselves as nothing but pure sinners who have angered God and are heading for a very real judgment, they will have a lasting motivation to cling to God and avoid the things of the world.
When happiness, fulfillment, and love are the main draws to God we limit our message to those who are depressed, unhappy, or those who just happen to be looking for something. This message is not very effective for those who are comfortable with their life. If God is only about what he can do for you, then why do they need that? They are just fine. What do we do with these people? Do we just focus on building long-term relationships and hope that God will humble them? Not everyone is searching to fill a hole in their life. If these people can see that they are building up the wrath of God towards themselves, then they will begin see their need for God.
Let’s apply this specifically to teens. How do you draw to God the teen that is happy, popular, and has a full and busy life? It is difficult to convince them that they really need God’s love in their life. This is true even for kids who grew up in the church. They need to understand the fear of God in order to be properly motivated to seek His face.
The kids who have grown up in the church have also fallen for this sloppy agape version of God. What happens for them is the same as for an unchurched individual. They believe that in the end God will accept them because he loves him. They believe they have plenty of time. They do not understand that God will allow them to spit in his face for only so long. His patience is great but it will expire. In surveying teens whose parents are disciples but who had not yet chosen that path, every single one of them responded that the reason that they are not yet disciples is because they are just not ready yet. The person who gives that answer is a person who does not fear God. They think they have all the time in the world. If they understood the truth of their situation they would not think that way. This is a person who has bought into the big pushover, sloppy agape version of God.
Many parents in the church will explain this away saying something like; “Well it’s okay if they’re not ready yet. No one said they have to be baptized by the time they are thirteen. We just have to wait for God’s timing.” To be honest, this is something we tell ourselves to make us feel better. If a child is well into his teen years and is rejecting God then something is wrong with the way they are thinking about God. (I am not in any way implying that this is the fault of the parent or that they should somehow be held accountable. Nor am I suggesting that these teens should be treated poorly or ostracized.) Martin Luther said that all sin comes from thinking wrong about God, and he was correct in that assessment. Waiting for the teen boy or girl to see how much God loves them is a huge gamble. Chances are pretty good that the Humanist and worldly brainwashing have begun to have an effect. It’s similar to Alzheimer’s. It starts slowly but once it gets going the effects can be devastating. If your child is in this situation my advice would be to not wait another minute. Talk to them. Get a feel for how they truly think about things. What is their worldview? Then you can begin the long slow process of deprogramming and retraining. For starters, though, confront these kids in a gentle but truthful way with the accurate picture of themselves as sinners and of a God who hates sin and will punish it. Let’s not forget that a huge aspect of love is truth.
So how do we confront the young people in our churches with an accurate view of themselves? The clear biblical answer is that the grace of God is not the way to do it. It is, rather, the law of God that will lead them unto righteousness.
Why not grace, you might ask? Isn’t the Bible full of God’s grace? Yes and no. Many people confuse grace with mercy and this leads to problems. Mercy is the compassionate treatment of others, especially those under one’s power. Grace is a favor or kindness given by one who doesn’t need to do so. God continually shows mercy to the unrepentant and non-believers throughout the pages of the Bible. Grace, however, is only for the repentant. Grace is for believers.
There is no biblical example of grace being shown to a non-believer. Unsaved people in our world today, including young people, should not think that they have access to God’s grace, yet that is exactly what most people believe. Grace is for Christians. The unsaved will be met with God’s wrath, not His grace.
Not only is the message or concept of God’s grace never offered to unbelievers, the Bible actually warns quite strongly against the concept. Let’s look at an example.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 13, we find an important detail of the Last Supper which is not mentioned in the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). According to John’s account Jesus finished the meal, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began washing the feet of the disciples in a basin. After He washed their feet, he dried them with the towel.
Peter resisted this act of Christ humbling Himself, but withdrew his objection when Jesus told him plainly, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
Upon finishing, Jesus asked if they understood what He had done for them. He explained that He wanted them to follow His example. “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17).
The more recent understanding of this act of Jesus is that it had to do with Jesus demonstrating humility and the heart to serve for His disciples. Is it possible, though, that this act of service of Jesus was much more than a lesson in humility? It is important to remember that Jesus performed this ceremony during the Last Supper from which we get our communion ceremony. John seems to have been aware of the accounts from the Synoptic Gospels and wanted to add information that was not included, rather than repeating the truths they had already laid out. In washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus was also linking the act of the Lord’s Supper with the concept of the spiritual cleansing that Christ offers to those who accept His atoning sacrifice for their sins by taking part in communion.
We see this meaning implied in Jesus’ response to Peter, who asks to be washed all over rather than having no part with Christ. Jesus responded, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean. . .” (John 13:10). A person who is bathed is clean, but walking on dusty roads caused open-sandaled feet soon to become dusty and in need of washing again. Similarly, the disciples were clean (John 13:10) because their sins had been washed away. As they went about through the walk of everyday life, however, they walked on the dusty ground of sin. They needed Christ’s grace to cleanse their hearts again from sins like selfishness and pride, just as we do.
So, is communion simply a time to remember what Christ did for us, a time for self-examination, and a look ahead to the promise of Christ’s return? These are definitely aspects of communion. But is there more to it than that? The early church believed so. They took communion very seriously. They took communion every time they met together and did not allow non-believers to even be present during the Lord’s Supper. By the third century, it was nearly two years before a new convert was allowed to partake in the Lord’s Supper. They also believed that communion was a sacred time when the continued regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit was administered by the church for the church.
This is where the foot washing symbolism of Jesus comes in. Christ was not only giving an example of humility and service, but more importantly He was teaching His disciples that once we are saved we do not need a bath, we simply need a foot washing. In other words, we don’t need to be re-baptized every time we sin but we do need to partake of God’s ongoing and cleansing grace.
Communion, then, is far more than a mere ceremony of remembrance, but is a time when the cleansing grace of Christ flows upon us through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is why it is a time to examine ourselves and confess our sins before God. Communion is a vital sacrament in the ongoing grace of the Triune God.
With this understanding, let’s look at Paul’s words regarding communion in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. He says, “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”
Paul takes a very dim view of people attempting to access God’s grace, who are not in covenant with Him. He calls it “sinning” and says that they bring “judgment” on themselves. Grace is given by God on His terms, period. People who have not been offered God’s grace yet attempt to seize it, bring God’s wrath and judgment on themselves. The unsaved teen who believes that God will offer them grace if they die in their sins is sadly mistaken. The teen that thinks that they can wait and turn to God whenever they so choose are playing a dangerous game because they do not fear God and they have perverted His mercy and grace.

