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Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way
Developing a Biblical Worldview equips readers to think biblically about the world in which we live. Four questions that everyone asks, at least implicitly, about life and reality are used as a rubric for analyzing Who are we? Where are we? What is wrong? What is the answer? Professor C. Fred Smith answers these questions from a biblical perspective, enabling readers to discern how they have been influenced by false worldviews and where they need to grow in their biblical understanding.
As readers consider what it means to be human beings made in the image of God, to live in the world God created, to experience sin and its consequences, and to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, they will be encouraged to immerse themselves intentionally in the totality of Scripture and see the world God’s way.
As readers consider what it means to be human beings made in the image of God, to live in the world God created, to experience sin and its consequences, and to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, they will be encouraged to immerse themselves intentionally in the totality of Scripture and see the world God’s way.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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June 13, 2015
The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:16 notes “we have the mind of Christ.” To have the mind of Christ means to have as our purpose thinking about all things in the manner Christ did, namely the approach of doing that which God declares. In order to have the mind of Christ, we must have a worldview that understands God’s purposes in the world. To see the world as God’s sees things requires a basic understanding and framework, one rooted firmly in Scripture that in turn impacts how we live, how we interact with others and situations around us, and most importantly, how we understand God’s plan for history.
C. Fred Smith, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Liberty University, in his book Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way, explores and unpacks this important idea of what it means to have a biblical worldview. Smith does not rest his discussion on some philosophical ideal. Conversely, he roots his approach in the pages of Scripture as “the Bible gives us insight into God’s way of seeing things.” If the Bible is the final authority for believers, it should be the first place we look to understand what God is up to in history and how as believers we should perceive and act in alignment with God’s divine purposes.
In order to have a properly developed worldview, we must first understand who we are as humanity and the relationship between Creator (God) and His creation (man). Smith aptly begins his worldview overview by noting the important issue of being made in the image of God, the impact of sin, our physical and spiritual nature, completing the chapter with important insight into who believers are, namely the body of Christ, a people who are forgiven, being sanctified through the Holy Spirit, and who as God’s people can properly declare the message of the gospel because we understand this basic foundational question of who we are when it comes to a biblical worldview.
Smith next explores the question of where we are, a seemingly easy question as after all don’t we live on planet earth. There is far more to this topic than just the fact we live on a specific planet in the universe. Smith saliently notes, “The universe is an expression of who God is; and it reveals about his nature, his character, his ways of thinking. Much like a painter who expresses on canvass his inmost thoughts and being, so also God created with no other purpose in mind than to show forth his own inmost thoughts and being – his glory.” In short, the heavens declare the glory of God. We are not the product of random chance, but rather we were created by God and created for a purpose. Furthermore, as Smith elaborates on quite well, God has established laws that govern the universe and the behavior of who and what He created. Thus, a cogent biblical worldview understands matters of right and wrong.
The issue of wrong is next on the agenda for Smith and rightly so. If God has established a framework for behavior, that implies that standard defines what is right and what is wrong. In our day and age, wrong is often left up to one’s fertile imagination. In a biblical worldview, we can understand “Only God’s Word, the Bible offers the real answer, and it can be expressed in one world: sin. Sin lies behind all our tendency to behave irrationally or antisocially, and even the human tendency to embrace false beliefs and false religions.” Scripture is the guide God has provided to humanity to understand matters of morality. A biblical worldview refers to Scripture to understand the nature of sin and the solution to the problem.
God does not leave man without an answer. Smith correctly notes the answer to the problem of sin is the cross. In fact, “Without the cross there would be no solution to the sin problem.” This is especially important when for instance major natural disasters take place or some act of random or purposeful violence is inflicted on our fellow man by people who are truly evil. We can best define such disasters and evil only from the framework of a biblical worldview. As Smith avers, “We should view every tragic event as being a result of sin at work in the world and in people’s lives” with the answer to such tragedies being the cross. We know as believers that the impact of sin will continue until Christ returns to clean up this mess. It is that future promise that gives us hope and it is that very worldview that is the answer so many people need to hear.
In the final chapters of this helpful book, Smith provides the reader with how some individuals in Scripture would have understood these aforementioned four basic worldview questions. This was an interesting discussion and it really brings what could be a philosophical oriented discussion down to some real life examples from men who lived in times of great tragedy and who experienced firsthand God’s deliverance and work in their lives and in the lives of those around them. Smith also engages how to apply a biblical worldview to common cultural issues of our day, a chapter I found very informative, practical, and helpful especially when it comes to matters of entertainment.
