BiblicalBiblicalTheThe

WorldviewWorldviewa project of RBC Ministries

[Revised: August 11, 2010]

Meaning of the Triangle Logo:Meaning of the Triangle Logo:

The upward facing red triangle represents the Christ-centered The upward facing red triangle represents the Christ-centered (trinitarian) worldview and coming world-reality based on the atoning (trinitarian) worldview and coming world-reality based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.sacrifice of Jesus.

The downward facing black triangle represents the alternative world The downward facing black triangle represents the alternative world reality offered by Satan, the Prince of Darkness.reality offered by Satan, the Prince of Darkness.

The central outline triangle represents the worldview of people—The central outline triangle represents the worldview of people—indicating that we can choose either of the two worldviews. Its indicating that we can choose either of the two worldviews. Its downward direction, however, shows that original sin (the Fall) has downward direction, however, shows that original sin (the Fall) has people bent toward the darkness, and that people have to “choose life” people bent toward the darkness, and that people have to “choose life” by accepting the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and adopting the Christ-by accepting the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and adopting the Christ-centered worldview.centered worldview.

creationcreation In the original creation (paradise) everything was in harmony

(the Hebrew word “shalom”). The original relationships within the creation as pictured by the ancient prophets were these:

1) God was in ownership of the earth;

2) God and people were in fellowship with each other;

3) God gave to people the right and responsibility to be in a position of stewardship over the earth.The sovereign, eternal God was in lordship over all. This peaceable kingdom was made possible by the life- affirming attributes of the Creator.

The original way is called the way of truth & life.

God in Lordship over all

God

People Earthstewardship

fello

wship

ownership

the way of truth & lifethe way of truth & life

Paradise: the“peaceable kingdom”

(shalom)

the attributesthe attributes The early, innocent earth was truly paradise. People

created in His likeness “imaged” God’s attributes. The earth was whole and energized with life--always celebrating its relationship to its Creator and its stewards.

Everything followed the way of truth & life.

The normal state of the earth was peaceful, harmonious, and life affirming (shalom). According to the ancient writings, the Creator proclaimed it all “very good.” The Creator made covenants of blessing with both people and the earth.

God

People Earthstewardship

fello

wship ownershipThe

“peaceable kingdom”

The attributes of God:

righteous (right in behavior and true in nature), gracious, loving, just,

good, and immortal

The attributes of people: (imaging their Creator) right in

behavior, true in nature, obedient to God, gracious, loving, just, good,

creative, and—having access to the tree of life—immortal

The attributes of the earth:

perfect provider, subservient (to God and people), whole, and fully alive

covenant covenant

Symbol:Tree of Life

the responsethe response

The way of truth & life for the earth was characterized by people reflecting the attributes of their Creator in their responses to both Him and to the earth.

The earth in turn, was a perfect provider, its creatures in obedience to people. This was the normal pattern for the first people who were expected to carry out a covenant of care, compassion, and priesthood for the earth.

God

People Earth

The response of people to the earth: (covenant of care, compassion and priesthood) management development creative use compassionate use wise use

The response of the earth to people::

provision (“always enough”) obedience

The response of people to God:

obediencehumilityworshippraise

The response of the earth to God:

obediencepraise

fallfall When our first parents disobeyed their Creator by acting

on the lie of Satan (that they could be like God), they fell from the way of truth & life to the way of deception & death. (Consequently, this is called “the Fall.”)

♦ All the relationships of paradise were broken. To remind people constantly of this wrong choice, God made the earth resistant to the work of people to have dominion over it and use it for their own selfish ends. (This act of the Creator is called “the curse.”)

♦ The way of deception & death perverted and inverted everything on the earth. Peace was shattered and humanity’s covenant of care, compassion, and priesthood for the earth was ignored and eventually forgotten.

Satan usurped lordship over the earthand turned everything upside down

Satan

PeopleEarth

stewardship

fellowshipowne

rshi

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Relationships broken. Shalom shattered.

Paradise lost.

Satan: opposed to God, profane, unrighteous, deceptive, unmerciful,

unloving, unjust, evil, doomed to everlasting bondage in the lake of fire.

Earth:imperfect provider,resistant to people,fragmented, andblighted by death(“never enough”)

People:self-centered,

deceptive and deceived,profane, unmerciful,

unloving, unjust, evil, violent, and, being denied access

to the tree of life,condemned to die

Symbols:Tree of Death(Knowledge of

Evil)Tree of thorns

the behavior of people living on the behavior of people living on the way of deception & deaththe way of deception & death

Worshiping the creation, idols, and/or self; hence disobeying God, who is the eternal source of life

Abusing the creation, which is the temporal and natural source of life

Shunning labor and suppressing or abusing creative activity; “saving labor” at the expense of human health and the health of the creation

Using technology for self-centered purposes. Indulging in unrestrained sexual intercourse outside of the

bounds of marriage for recreation, self-gratification, and/or abusive purposes

Members of the same gender indulging in sexual intercourse— thereby proscribing the Creator’s purpose to unite male and female for complementary companionship, conjugal fulfillment, procreation, and child rearing (in short, perpetuating the human race)

Destroying and threatening human life through abortion, incest, abuse and neglect

Murdering, torturing, being violent, carrying out terrorism and unjust warfare and causing unnecessary animal suffering and death

Practicing behavior that is unhealthful and life-threatening, and neglecting those who suffer

Hoarding the earth's bounty and neglecting the poor and disenfranchised; abusing charitable giving

Depending upon money and personal strength and intelligence for personal security

Denying personal sin and encouraging others to sin Rejecting and misusing the truth, and suppressing

God's revelations—The “special revelation” of His Word and the “general revelation” of His works.

redemptionredemption God did not permit Satan to have ultimate victory over His creation.