Law
There is a lot of confusion among your average Christian about God’s law. What is it for? Does it apply to us? Before we begin let me explain briefly the types of law. Most Biblical experts agree that there are three types of law found in the Old Testament: moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law. Equally agreed upon by most experts is the fact that the moral law does still apply to us today. Jesus, himself, said that he did not come to change the law but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17-19) The moral law is transcendent. The other two types are no longer binding. For the purposes of this section, when I refer to law, I will be referring to the moral law and more specifically to the Ten Commandments.
First let’s quickly examine what the law is not. The law does not justify or save us. (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:1-14). Following and observing the Ten Commandments will not make us righteous nor will it get anyone to heaven. The law, then, is not for those seeking to be saved, as they are justified by God’s grace not the law. (Romans 6:14) Those who are already saved are not under the law either; rather we are to be ruled by love. (Romans 13:10) This is what Jesus meant when he said that he came to fulfill the law. His grace and love rendered the law moot for those seeking to be justified or for those already justified.
The question arises, then, for what do we need the law today? Paul gives us the answer to that. Paul reminds us that the law is holy (Romans 7:12), it is spiritual (Romans 7:14), and it embodies knowledge and truth (Romans 2:20). He also says that the law is good if it is used in a lawful manner. What is that lawful manner?
Psalm 19:7 tells us that the law is perfect in converting the soul. The law is for sinners (I Timothy 1:9). Paul tells us that without the law we would not know what sin is (Romans 7:7-8). The law defines for us what sin is. John further explained, telling us that breaking the law is, in fact, sin (I John 3:14). Romans 3:20 states that we don’t become righteous by following the law, rather the law makes us aware of our sin. The law acts as our mirror, showing us where we truly stand in the sight of God. The law shows us why we need God. We have broken His law and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The law acts as our schoolmaster, instructing us as to our true nature (Galatians 3:24).
Just as I was ready to correct the way I was eating when I understood the true status of my health, people are far more likely to correct their situation with God when they understand that they are under His wrath and not His grace (Romans 2:5). The law shows us clearly the disease that we have. Most Christians I know that have been disciples for a while relay that what really woke them up to their need for God was good old fashioned fear of the wrath of God. This was the initiator that brought them into the love of God. The fear must come first in order to have a proper perspective. The Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9;10). I have yet to find a verse that says that the love of God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear can be a good thing. I am disturbed by how many churches these days seem to want to cover up the whole concept of the fear of God. They want to stress God’s grace and love. Grace and love without the preceding proper amount of fear produces a dangerous harvest.
We must help our kids to see that if they sin, it is not okay. Too many of our kids think that if they have good intentions and mean well then, everything is fine. They must be made aware, in no uncertain terms, that God is angered by sin. When we break one part of the law, we break all of the law (James 2:10-11). The law brings the wrath of God (Romans 4:15), because we have all broken it. God will unleash his wrath on those who have chosen to reject the truth and break the law (Romans 2:5-9). The scary part is that we have a bunch of kids in our churches who are standing on the tracks and do not want to believe that the train is coming.
There is one other dangerous mindset when it comes to sin that must be discussed here. I have recently spent a fair amount of time looking around MySpace at the sites of different teen and college students who are part of or have grown up in the church. In doing this, I have discovered a disturbing mindset among the young people who have not chosen to live the life of a disciple. They seem to be under the impression that their sin is actually a good thing. Any troubles or trials they go through are seen not as a negative result of sin, but as a positive experience that God wants them to go through. After talking to several young people about this mindset, it became clearer to me. They justify but arguing that most of the adults in the church went through hard times and lived very sinful lifestyles and that God used that to teach them lessons and make them who they are today. They argue that they will never be who God wants them to be one day, if they do not experience a certain amount of sin and “fun”. While it is true that God will work in our lives and through our circumstances, it is a fatal flaw in thinking to believe that this is somehow God’s will for everyone.
What these young people need to have explained to them is that this line of thinking is incredibly dangerous. The fact is that I did live a sinful lifestyle before I became a Christian. What is also true, however, is that these sins did not help make me who I am, rather they kept me from being who God intended me to be. My life of sin had terrible consequences. I hurt people. I damaged people’s lives. There are things that I did and experienced, that continue to have repercussions in my life and my marriage to this day. This is true for everyone. Sins don’t make us who we are, they make us God’s enemies and build up His wrath towards us (Romans 2:5-6).

Using the Ten Commandments
Young people need to be aware of precisely how their lives match up with the standard of God as given in the Ten Commandments. When asked if they considered themselves to be “a good person,” every single non-Christian teen surveyed said that they did consider themselves to be a good person. This is what happens when we judge ourselves according to the standards of other people rather than God’s law. When compared to God’s glory, we all fall far short (Romans 3:23). The Bible tells us that it is our duty to follow God’s commandments because we will be judged by them (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). The only thing that will keep us from being judged by God’s law is to clothe ourselves with Christ and be judged by grace (Romans 6:14).
Here is a helpful paraphrase of the Ten Commandments (in the Hebrew, the word is actually words or utterances rather than commandments) that I use to help young people understand God’s standard for them.
1. Don’t have other gods in my face
The question here is simple: Has God always been first in your life? Has every decision you ever made been filtered through your biblical glasses? Have you always done things God’s way. When we put anything ahead of God in importance we have violated this word from God. What is the primary other god in our life? It is none other than us. Since the Garden of Eden the human race has been attempting to set ourselves up as our own gods and do things our way rather than God’s.

2. Don’t make a representative image of anything that will take the place in your life that should be reserved for God

Here we see a similar concept to the first commandment, so we know that it must be important to God. We are not to take or make things and worship them. Only God is to be worshiped. To worship something means we give it our love and devotion. This would include money, sports, other people, etc. A real danger here is to create our own version of God. We see people in our culture do this all the time. They say things like, “My God would never send people to hell for a few mistakes,” or “the God I worship values only love and if two people really love each other, that’s all that matters.” What people do when they make these statements and statements like them is to create their own version of God separate from the one true God that has revealed Himself through His Word. This is a violation of the second word.

3. Do not carry the name of Yahweh your God in an empty or worthless manner
This word is usually reduced to not using God’s name as a curse word, yet it means so much more than that. The word nasa is translated “take” in the KJV and “misuse” in the NIV. It really means to carry or bear in an exalted manner. In other words, we are to be bearers of God’s name. We are to be His ambassadors and representatives. When we fail to do that we drag God’s name through the mud rather than exalt it. When we think in an ungodly manner or act in an ungodly way, we fail to carry the name of God well. This is a violation of the reason and purpose for which we were made.

4. Remember to keep the Sabbath set apart
What about keeping the Sabbath day set apart? Are we still obligated to uphold this part of the law? The view of the early church was that Christians are not obligated to observe the Sabbath as the Jews did. They believed that Christians were to set apart every single day for honoring God with their work and actions. This means that the person who does not honor Jesus Christ with every part of their life, everyday of the week, violates this word from God.

5. Show respect for your mother and father
God has set up the institution of the family and given authority to parents to fulfill His purposes for mankind. Our parents are called to follow God’s laws. Children, then, are called to obey parents as the direct representatives of God’s authority in their lives. A quick note to parents here; when we fail to set up a godly household and set a biblical example we are, in essence, violating our part of this word. Children are called, however, to respect the authority of their parents. The only exception to this is if the parent is asking them to do something that clearly goes against God’s word.

6. Don’t kill
When asked if they have violated this word, most people smile thinking they are safe. They have finally gotten down to one of these that they haven’t broken. What they don’t realize, however, is that Jesus said that when we hate another person we have already violated this word (Matthew 5:21-22). Why is that? It is because, the heart and mental actions behind hatred are the identical heart and mental actions behind murder. Jesus’ standard is that what goes on in the mind is just as important as what goes on in the physical world.

7. Don’t commit adultery
This is another one that causes people to think they are safe at first. Jesus, however, applied the level of the heart to this word as well. He said that one who even looked with lust violated this word (Matthew 5:27-28). Looking at another person with lust in your heart comes from the same mental and heart actions from which adultery comes.

8. Don’t steal
This word is pretty straightforward, and yet nearly everyone has broken it. It doesn’t matter how tiny or insignificant is the item that was taken. It doesn’t matter how long ago it was. If I steal $1,000 out of your wallet, am I a thief? If I steal $1 out of your wallet, am I thief? It doesn’t matter how small the item, theft is theft.

9. Don’t lie
I have asked hundreds of people how they stack up against the Ten Commandments. I usually only need to ask them about three or four and they get quickly get the picture. I always start with this one. I have yet to meet a human being who even tries to claim that they have not broken this word. Everybody has lied and they know. The key here is to help people see that if they have told even one lie they are a liar. It takes only one murder to be a murderer. It takes only one lie to be a liar.

10. Don’t desire other people’s stuff
God wants us to stay away from coveting and desiring what other people have. Why? It is because it leads to many other sins and causes us so much unhappiness.

The reason to confront young people with these ten words from God is that it is biblical. Jesus never talked to any unbeliever about how much God loves them or what a wonderful plan He has for their lives. He confronted them with God’s standards of living and their own sin (John 4:17; Matthew 19:18-21). Paul said that the law was a schoolmaster that was designed to be a mirror to lead us to Christ by showing us how far from God’s glory we really are (Galatians 3:24). Once a young person truly understands their failure to meet God’s standards, and has a proper fear of God, they will be ready to see things as they really are. It is not until these things are seen as God sees them, and one understands that they are an object of God’s wrath that they can truly turn to God in repentance.

Out of the Driveway, Into the Game: Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Putting on the Right Glasses

As a high school boy’s basketball coach, one of the biggest struggles that I had each new basketball season was in getting my players to think about the game of basketball and the concept of “team” in the proper way. My players often saw basketball as one of the few options they had to get out of the situation of their life. They also saw basketball as a means to get recognition, respect, girls, and the like. For them, then, the game was all about how much they could do. They had to get their points and look good doing it. They valued the aspects of the game that entailed long sequences of fancy dribbling, ankle breaking moves, and all-around flashy play. They hailed the players who talked the most trash and could execute high-flying dunks.

This is all well and good for the playground but it poses some serious impediments to building a team. The very skills that are most lauded on the playground are not at all conducive to team basketball. While they were dribbling all over and juking back and forth, looking for an opening so that they can drive in and get their own shot, their teammates just stood around watching, often getting upset with the player doing the showboating. Of course, the ironic part is that given their chance, they would do the exact same thing.