If you are looking for an impactful, insightful, and biblically centered book on how to develop a biblical worldview then I highly recommend you take a look at this particular offering. Smith lucidly presents four key questions that must be addressed that will assuredly help the reader grasp what it means to see things God’s way and most importantly, how to properly understand how things started, the impact of sin, and the promise God has made to restore and redeem through the work of the cross. With this biblical worldview in place, we can better engage society with the glorious message of the gospel and we can better understand God’s Word as it seeps into every fiber of our being so we can have the mind of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
C. Fred Smith, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Liberty University, in his book Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way, explores and unpacks this important idea of what it means to have a biblical worldview. Smith does not rest his discussion on some philosophical ideal. Conversely, he roots his approach in the pages of Scripture as “the Bible gives us insight into God’s way of seeing things.” If the Bible is the final authority for believers, it should be the first place we look to understand what God is up to in history and how as believers we should perceive and act in alignment with God’s divine purposes.
In order to have a properly developed worldview, we must first understand who we are as humanity and the relationship between Creator (God) and His creation (man). Smith aptly begins his worldview overview by noting the important issue of being made in the image of God, the impact of sin, our physical and spiritual nature, completing the chapter with important insight into who believers are, namely the body of Christ, a people who are forgiven, being sanctified through the Holy Spirit, and who as God’s people can properly declare the message of the gospel because we understand this basic foundational question of who we are when it comes to a biblical worldview.
Smith next explores the question of where we are, a seemingly easy question as after all don’t we live on planet earth. There is far more to this topic than just the fact we live on a specific planet in the universe. Smith saliently notes, “The universe is an expression of who God is; and it reveals about his nature, his character, his ways of thinking. Much like a painter who expresses on canvass his inmost thoughts and being, so also God created with no other purpose in mind than to show forth his own inmost thoughts and being – his glory.” In short, the heavens declare the glory of God. We are not the product of random chance, but rather we were created by God and created for a purpose. Furthermore, as Smith elaborates on quite well, God has established laws that govern the universe and the behavior of who and what He created. Thus, a cogent biblical worldview understands matters of right and wrong.
The issue of wrong is next on the agenda for Smith and rightly so. If God has established a framework for behavior, that implies that standard defines what is right and what is wrong. In our day and age, wrong is often left up to one’s fertile imagination. In a biblical worldview, we can understand “Only God’s Word, the Bible offers the real answer, and it can be expressed in one world: sin. Sin lies behind all our tendency to behave irrationally or antisocially, and even the human tendency to embrace false beliefs and false religions.” Scripture is the guide God has provided to humanity to understand matters of morality. A biblical worldview refers to Scripture to understand the nature of sin and the solution to the problem.
God does not leave man without an answer. Smith correctly notes the answer to the problem of sin is the cross. In fact, “Without the cross there would be no solution to the sin problem.” This is especially important when for instance major natural disasters take place or some act of random or purposeful violence is inflicted on our fellow man by people who are truly evil. We can best define such disasters and evil only from the framework of a biblical worldview. As Smith avers, “We should view every tragic event as being a result of sin at work in the world and in people’s lives” with the answer to such tragedies being the cross. We know as believers that the impact of sin will continue until Christ returns to clean up this mess. It is that future promise that gives us hope and it is that very worldview that is the answer so many people need to hear.
In the final chapters of this helpful book, Smith provides the reader with how some individuals in Scripture would have understood these aforementioned four basic worldview questions. This was an interesting discussion and it really brings what could be a philosophical oriented discussion down to some real life examples from men who lived in times of great tragedy and who experienced firsthand God’s deliverance and work in their lives and in the lives of those around them. Smith also engages how to apply a biblical worldview to common cultural issues of our day, a chapter I found very informative, practical, and helpful especially when it comes to matters of entertainment.
If you are looking for an impactful, insightful, and biblically centered book on how to develop a biblical worldview then I highly recommend you take a look at this particular offering. Smith lucidly presents four key questions that must be addressed that will assuredly help the reader grasp what it means to see things God’s way and most importantly, how to properly understand how things started, the impact of sin, and the promise God has made to restore and redeem through the work of the cross. With this biblical worldview in place, we can better engage society with the glorious message of the gospel and we can better understand God’s Word as it seeps into every fiber of our being so we can have the mind of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 21, 2016
I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Smith a few months ago and finally had the opportunity to read his book. Dr. Smith’s intention in the book is to help the reader “develop” not “adopt” a biblical worldview. Smith argues a biblical worldview is not arrived at in a moment. There is no “aha” moment where one automatically assumes a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview is developed over time as one understands God’s word at a deeper level.