He confronted Satan by stepping into our world in the form of a man. God in human form was the man Jesus (God the Son). It was the plan of God the Father for God the Son to die to atone for the waywardness of mankind. When Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, not only was mankind potentially healed, but the remainder of the creation as well.

At that point in history, Satan’s ultimate defeat was assured, and all the good relationships of the original creation potentially restored. The lost paradise was regained (peace and harmony – shalom). This healing and restoration of all things will be complete when Jesus bodily returns to reign on the earth. Those who accept His atoning sacrifice will reign with Him in the peaceable kingdom illustrated by the prophet Isaiah. All creatures and things redeemed will be lifted from the way of deception & death and restored to the way of truth & life.

God’s lordship and the peaceful, harmonious relationships (shalom) ultimately restored

by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Satan’s defeat was assured.

God

People Earthstewardship

fello

wship ownership

Symbols:Tree of Calvary

Crown of Thorns

Paradise regained.Shalom restored.

The behavior of those living on The behavior of those living on the way of truth & lifethe way of truth & life

Worshiping and obeying God, who is the eternal and supernatural source of life

Acting as stewards of the creation, which is the temporaland natural source of life

Working heartily to gain sustenance for life and glorifying God through the expression of creative activity

Using technology for Christ-centered purposes Confining sexual intercourse to the nurturing bounds of marriage

(male and female) for life’s procreation and conjugal fulfillment Recognizing that sexual intercourse in the bounds of holy matrimony

is an intimate sacrament of unity exclusively between male and female (no procreation of life outside of this natural bond)

Nurturing human life from conception through adulthood

Avoiding murder, violence, terrorism, and unjust warfare and causing unnecessary animal suffering and death

Practicing behavior that is healthful (life perpetuating) and attending to the healing of those who suffer

Sharing of the earth’s resources among all people, attending to the poor and disenfranchised, and practicing charitable giving

Depending upon God and faith-centered community for life’s security Avoiding sinful life-threatening behavior and lovingly admonishing those

who sin Affirming, proclaiming, and celebrating the life-giving truth found in both

the special and general revelations of God (His Word and His works)

Life affirmationLife affirmation is the motivating principle of Christian ethics!

restorationrestoration In the restored/new creation everything will be in

harmony once again (shalom).The original relationships within the creation will be fully realized and sanctified:

1) God’s ownership of the earth will be affirmed;

2) God and people will be in fellowship with each other;

3) The earth will be under the rulership of Jesus, God the Son, who will be enthroned in the New Jerusalem. His Followers will be judges, priests, and kings to help ensure wise and godly stewardship of the earth.4) In the final way of truth & life there will be a revolutionary new physical and material reality in which to enjoy our role as God’s children. Heaven will come to earth.

Jesus Christ in Lordship over all

God

People Earthstewardship

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wship

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eternal way of truth & lifeeternal way of truth & life

Everlasting shalom

Symbol of future shalom:

Tree of Life

The Christian [worldview] does not fear comparison with any other view of things!

It is far superior to all the solutions of the riddle of the world — which do

not take God into account.

It is not speculation but reality,not imagination but wisdom,not a deception but the truth,

and therefore . . .It does not paralyze but liberates,does not humiliate but exalts,does not degrade but ennobles.

Erich Sauer, The King of the Earth, 1962; p.45

thoughts on the Healingthoughts on the Healing “A truly biblical Christianity has a real answer to the ecological

crisis. It offers a balanced and healthy attitude toward nature, arising from the truth of its creation by God; it offers the hope here and now of a substantial healing in nature of some of the results of the Fall arising from the truth of redemption in Christ. In each of the alienations arising from the Fall, the Christians, individually and corporately, should consciously in practice be a healing, redemptive factor—in the separation of man from God, of man from himself, of man from man, of man from nature, and nature from nature. A Christian-based science and technology should consciously try to see nature substantially healed, while waiting for the future complete healing at Christ’s return.”

Francis Schaeffer in Pollution and the Death of Man: The Christian View of Ecology, Tyndale House Publishers, 1970

Appendix 2:

economics and the Two Wayseconomics and the Two WaysAppendix 3:

When economists speak of the “bottom line,” they usually refer to profit—the money that’s left over when all the costs have been factored in. But thinking of moneymoney as the bottom line is wrong, and it is the cause of many of the world’s social and environmental crises. The true bottom line is the same as the bottom line of the relationship triangle used to illustrate the Two Ways worldview: how well peoplepeople are carrying out their stewardshipstewardship responsibilities toward the earthearth. Until recently, economists have not added in the costs of a degraded environment nor have they assessed carefully the circumstances of the millions of disenfranchised people of the earth. In short, they discount all the interrelated elements of the relationship triangle. Hence, most economies end up operating by the principles of the way of deception and deaththe way of deception and death..

represented by money in the economy

the true bottom linethe true bottom line

People Earthstewardship

God

services creative users (God’s image) stewards of life’s resources

goods created materials life’s resources

the true bottom line

“You cannot serve both God and Money.” –Jesus