I spent several years attempting to solve this problem. We would run every kind of passing drill you could think of. I would have the players religiously run drills that emphasized the fundamentals of the game. I endlessly hollered at them about playing disciplined, team basketball rather than always being out for themselves, and we even disciplined and benched players that would not get the message of playing as a team. Like clockwork, though, they would get into a game and all of the drills; all of the plays we had worked on would go right down the drain. Presumably to the same mysterious place to where many of our team socks seemed to disappear. To my repeated horror, the game would degenerate into five separate games of one on one. So, we would go right back to our practice gym for more drills, more plays, and more talks about teamwork. To be honest, I had resigned myself to the fact that this problem could never be solved. It was very frustrating.
A few years back, though, the solution finally occurred to me. I was approaching the problem from the wrong perspective. My players were not intentionally choosing to play in a manner detrimental to the team; they were seeing the game through the wrong glasses. They did not really understand the concept of team. I decided to try to fix the root of the problem and stop worrying about the symptoms for the time being. We began conditioning a couple of weeks before we ever went to the gym and touched a basketball. My stated goal was to get the players in better shape, but my true intentions were to change the way they viewed the game, their teammates, and their own roles on the team. The conditioning drills that the team did were all centered on the concept of team. They had to do everything in groups or as a whole team. They ran sprints together and had to finish together. This forced a special awareness of where their teammates were. It did not matter how talented they were, they could only go as fast as everyone else on the team. We ran hills together. No one could be left behind. This encouraged them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their teammates and to help those that were struggling. They even ran line drills (often called killers or suicides) while holding hands as a team. All the while I preached to them about being a team, being a unit, and being of one mind. As the days went on they drew closer to one another and began to truly care about and encourage each other. They knew that they couldn’t achieve the goals necessary to complete each drill until they reached them together.

Once it was time for the actual practices to start, I simply could not believe the difference. They were playing together. They no longer seemed to care about how many minutes of playing time they would get or who would start, or even who would take the shots and score the points. What was even more amazing was that when one of them started behaving selfishly, the rest of the team quickly took matters into their own hands and corrected the player on their own without the coaching staff having to get involved. This even culminated in the team captains requesting that one player be removed from the team for repeated selfish behavior.

That team came together like no team I had ever coached before. Their fundamental perspective of the game and the concept of team had changed. They overcame all kinds of adversity that season and accomplished more than any team in our school’s history. They won the Conference Championship and made it all the way to the State Championship game before finally succumbing. I could not have been more proud of that team of State runners-up than any State Championship could have brought. The difference in that team was not talent or ability. It was that they had learned how to think properly about the task that was before them. I did not have to worry about treating each individual incident that came up. As each new challenge arose, I simply reminded them of how they needed to think about things. They had learned to see the game of basketball from a team perspective and not from an individual perspective. Once they had adopted a team view of the game, they were ready for almost any obstacle that they would face.

The way we see the world can change everything. What we believe effects how we act. The way we look at the world, the glasses through which we see the entire world and everything in it, is our worldview. Everyone bases their thoughts, actions, and decisions on their worldview. They may not know that they have a worldview or be able to clearly identify it; it may even be very inconsistent, but everyone has one. The decisions that we make every day, even the seemingly small ones, are determined by our worldview.
Noted author and president of Summit Ministries, David Noebel defines worldview as “ . . . any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relations to God and the World.”
Your worldview is the way you interpret all of reality. It is how you make sense of the world around you. You then make decisions based on how you interpret the reality of the world. Once my basketball players began to interpret every facet of the game of basketball in the framework of a team concept, they began to make decisions about everything they did from a team point of view.
It is impossible, however, to develop an effective and consistent worldview if one is not really aware of the concept at all. This is a huge area of deficiency in most Christian parenting in our fellowships. Worldview goes far beyond justification or believing in God, it is the application of the Christian way of viewing the world to every aspect of life.
At a fundamental level, every worldview must address these four areas:

1. From where did we come and who are we?
2. What has gone wrong with the world?
3. What can we do to fix the world?
4. What happens when we die?

Two things become readily apparent when looking at this list. The first is that every ideological system that attempts to answer these questions can not only be classified as a worldview but also as a religion. The second thing is that these questions are only the foundation for a worldview; they by no means constitute a comprehensive worldview.
Once these foundational questions have been answered, the remainder of the worldview can begin to form. The problem is that if you simply lay a foundation without constructing a building on top of it, someone will come along and put a building there. Mark 9:50 says to “have salt in yourselves . . .” This implies that we are to be filled up with salt. It is our job then to fill that saltshaker up for our children. The Bible mandates us to train our children in the proper way. If we don’t fill them up with a Biblical worldview, someone will fill them up with a worldview of their own. A majority of Christians that I know do not really see worldview as a major issue of the Christian life. According to George Barna, only 9% of adult Christians possess an authentic Christian worldview. The danger in this is that there is a very real, very aggressive segment of the world that is very aware of their worldview, and is extremely adamant about proselytizing.
Christians must learn to take the message of the Bible and apply it to every aspect of reality. In his work God, Revelation and Authority, Carl F.H. Henry speaks to the ultimate importance of teaching Christians a Bible-based view of the world:

“The task of Christian leadership is to confront modern man with the Christian world life view as the revealed conceptuality for understanding reality and experience, and to recall reason once again from the vagabondage of irrationalism and the arrogance of autonomy to the service of true faith.”

As the leaders of their household, it is up to the parents, then, to teach the concept of a Biblical worldview to their children. We must not only train them in the Biblical worldview but it is vital that we teach them about opposing worldviews. The most prevalent worldview that we face in America today is, of course, Secular Humanism. Parents must not minimize the importance of this worldview education nor be afraid of it. The big advantage that Christian parents have is that Christianity is the only worldview that provides a consistent explanation to all of the facts of reality.
None other than our first president, George Washington, said “Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains taken to bring it to light.” If we train our children to think Biblically they will see the holes in the other worldviews and reject them. If we ignore this aspect of their training they will end up with a worldview that is a hodgepodge of Christianity and the various forms of Humanism.
We cannot expect our children to survive very long in a battle in which they do not know they are engaged. Francis Schaefer warns of this failure to apply a Christian worldview:

The basic problem of the Christians in this country in the last eighty years or so, in regard to society and in regard to government, is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals. They have failed to see that all of this [immorality, pornography, problems in public schools, the breakdown of the family, abortion, etc.] has come about due to a shift in the world view – that is, through a fundamental change in the overall way people think and view the world and life as a whole. This shift has been away from a world view that was at least vaguely Christian in people’s memory (even if they were not individually Christian) toward something completely different – toward a world view based upon the idea that the final reality is impersonal matter or energy shaped into its present form by impersonal chance.

Schaeffer’s point is that we are losing ground in the morals of America and ultimately in the lives of our children because we are not holding fast to a biblical worldview. Henry adds to this truth noting, “With some few gratifying exceptions, neither home nor church has shaped a comprehensive and consistent faith that stands noon-bright amid the dim shadows of spiritual rebellion and moral profligacy.”
Kids are attacked every day with opposing worldviews. They must be made aware of how, when, where, and why these attacks are coming from and who is responsible for them. They will receive differing values from their friends, TV, radio, media, teachers and even textbooks. They must realize that authentic Christianity can and must be applied not only to theology, but also to philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, history, and many other areas
How can our children protect themselves when they don’t know they are in a fight? David Noebel refers to this fight as the “Second Great Civil War.” James Dobson and Gary Bauer classify it as a struggle “in the minds of people. It is a war over ideas.” The class worldview of the Secular Humanist and the burgeoning post-modern faction of Secular Humanism don’t agree on every point but they do agree on their radical opposition to the Christian worldview.
This constant attack on the Christian worldview results in value erosion. There are four aspects that become obvious in the life of Christian young people from this erosion:

1. Christian young people are not intellectually well grounded in their faith and therefore do not recognize the truth and power inherent in their worldview.


2. Parents have a premonition something is wrong, but cannot put their finger on it. Rarely do they realize their child is being seduced out of one worldview (Christianity) into another (Humanism).

3. Hostile or lukewarm educators stack the deck against Christians. The traditional family values and the Christian point of view seldom are justly represented. A 900-page biology textbook, for example, may contain 200 pages about evolution and only a line or two admitting that some “fundamentalist” Christians believe God created the heavens and the earth.

4. Christian parents are paying the salaries of Secular Humanist professors (through taxes and tuition) for the seduction of their own children! Taxpayers’ school children are taught almost exclusively the Secular Humanist religious worldview.