Smith begins the book by explaining what a worldview is. Every person has a worldview that underlines their thinking. This worldview influences everything that one says and does. The first four discuss what Smith sees as the basic worldview questions: Who are we? Where are we? What is Wrong? What is the Answer? Through the first four chapters, Smith presents answers to each of the four questions with an emphasis on how the Bible answers them. He writes, “The Bible should determine how you understand reality, yourself, and those around you, and how you solve problems.”[1] This idea should be central to every Christian’s thought process.
The next three chapters focus on answering these questions. Smith answers them first by using the biblical examples of Noah, Moses, and David providing biblical citations to support his thesis. Next, Smith examines how Americans might answer these questions again using examples. In this case, Smith uses examples from people in different times in American history as well as from an Evolutionary perspective. Third, Smith answers the worldview questions from the perspective of popular culture using examples from various television shows, movies, and sports. (He uses my favorite sports team, the Dallas Cowboys, as one of his examples-which both made me smile and cringe). The final two chapters seek to explain how to apply the principles to developing a biblical worldview. First, Smith explains why people avoid developing a biblical worldview. For Smith, group think, laziness, bad (or a poor choice of) friends, and tradition are the primary barriers in the lives of believers. Many of these aspects were convicting as I have seen them play out in my own life. Finally, chapter 9 presents practical tips to developing a biblical worldview. Smith focuses on reading God’s word and hearing it taught by others are the primary ways to develop a biblical worldview. The more exposure to God’s Word, the better one will understand how believers should think.
Smith’s main argument throughout the book is that Christians should challenge the unbiblical principles in the culture around us. Individualism, as opposed to living relationally, is of primary concern. Smith mentions this “atomic” versus “relational” worldview in nearly every chapter. From a biblical perspective, we are all interconnected and our worldview should reflect that fact.
Overall, I found the book to be an engaging read. It was a fairly short read once I devoted my time to it (I am finishing my M.Div. in Theological Studies so that is difficult at times). I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the worldview around them and how to deal with those worldviews from a biblical perspective. My wife is pregnant with our first child and while reading the book and seeing the worldview questions asked from various points of popular culture, I recognized (more than I already had) that I need to ensure that my household operates from a biblical worldview and is not “transformed” by the worldviews of the world but is “…transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
[1] C. Fred Smith, Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2015), Location 120. Kindle Edition.
Smith begins the book by explaining what a worldview is. Every person has a worldview that underlines their thinking. This worldview influences everything that one says and does. The first four discuss what Smith sees as the basic worldview questions: Who are we? Where are we? What is Wrong? What is the Answer? Through the first four chapters, Smith presents answers to each of the four questions with an emphasis on how the Bible answers them. He writes, “The Bible should determine how you understand reality, yourself, and those around you, and how you solve problems.”[1] This idea should be central to every Christian’s thought process.
The next three chapters focus on answering these questions. Smith answers them first by using the biblical examples of Noah, Moses, and David providing biblical citations to support his thesis. Next, Smith examines how Americans might answer these questions again using examples. In this case, Smith uses examples from people in different times in American history as well as from an Evolutionary perspective. Third, Smith answers the worldview questions from the perspective of popular culture using examples from various television shows, movies, and sports. (He uses my favorite sports team, the Dallas Cowboys, as one of his examples-which both made me smile and cringe). The final two chapters seek to explain how to apply the principles to developing a biblical worldview. First, Smith explains why people avoid developing a biblical worldview. For Smith, group think, laziness, bad (or a poor choice of) friends, and tradition are the primary barriers in the lives of believers. Many of these aspects were convicting as I have seen them play out in my own life. Finally, chapter 9 presents practical tips to developing a biblical worldview. Smith focuses on reading God’s word and hearing it taught by others are the primary ways to develop a biblical worldview. The more exposure to God’s Word, the better one will understand how believers should think.
Smith’s main argument throughout the book is that Christians should challenge the unbiblical principles in the culture around us. Individualism, as opposed to living relationally, is of primary concern. Smith mentions this “atomic” versus “relational” worldview in nearly every chapter. From a biblical perspective, we are all interconnected and our worldview should reflect that fact.
Overall, I found the book to be an engaging read. It was a fairly short read once I devoted my time to it (I am finishing my M.Div. in Theological Studies so that is difficult at times). I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the worldview around them and how to deal with those worldviews from a biblical perspective. My wife is pregnant with our first child and while reading the book and seeing the worldview questions asked from various points of popular culture, I recognized (more than I already had) that I need to ensure that my household operates from a biblical worldview and is not “transformed” by the worldviews of the world but is “…transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
[1] C. Fred Smith, Developing a Biblical Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2015), Location 120. Kindle Edition.
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