We must, as parents, rethink the techniques that we have been using to train and educate our children. Hosea’s words, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” (Hosea 4:6) can truly be applied to our children and their worldview. We must heed the words of Paul to the people of Colosse. “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.” (Colossians 2:8)
This is not to argue that educating children in worldview training, or comparative theology, should be the only religious aspect in which they are trained. In fact, it need not be the most important aspect of their theological training. It should, however, be a present theme in all of the other theological aspects in which we train our children. These would include Biblical theology, systematic theology, philosophical theology, historical theology, covenantal theology, practical theology, and eschatological theology. This comparative theology is focused on the day-to-day living out of the Bible through every word, thought, and deed. What is poured into a person’s mind, matters.
Let me explain it like this. When my oldest son was about three we had a flight of stairs in our house that was about eight stairs high. He loved to take a running start, jump off of the top of the stairs and dive into my waiting arms where I was standing at the bottom. Of course, my wife hated that game, but we did it anyways. He could have played that game all day if I would have agreed to it. Why did he jump without hesitation every time? He jumped because he knew that I would catch him. What would have happened though, if while in midair during one of his leaps, I had been distracted, turned away and let him smash face first into the carpet? He may have gotten up and walked to the top of the steps, but I guarantee you that he would not jump. Why would he not jump? He would not jump because he was not a fool. His mind would have told him that this was a bad idea. In his heart he would love his daddy, wouldn’t he? Of course he would. But his mind would tell him to do something different, despite what was in his heart. What you pour into a person’s mind determines how they act, despite what is in their heart. This is the key to understanding the importance of teaching our children the proper worldview.
Sending our children into the world without proper preparation in worldview is setting them up to fail. We must develop their own comprehensive worldview, all the while teaching them the competing worldviews that they will face in the marketplace of ideas. Only training them in Bible stories and Christian beliefs is the equivalent of a young person shooting by him or her self in the driveway all the time. When the attack comes, they won’t be ready. The same will be true for our children if we don’t properly prepare them.
Misconception, assumptions, and presuppositions can be powerful things. They can give us a false sense of security. They can lead us to believe that we are safer or stronger than we really are. They can also leave us totally unprepared for the situation that is truly before us. They can leave us blind to the real world around us.
I believe one of the most powerful misunderstandings in the world today has to do with this clash of worldviews. Sadly, most Christians don’t understand the magnitude of the battle or the ferocity of the opponent. They have a vague idea that the ‘world’ can be a bad influence on us and our children, but most Christians I talk to have very little idea what the ‘world’ is or what they are up to.
Our culture today has bought into a very serious lie with some devastating repercussions. Our society has convinced the majority of Americans that religion can and should be separated from the rest of reality. We talk about keeping religion as a personal and private thing. We believe in separation of church and state. We turn our kids over to schools to educate them in the areas not covered by the Bible. In short, we have put our religion into a box. Oh, most Christians do not want to admit that, but the fact remains that for a large portion of us it is true. The earlier statement that only 9 percent of adult Christians hold a Biblical worldview provides evidence for this. That is, less than 10 percent of Americans who claim to be evangelical Christians attempt to apply the precepts of the Bible to every area of their life.
In broad terms there are two major competing worldviews in the United States right now: Biblical Christianity and Secular Humanism. Succinctly stated, Biblical Christianity is a religion and it is a worldview. Secular Humanism is every bit the religion and worldview that Christianity is.
Each of the two worldviews has supposed answers to the four central questions stated earlier that must be answered in order to have a complete worldview. They are the questions of how we got here, what went wrong, how do we fix it, and what happens when we die.
The Biblical worldview of course answers the question of how we got here with the special creation by God described in Genesis. The opening verse of the Bible tells us “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) God reminds Job that it was indeed the almighty God who created the universe. He asked Job straight out, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4) Scientists still struggle today to explain the origins of the universe and yet according to the Christian worldview this question is already answered. Paul reveals to us in Romans 1:20-21, “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Paul explained that the creation reflects and reveals the power and glory of God. Men are without excuse in ignoring the Creator because he has gone to great lengths to reveal his nature to us through his creation. One of the founders of modern science, Francis Bacon, said, “I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud and the Koran, than wrought miracles to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince.” He further added, “a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.”
The Biblical worldview’s understanding of the Creator carries with it certain obligations. If there is a Creator then it is prudent for us to find out who He is and what He expects from us. Because there is a Creator, we know that there is a moral law giver. His law is sovereign over the universe and trumps any of man’s opinions or desires.
The Bible answers the question of what has gone wrong in the world in Genesis 3. Satan came to Eve in the form of a servant and attempted to convince her that God was lying to her and Adam and that they could become like gods if they ate from the forbidden tree. Eve was deceived and she also convinced Adam to eat from the tree. Before this the earth was perfect. God’s creation was very good. (Genesis 1:31) Before the fall of Adam and Eve there was no sin and no death. (Romans 5:12) Since the fall of Adam and Eve the entirety of creation has been twisted from its original perfection. (Romans 8:22) The Biblical worldview acknowledges that man is sinful by nature and that all have sinned and broken God’s law. (Romans 3:23, I John 3:4) The heart of man is wicked and deceitful beyond what we could ever fathom. (Jeremiah 17:9) This view of the nature of man greatly affects the Biblical worldview of almost every aspect including politics, law, ethics, etc. It was due to this very acceptance of the natural wickedness of man’s heart that led the founding fathers of America to institute the system of checks and balances. They wished to protect the people from the potential evil of individuals.
This aspect of the Biblical worldview helps us to understand the true nature of man. If left to his or her own devices, mankind will tend towards evil. This means that although humans should be given free choice, these choices must be tempered by morality. If man is left to his own devices to invent and interpret morality as he sees fit, chaos will ensue. There is no hope for utopia for man apart from God’s redeeming grace.
The next question resolved by Biblical Christianity is that of how we fix what has gone wrong. The obvious answer for the Christian is that we do not fix anything. It is the resurrection and redemption of Christ that will fix our individual problem. The problem of course is that due to the fact that we have all sinned, we deserve the punishment of death. By dying on the cross and becoming our Passover lamb, Jesus has given us the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and join him in heaven one day. The fact of the resurrection is really the fundamental tenet in the Christian worldview. Creation and the fall are both foundational and important but it is the resurrection that is truly the key that makes Biblical Christianity different from any other worldview. Paul informs us in his first letter to the Corinthians, fifteenth chapter, that if Christ is not raised from the dead then preaching is useless, faith is futile, he and the apostles are liars, death still has dominion over us and the earth, we have no hope of rescue from sin, and this life on earth is all there is. A world with no resurrection leaves an extremely bleak and depressing picture.
It is only through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ that humans can fix what has gone wrong with the world. The root of all problems in the world is sin; only Jesus’ blood can fix it. Jesus has been given all authority in the world , however, and has commissioned His followers with that authority and dominion to not only save the world in eternity but also to transform it in the present time (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 5:13).
The final answer to the four worldview questions that lay the foundation of the Biblical worldview is what happens when we die. The Bible gives a clear answer on this topic as well as it does the previous three. The Bible says that a “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Every man will die but once. The Bible clearly denies any belief in reincarnation. This verse also shoots a hole in the belief that when man dies, that is it, we are extinguished. This Bible is clear that the duty of man is to keep God’s commandments and then be judged according to them (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Those who are clothed with Christ will receive the eternal reward of eternal life with Jesus, while those who remain dead in their sins will experience the second death (Romans 6:23). The second death will consist of being sent to Hades (Luke 16) until such time as Christ returns and they are cast into Gehenna (Matthew 25:41).
The Christian understanding of what happens when we die has large implications for the way we live while on earth. The righteous will receive eternal rewards while the unrighteous will be punished for their sins and their rejection of God. What we do here in temporal time while here on earth has eternal repercussions.
Proving that it is also a complete religious worldview philosophy, Humanism posits answers to all of these questions. The solution they propose for how we got here is naturalistic evolution. Naturalistic evolution presupposes six different types of evolution: Cosmic evolution, stellar evolution, chemical evolution, organic evolution, microevolution, and macroevolution. Microevolution, or small changes in species (variation) is the only type of evolution that has been specifically observed by science.
There is debate in the evolutionary community between two camps in the field of macroevolution. There are Darwinian evolutionists that argue that macroevolution happened extremely slowly over millions of years. More recently there has been another group that has developed primarily due to the weakness of the fossil record to support the Darwinian evolutionists. This idea is called punctuated equilibrium. It proposes that changes in species happened so quickly and freakishly that it left virtually no record in the fossil record. The belief in evolution is vital to Humanism. Without evolution, the Humanist religion basically crumbles. This is why the issue of creation and evolution, largely ignored by a majority of Christians, is so vital in the battle of worldviews.
The Secular Humanist’s rejection of a Creator God has major implications. If there is no God then there are no rules. Every human is left to their own devices and their own morality. Life is meaningless and we are here by pure cosmic chance if evolution is true. According to the Humanist view based on evolutionary theories, man is just a human animal. We have many vestiges of animal instinct and should have no more rights than do any animals.
In answering the problem of what has gone wrong with the world, the branches of Humanism differ slightly. They mostly agree that ultimately it is society that has caused the problems of the world. Humanism views the individual man as inherently good and he, therefore, cannot be blamed for society’s ills. Humanist Carl Rogers describes it this way: “I am not in the least blind to the brutality, cruelty, deceit, defensiveness, abnormality, and stupidity of much of human behavior. Yet there is nothing in my experience that would cause me to regard these as the most basic elements in human nature. Indeed I find that when the individual is given even an imperfect opportunity to grow, to develop, to become his potential, it is precisely these characteristics which he tends to leave behind.” Fellow Humanist Erich Fromm agrees: “The position taken by humanistic ethics that man is able to know what is good and to act accordingly on the strength of his natural potentialities and of his reason would be untenable if the dogma of man’s innate natural evilness were true.” Paul Kurtz, author of the Humanist Manifesto II, finds man to be “a perfectible human being.” Psychologist and Humanist, Abraham Maslow, sums up the view that persons are good in nature and society is to blame for the state of our world when he says, “Sick people are made by a sick culture; healthy people are possible by a healthy culture.” Due to this belief, Humanism calls for the abolition of all traditional societal institutions including the state, the traditional family, and the church.
The Humanist solution to fixing what has gone wrong in the world is implied in the very nature of the problem. If man is inherently good and it is society that has corrupted him, then we must simply wipe out our existing evil societies and create a new utopia. Different branches of Humanism diverge at how this utopia will be reached and what it looks like but they all agree that it is possible; that man can and will evolve to a god-like state in a perfect society. For the Communist Humanist it is the state of true Communism and the continuing dialectic. For the Secular Humanist it is the New World Order. For the New Age Humanist it is a utopia created by the self-actualization of each human who has evolved into a god-like state. In each instance it is the traditional family, the traditional church, and the state that is hindering this realization of utopia. For the Humanist, it is man himself who will realize salvation; there is no need for God.
The Secular Humanist answer to what happens when we die is simple, nothing. We are here by chance, this life is all there is, and then we cease to exist. There is no judgment after life. What we do here carries with it no implications for eternity because there is no eternity in the Secular Humanist worldview.
Very few Americans realize or believe that Humanism is in fact a religion. Biblical Christianity is so easy to identify as a religion. They have churches, and a Bible, and doctrine, and, of course, a set of clear and visible clergy that lead and direct the religion. What most people do not realize is that Secular Humanists have all of these things. They do have somewhat traditional style churches, which are becoming more prevalent. Many “Christian” denominations have also become so liberal that they are much closer to Humanism in belief and practice than actual Biblical Christianity. The Humanists also have one other type of place of worship and indoctrination that we have already discussed at length: The public school system of the United States. The Humanists have sacred books of sorts, which contains their beliefs and doctrines. They are the Humanist Manifesto I, Humanist Manifesto II, and Humanist Manifesto 2000. The clergy of the Humanist movement is not probably who you would expect. For the most part, however, the men and women who lead the education, direction, and belief system of the Humanist movement are none other than scientists. Please be very clear here. I am not bashing science, nor am I trying to stereotype all scientists. Science is a wonderful way to reveal the creation and order of God. I do not have an ax to grind with science, I am not afraid of science. I am not anti-science. The fact remains, however, that evolution is the undeniable foundation for Secular Humanism. Most scientists perpetuate evolution. Without evolution, there is no major Humanist movement. It is in reality the scientists, then, that lead the ever-growing faith of Humanism. The evangelists of Secular Humanism are the teachers of the public schools.
It would be good here to give a definition of religion. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, religion is “A cause or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.” According to this definition, Humanism would definitely fall into the category of a religion.
The extremely unfortunate part of all of this is that most people do not recognize Humanism as a religion. Most people perceive scientists, a majority of whom are ardent Humanists, as unbiased, objective, nearly infallible arbiters of truth and fact. Most people are deceived into believing that evolution is science. In fact, it is not science at all. The American Heritage Dictionary defines science as “The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. Knowledge gained through experience.” Evolution fails to meet either of those criteria. Leading creationist, Ken Ham, points out about evolution that “It is a belief about the past. We do not have access to the past. We only have the present. All the fossils, all the living animals and plants, our planet, the universe – Everything exists in the present. We cannot directly test the past using the scientific method (which involves repeating things and watching them happen) since all evidence that we have is in the present.” Special creation by God cannot be observed or repeated but neither can evolution. Both, therefore, fall in the category of faith not science.
Evolutionists have, by and large, run a classic bait and switch. They convince people of the wonderful qualities of operational science and then trick them into believing that evolution falls under the same category. Operational science is the wonderful everyday type of science that produces medicines, makes discoveries, and even allows space travel. In fact, evolution is a part of a different kind of “science” called origins science. This is, by definition, not science at all. It cannot be tested, observed, or repeated.
Humanist evolutionists have bamboozled the public into thinking of the knowledgeable, fact-based scientist in the white coat versus the Bible thumping, black robed, religious fanatics. They have turned the debate so that anyone who disagrees with evolution is considered to be anti-science, ignorant, and someone who prefers mythology to fact.
We must shed this misunderstanding. Evolution is religious in nature. Humanism is a religion. Creation is religious in nature. Biblical Christianity is a religion. Science and religion are not enemies. In fact, modern science was founded by men with a Christian worldview; men who believed that the universe was an orderly place because God had created it. We could, therefore, discover God’s truths throughout the universe.
For far too long the Church has focused only on religious education and left the sciences and any other subjects in school to the world assuming that our children are receiving a neutral, fact-based education. Due to this compartmentalization of Christianity we have turned education over to the Secular Humanists. They have had nearly 75 years of controlling the American education system and have now convinced most of the country that their beliefs are based on science while ours are based on religion and myth. “Under the guise of science, Humanism has been granted a reputable position in American society.” The Biblical Christian worldview has been completely marginalized in education based on this belief that the two faiths are not equals.
We must first realize for ourselves, as a Christian community, that each faith is equal parts science and belief and then we can begin to understand and teach a comprehensive biblical worldview.
If you are not yet convinced that Humanism as a worldview is a religion with a complete set of dogmas and beliefs then you need look no further than the comments of Humanists themselves. Humanists consider themselves to be the next great religion that will eventually overshadow all of the religions that are based on mythology. They have the advantage, they believe, because theirs is the only religion based on scientific knowledge.
In 1933, Roy Wood Sellars authored the book known as the Humanist Manifesto, but as early as 1918, in his book The Next Step, he said, “The coming phase of religion will reflect man’s power over nature and his moral courage in the face of the facts and possibilities of life. It will be a religion of action and passion, a social religion, a religion of goals and prospects. It will be a free man’s religion, a religion for an adult and aspiring democracy.” 8 Sellars went on to clear up any doubts about his views of Humanism as religion: “Now I am convinced that the humanistic religion into which Christianity will gradually be transformed will correct the mistake.”
Charles Francis Potter who founded the first Humanist church in New York City and gave his endorsement by attaching his to name to the original Humanist Manifesto wrote, “So Humanism is not simply another denomination of Protestant Christianity; it is not a creed; nor is it a cult. It is a new type of religion altogether.”
In 1934, John Dewey called for a new religion in his book, A Common Faith. “Here are all the elements for a religious faith that shall not be confined to sect, class, or race. Such a faith has always been implicitly the common faith of mankind. It remains to make it explicit and militant.”
Tolbert H. McCarrol, executive director of The Humanist magazine wrote an article titled “Religions of the Future,” in which he predicted that Humanism would join the other major faiths as a recognized religion. He foresaw a time when Humanism would be the “largest religious body of the future.”
Julian Huxley, former president of the British Humanist Association wrote in his book Religion Without Revelation, “Twentieth-century man needs a new organ for dealing with destiny, a new system of beliefs . . . in other words, a new religion.” He, of course, was referring to the new religion of Humanism. A religion based on man as the ultimate arbiter of truth rather than God.
To make matters more convincing many universities list Humanist groups on campus along with the other religious associations. This parade includes Harvard,
Auburn University, and the University of Minnesota. In fact, federal tax exemption rulings have been given to many Humanist groups.
The clincher, though, came in 1961. None other than the Supreme Court of the United States officially recognized Humanism as a religion. In Torasco v. Watkins, Justice Hugo Black observed: “Among religions in this country which do not teach what is generally to be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism, and others.”
In their insightful work on the topic of Humanism and worldviews, Mind Siege, Noebel and LaHaye make this startling statement:

The religious worldview of humanism is so well-defined that if it were expelled from our public schools and its disciples were retired from government service through the ballot box, they would immediately declare themselves a religion and enjoy their tax-exempt religious status. They cannot do so now because they receive billions of dollars annually to operate their vast network of churches, schools, colleges, and universities. Why should they collect donations to support the propagation of their religion when, through our taxes, we pay for everything?

Those in the field of evolution prove that they see evolution, the foundation of Humanism, as being religious in nature. Carl Sagan says that, “It makes good sense to revere the Sun and the stars because we are their children.” Sagan also states, “It is said that men may not be the dreams of the gods, but rather that the gods are the dreams of men.” This of course bolsters Humanism because it has no need for the one, true God.
Leading evolutionist, Theodosius Dobzhansky quotes Pierre Teihard de Chardin: “Evolution is a light which illuminates all facts, a trajectory which all lines of thought must follow.” 18 Instead of Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12), the Secular Humanists have set up evolution itself to take that place.
Humanists, Whitehead and Conlan sum up the Humanist position perfectly:

While Secular Humanism is non-theistic, it is religious because it directs itself toward religious beliefs and practices that are in active opposition to traditional theism. Humanism is a doctrine centered solely on human interests or values. Therefore, humanism deifies man collectively and individually, whereas theism worships God. Moreover, while humanism draws its values and absolutes from the finite reasoning of relativistic Man, theism has received its values and absolutes through the revelation of the infinite Deity or Creator. Both theism and humanism worship their own “god.” The difference is the object of worship, not the act. Therefore, Secular Humanism is a religion whose doctrine worships Man as the source of knowledge and truth, whereas theism worships God as the source of all knowledge and truth.”

The Biblical Worldview in Every Part of Life
One of the most important aspects in teaching a biblical worldview is the fact that belief in the Bible should have implications in every aspect of life. The Christian worldview is not just limited to salvation, our knowledge of the Bible, and morality. It extends into every aspect of life and academia. Far too many Christian young people do not realize this. They might accept the basic tenets of Christianity all the while buying into the Humanistic worldview in areas like history, psychology, sociology, or philosophy. In the remainder of this chapter, we will look at eleven areas in which students should be taught the biblical worldview in order to properly meet the challenges that will be presented by the Secular Humanist worldview.

Theology
The very basis of the biblical worldview is the belief in the existence of an all-powerful, personal, loving, just, and holy God. Christians affirm that God is one in essence and nature but exists in the three persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator of everything in existence and is the foundation for all meaning. This same intelligent and all-powerful God came to the earth 2,000 years ago in the human form and person of Jesus Christ and died for the sins of all humans everywhere. God is both mind and heart. He created the world but also loves it so much that He sent His own Son, Jesus, to die for it. Christian theology believes in the Trinity of God, but is not tri-theistic. It denies the existence of three separate gods, and believes that God is the only, one, true God. There are no lesser gods of some sort in the Christian theistic view. The Christian worldview affirms that God has been revealed through His holy Word in the Bible, and that through this Word, we can know Him personally. The Bible, then, is the foundation for everything the Christian does, thinks, and is.
The Secular Humanism of modernity asserted that there was no God. Science and knowledge made God obsolete. They believed that only matter exists, and is all that has ever existed. Man is only matter and has no soul or spirit. They would deny any supernatural explanation for the existence of matter.
Many of the post-modern Humanists have deconstructed science and knowledge to the point that they have re-opened the possibility of existence beyond matter, which opens the door to spirituality. Many of these so-called New Age adherents believe that all things are divine, or a part of God: people, rocks, trees, stars, etc. All we have to do to get in touch with god is to attain total unity with the cosmos. Much of this thinking is, in reality, based on ancient occultic beliefs and practices.

Biology
The belief of the person holding the biblical worldview is that God created all life. Creationists look at the design, order, complexity, and vast amounts of information in the universe and conclude that there must be a designer and information giver. The biblical worldview says that the universe and the life in it are not a result of blind chance but are the result of intentional and special creation. Christians believe that God created a basic number of “kinds” of animals as recounted in Genesis 1, and that each animal brought forth after their own “kind.” Each “kind” has a great deal of genetic variance programmed into their information which accounts for the many different types of humans and animals within their own kind. Thus, it is very likely that all dogs could be traced back to one original dog “kind” on the sixth day of creation.
Naturalistic evolution is the Secular Humanist’s explanation for life. A large explosion of unidentifiable materials exploded billions of years ago; the result was the matter of the universe. On this planet which was nothing but molten rock, it rained for hundreds of millions of years creating a primordial soup. From this soup came the first traces of life which eventually evolved into the world that we see today. Without naturalistic evolution, there can be no Secular Humanist worldview. If evolution did not happen, then a Creator would be necessary. Humanists believe that through the evolutionary concept of natural selection, death brings life. The Christian would argue that death is an enemy not the very process through which life if propagated. Although it is still usually labeled a “theory,” Secular Humanists believe that evolution has been proven to the extent that it is now settled fact. According to their worldview, man is at the apex of evolutionary development and now has the responsibility of directing and aiding the evolutionary process.

History
The Christian worldview is rooted deeply in history. The truth of the Bible is linked, inextricably, to history. If the historical roots and claims of the Bible are proven to be false, then there would be no Christian worldview. The history of the Bible has been shown repeatedly, through historical study and archaeology to be extremely accurate and factual. The historical Bible and the fact of the human life of Jesus Christ form the foundation of the Christian worldview. If the Bible isn’t an historical document or Jesus was not raised from the dead, as the Bible claims, then Christianity falls flat and is not worth following (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
Classic Secular Humanism believed that the history of the world has been one of constant progress through the vehicle of evolution. It would deny any supernatural influence in history; all history is a result of random natural processes. The post-modern Humanist would assert that this belief in the constant progress of humanity is little more than perspective and the result of the Western meta-narrative. There is no evidence, they would argue, that would support the constant progress hypothesis, and it would be impossible to tell because everything is perspective. Some may appear to be progressing at time, while others are not, but it is all perspective.

Law
The Christian worldview believes that divine law has been passed down from God. This law originates from the character of the holy and loving God. Because God is the Creator, humans are under obligation to obey God’s law. He has written this law on the heart and conscience of every man (Romans 2:15). Each human has a moral law imbedded into their conscience because the Creator placed it there. God ordains and establishes human governments and the rule of law to keep in check man’s fallen nature (Romans 13:1-4). Since the Fall, human history is an ongoing attempt by men to replace God’s law. The biblical worldview maintains that when God’s laws are obeyed, men and societies flourish. The very basis for human rights, morality, and right and wrong only make sense if they come for the moral Law-Giver. These rights are given to each man by God and so are inalienable. God’s Word and these natural laws are adequate for mankind to establish societies that allow man’s free will and creativity to flourish, but still keep in check man’s fallen nature.
In the Secular Humanist worldview, the state is the sovereign authority and the source of all law. There is no higher power than the state; it is the only source for legal truth. Morality, justice, and legal truth are what the state says it is, period. If an act is legal, the Secular Humanist would maintain that it is right. There is no concept of morality that transcends the law. Humanism asserts that crime is a symptom of societal shortcomings rather than an inherent flaw in the nature of the individual.

Philosophy
The philosophy of the Christian is to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Any philosophy or school of thought that is not based on the Bible is based on the “traditions of men, after the basic principles of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Secular Humanists claim that the philosophy of the Christian is unscientific. Christians would counter that argument, claiming that all Christian doctrines are consistent with true science, history, and personal experience to a degree and manner that the vain philosophies of the world could never be.
The philosophy of the Secular Humanist rests totally on their belief in materialism. Materialism is the belief that only matter exists and it is eternal. Things that cannot be perceived with the senses, do not exist. The scientific method is the only way to discover truth. Things of the spiritual realm cannot be observed, tested, or experimented on, and so do not exist.
Many post-modern Humanists would reject the old-school materialism, and instead embrace the belief that God is everything, and that everything is a part of God. Everything, therefore, is spiritual and is a manifestation of the spiritual. All matter will one day be gone once universal consciousness is achieved. Matter can be controlled by an enlightened mind. Health, prosperity, and happiness can all be achieved as a result of “mind over matter.”

Psychology

Christianity is the only worldview that emphasizes the spiritual aspect of mankind and our fallen nature. Because of this, the biblical worldview is the only one that can comprehensively address all that ails the human condition. The focus of Christian psychology is not to point fingers external from the individual but to help people recognize their own sinfulness and their need for a Savior. Rather than stressing the need to build up one’s self-esteem, the Christian psychologist realizes that all people are sinners estranged from and in rebellion against God. The purpose of Christian psychology is not to artificially boost the self-esteem, but to help people realize that we are under God’s wrath and in need of reconciliation and His grace in our lives. The problem with humanity cannot be solved by liking yourself more, but by dying to your self in order to live for Christ. According to the Christian view of psychology, one should not ignore or repress the conscience but should recognize their guilt before God and repent. Christianity does not blame the society, environment, or background, but rather, emphasizes personal responsibility.

Secular Humanism believes that every individual can achieve good mental health through physical or material needs. This is called self-actualization. All of man’s actions are the result of mechanical (material) impulses, which is known as behaviorism. This seems contradictory to the belief that man is the master of his fate, because it means that man is really at the mercy of biological forces out of their control. According to the Secular Humanist, however, it is societal institutions that are at the root cause of all that ails the individual.

For the post-modern, societal institutions are all to blame for man’s problems. These institutions stifle the true knowledge and godhood that each person possesses. The true aim of psychology is to cause each individual to realize their full potential.

Sociology

The biblical worldview stresses that God loves each individual and has established a certain social order for the betterment of mankind. God established three primary institutions of social order in order to accomplish this goal: family, church, and state. These institutions are to teach each individual the value of love, respect, discipline, and hard work. Societies will function best when they cooperate with God’s will and His law, which are administered through the family, church, and state.
Sociology is difficult for Secular Humanists because they must explain the gap between the evil that exists in society and their belief that man is capable of perfection through their own means. Evil in individuals is caused, they assert, by the evil that is inherent in societal institutions. Evil is society’s fault, not the individual. Society corrupts man’s inherent goodness. Public education is the means through which the social institutions will be fixed. At a basic level, most Secular Humanists would like to dismantle any traditional notions of family, church, and ultimately state.

Ethics

The Christian view of ethics is simple. God hates evil, loves good, and defines the two concepts in the Bible. Both evil and ethical relativism lead to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Christian ethics cannot be distinguished from the character of God because it is derived from His very nature. The Christian’s system of ethics is based on the immutable Word of God rather than the changing winds of society.

In the Secular Humanist worldview there is no God, so there is no standard on which to base ethics. Standards and values become a wild-west environment where every man makes his own rules. Ethics is based totally on the situation, so the standards will change based on the situation and the individuals involved. “We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing not theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest.”

Education/ Knowledge

The Christian worldview stresses that knowledge begins with the fear of God (Proverbs 2:5). Christian parents are mandated to teach children about the Bible and God (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) or the results will be disastrous for the people of God (Judges 2:10-11). The correct biblical worldview will give equal priority to life (relationships and praxis) and doctrine (education and knowledge) (1 Timothy 4:16). The Bible stresses the importance of Godly knowledge but is otherwise rather negative about the knowledge of the world as it has a distinct tendency to puff up pride and lead people away from God (1 Corinthians 1:19-21).

The traditional Secular Humanist worldview values knowledge and education as a means to transform society. Even the post-modern Humanist that rejects objective knowledge still tends to value public education as a way to transform society and indoctrinate the virtues that they value. Tolerance and relativism are stressed as two of the most important values to be transmitted to the next generation.

Politics

The biblical worldview recognizes that the state as a God-ordained institution (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). Government is necessary due to the depravity of man in his fallen state. Although God is sovereign, he allows the state a certain amount of dominion to rule over the immediate affairs of men. The Bible endorses limited government as Jesus Christ is the ultimate King. Christians are mandated to be salt and light in their societies. To do this fully, they cannot withdraw from any aspect of society, including politics. The Christian must always remember, however, that their primary allegiance is to the Kingdom of God and not the state of which they are a part.

The ultimate goal of Secular Humanism is utopia. They believe that world peace can best be achieved through world government. The allegiance of the Secular Humanist is towards the goal of a New World Order rather than their country of origin. The seeming contradiction of the Humanist view is that they feel society is to blame for all of man’s problems, yet hold to the belief that they can fix all of man’s ills through a one-world society.

Economics

The Christian view of economics believes that man is sinful and that God values justice. Systems like socialism and communism are based on the assumption that man is inherently good. Believing that man is fallen leads the Christian to promote a system which protects the rights of individuals from infringement by others. The best economic system, then, is one that contains checks and balances to protect basic human rights. Based on this criterion, it would appear that the free enterprise system is more compatible with the Christian worldview than any other.
Secular Humanism believes that the Humanist-controlled state will eventually fix society’s problems. Because of this, most Humanists favor some form of socialism. Because there is no God, man must save himself through the state by controlling all aspects of society. In their vision, the world’s economy would be controlled and managed through the central planning of the one world government. They are, consequently, in favor of anything that puts more economic control in the hands of the government.

Detecting the Worldview

One of the simplest and most effective things that a Christian parent can ever do is to teach their children to constantly ask themselves one question: what are they trying to teach me? This question is one of the best things with which we can arm our children. It is not enough to simply teach our children a comprehensive Christian worldview, although that is invaluable. We must provide them the ability to detect and decipher the worldview in everything. We began doing this with our eleven-year-old when he was about five. We have already begun with our three-year-old.

What my wife and I have done is to teach our children to realize that every action taken by a human is influenced by their underlying worldview. That means that every movie, newspaper article, book, magazine, TV show, commercial, song, advertisement, etc., has an underlying worldview.

We have taught our children the simple concept of asking what everything they encounter is trying to teach them. What is the worldview behind that TV show, movie, or commercial? Everywhere we look we see the secular world’s ideas of sex, materialism, tolerance, religion, etc. A child who is trained to ask the important questions about the worldview of those who created these things will be able to identify and discard that worldview. When we understand something, it loses its power over us. A worldview that has been identified and quarantined in our child’s mind is far less likely to influence them. I love nothing more than to watch my older son discard a commercial or TV show, while correctly identifying that there was a clear message of materialism, or a message that sex is okay before marriage, or a pro-evolutionary way of thinking. Once taught this subject, kids can often be better at discerning these underlying worldviews than we are.

The Psychology of Worldview and Worldview Changes

The concept of young people developing and changing their worldviews is not just a concept that we have invented. There is actually a fair amount of psychological research and theory behind the development and transition of worldviews and belief systems. We can gain some valuable insight into our own children on an individual basis by looking at the more universal theories and psychology of worldviews
Cosmology is the study of the origins of the universe, or in other words, how did everything get here. This is, obviously, one of the four major questions that a worldview must address. In a research study on the development of cosmology, it was discovered that there are four basic cosmology levels. At Level 1 (approximately 5 to 8 years old), God makes everything, including human artifacts. At Level 2 (7 to 9 years old), God still makes most of nature but no longer artifacts. At level 3 (10 to 13 years old), nature functions primarily on its own and human beings are largely autonomous, but believe that God somehow acts behind the scenes. At level 4 (15 years and up), scientific and theological concepts are reflected and coordinated.
This particular study also showed that no cases of regression in the cosmological worldview of the young people. The point here is that as children grow older, their concepts of God and the world become more complex. This process begins to happen as early as 7 years old and is in full swing by the age of 10. Studies have shown that all children have changed their beliefs at least once. As children grow older they will add new information to change their worldview. That it will develop and change is a fact. If they are not provided ongoing information that will challenge them at the level they are currently at, chances become increasingly slim that parents and youth workers will be able to have an ongoing influence in their worldviews.

Worldviews develop only when the information the person is given continues to answer the challenges of the world that they are experiencing. This is why Jesus said, “Have salt in yourselves” (Mark 9:50). In other words, if we are to be salt in the world, then we must first be filled with salt. Our children have to have salt poured into them or else the world will fill them up with something else.
When it comes to studies of how children acquire knowledge, studies have shown that pre-school children rely almost exclusively on their own experience, supplemented by reason. Grade schoolers tend to appeal to authority on issues of fact and subjectivity on issues of taste or opinion. As early as 7-years old and nearly all 10-year olds “believed that diversity of opinion was legitimate but gradually discovered consensus as a way out of some cloudy issues, Thus, a collapse of absolute conviction occurs as early as childhood.” In contrast to young children, pre-teens and teens are prone to have doubts about the validity of their worldview. Unless they are specifically taught otherwise, the natural tendency of children will be to gravitate towards the consensus worldview of their peers. It could also be said that when kids understand the process of forming their worldview, they form a more advanced and solid worldview.

By the time children become middle and older adolescents, they have come to the point, though, that they need to filter information and strengthen or change their worldview based on their own logical thought. In piecing together the aggregate statements of all adolescents studied, Reich, Oser, and Valentin created the following summary quote from the perspective of the adolescent.

It is up to me to know what is the case. Although others can give some indications, and although it may be useful to check what they have to say, basically, in most cases, I can find out by myself all that is needed, if I use the right methods. They include logical thought, analysis of my experiences, testing my ideas in various natural and human environments, and improving my knowledge in an iterative bootstrap manner, enlarging my horizons, reviewing my knowledge possessions from time to time, and replacing the obsolete ones.

What this means is that it is vital for parents to not only give a firm foundation of biblical knowledge for young people, they also need to be taught the proper methods of critical thinking so that they can examine information and continue to craft their own worldviews. By the time of their adolescence, young people need to be presented information and let them accept it or reject it into their worldview using their own logic and critical reasoning. If they haven’t been taught these skills, their levels of discernment are likely to be low.

Another aspect that will be helpful is to consider the area of identity development and the crisis. In this context, crisis refers to situational opportunities that arise and challenge the individual to examine and possibly adjust their belief system or worldview.

James Marcia, in building on Eric Erikson’s theory of identity formation in young people, identified four identity statuses. The first is the identity diffusion stage. In this stage of adolescence, the young person has not experienced any significant crisis and is yet to make a personal commitment to any belief system.
Stage two is called foreclosure. In this stage the subject has not yet experienced a crisis but has made definite commitments to a worldview system. This is the stage in which we find many young people. Their identity of beliefs comes primarily from their parents. They believe what their parents believe without really examining it for themselves. This stage can give adults a false sense of security. The young person in this stage seems quite set in their beliefs but it can really be nothing more than smoke because the subject has not really been tested in their beliefs nor have they engaged in serious self-examination.

The third stage is called moratorium. The young person is in a very real crisis of identity and is actively searching for values to eventually claim as their own. They are actively searching to define their own personal identity. They have not, however, made a commitment to their worldview in this stage. Many parents get extremely “freaked out” when their children go through this stage and it is often perceived as abject rebellion. This is a time, however, when a prepared and patient parent can find themselves of great use to the searching young person. Rather than fighting the adolescent’s search, the parent can provide a gentle and guiding hand to help them on their journey. As with anything else, when we understand something it loses its power over us. When parents explain to young people that they need to search and form their own worldviews and the process through which they must go, kids are far more likely to make wise choices. It must be stressed again, though, the advantage of having already taught children proper methods of examining other worldviews such as the previously mentioned road runner technique.

The fourth stage in adolescent development is identity-achieved. This is where the young person has gone through the process of exploration and crisis and has resolved their identity issues on their own terms. By this stage the student has developed a worldview that has been parent taught, self-examined and able to stand the test of time and other crises.

Another helpful way to look at the young person’s process of changing worldview comes from William G. McLoughlin’s analysis of religious awakenings, Revivals Awakenings, and Reform. McLoughlin attempts to describe what great awakenings are, what causes them, and what effects they have on the culture. He identifies five separate great awakenings in the history of America. He asserts that great awakenings are the result of cultural disjunctions between our norms and our experience. In other words, the institutions of our society no longer match what we experience everyday in our culture. Once faith is lost in our institutions, leaders, and religions, revitalization is needed to restructure our institutions, leaders, and religions so that they meet the demands of the changing culture. The first stage of a great awakening is the realization of this gap between norm and experience and the call for a revitalization movement. Second, is when people conclude that the problems are a result of institutional malfunction which seemingly cannot be fixed by any current element or institution within the society. Third, according to McLoughlin, is when “accumulated pressures for change produce such acute . . . stress that the whole culture must break the crust of custom . . . and find new socially structured avenues.” During this time a prophet that epitomizes the crisis of the culture arises to lead people in a new direction. Fourth, the prophet of the “new-light” vision begins to attract younger and more flexible members of the society. They are willing to try new formulations to meet the crisis. Finally, the prophet succeeds in garnering a large group of adherents to their new guidelines and practices. As this group becomes dominant, considerable changes are made to the institutional structure of the society.

These same stages can often be observed in the lives of individuals who have not been taught a comprehensive Christian worldview as well as societies as a whole. A gap happens in the life of the teen when what they have been taught about life and the Bible and what they are really experiencing in their own life. When a one-dimensional Christianity is taught that does not comprehensively touch every area of life, gaps are sure to occur. The second stage happens when the teen concludes that the reason for this gap lies in the deficiency of the Christian worldview itself, rather than their shallow understanding of it. While the teen is beginning to question the validity of the incomplete Christian worldview, someone else comes along and offers a new solution to the very real experiences they are having. This may be a new group or friends, but can also be a new teaching or idea. In the fourth stage, the child begins to believe that this new worldview meets their current experiences. It may not be comprehensive or even logical but it becomes very appealing if it offers answers to the current experiences. Finally, they leave their old worldview and join the new worldview camp wholeheartedly.

Let’s see these five stages working in a real-to-life example. Let’s imagine a scenario in which a young person has grown up in the church but has never been taught specifics about the importance of believing in absolute truth or how to defend the concept. They get into middle school and meet friends who think decidedly differently than they do. These friends challenge the Christian-based beliefs on which they have been raised. At the same time, they are being flooded with concepts at school like evolution which challenges the truth that God created the universe. They are also given moral dilemmas which they cannot answer, so they begin to question the absolutes of moral right or the sanctity of life. In Social Studies class, they are told that we must never judge the worldviews, beliefs, or morals of anyone else. Suddenly, the version of Christianity they have been taught is incomplete. It doesn’t seem to offer answers to these new mental challenges. They begin to look at the fun that their friends who aren’t bound by any Christian principles are having. The worldview of their friends seems to be summed up by the famous “do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” This seems to make a lot more sense in a world where there are no absolutes. To tell them that they shouldn’t do what everyone else is doing simply because God supposedly said so, doesn’t seem to be enough any longer. The way that their friends are living seems to fit better with this new view of the world that has been offered in class. This new worldview better meets what they have been experiencing, so it is embraced and the old worldview is rejected.

Much of this can be avoided if the parents and their children understand this process, prepare for it and present a version of Christianity that is comprehensive and complete. This is a complete worldview that will be far more likely to meet the many experiences and crises they will have. A worldview that meets the experiences of the individual will most likely not be cast off for a new worldview.

Conclusion
One thing is very clear; the Christian community faces a pluralistic society like no other time in the history of the United States. Although this certainly presents its own challenges, it also offers some wonderful opportunities. As we live in and raise children in a pluralistic society, there are four guidelines that we should remember.

First, we must learn to distinguish between conviction and opinion. Convictions are things that cannot be compromised by the Christian. Convictions differ from opinion in source and the degree to which we defend them. Convictions come as specific directives from the Word of God. Opinions are the ways we try to best define the way we should fill in the gaps between biblical directives. Convictions define us, we define opinion. Convictions need to be rooted in love or they become repulsive. Convictions without love become blind dogma that will attract no one to the life of Christ.

Second, we should understand that pluralism can be a good thing. When man is bent on self-satisfaction and aggrandizement, unity can be catastrophic. One needs to look no further than the incident at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Pluralism presents many challenges for the Christian but it does temper society in many ways. It also forces Christians to really think through our doctrines and be able to defend them.

Third, it really is a great opportunity to live in a society where we can learn different perspectives from different people. It stretches us and induces us to discover new ways to apply our faith to people of different backgrounds and cultures. Sharing the gospel is a tremendous privilege. It is exciting to have the opportunity to share our faith with many different people in many different cultural settings without ever having to leave our own cities.

Finally, we must be careful to not politicize the gospel. Societies and cultures are not truly changed by the imposition of law but by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the lives of individuals as they share the gospel. As we seek to apply a comprehensive worldview and truly live a life where Jesus is King of every aspect of our lives, we need to be careful to not take areas of opinion and turn them into convictions. The gospel changes lives, societal institutions do not, no matter how biblically-based they are.

Although it is important to teach children that the Word of God is living and active and relevant to every area of our lives, it is more important that they have a truly biblical worldview as it applies to their own spirituality. Unfortunately, we tend to present a version of Christianity which does not prepare young people to have their own souls transformed by God. One must first be transformed by the Spirit of God, before they can face the challenges of the world and attempt to apply their biblical worldview to every area of life. For the remainder of the book, we will turn our attention to presenting the gospel to our own children in a way that is relevant for the young people of today.