#ReimagineDISCIPLESHIP...as developing a biblical worldview
Sent to me by a colleague ..
"A recent article in The Christian Post discussed findings by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University that found while 61% of American millennials consider themselves to be Christian, just 2% of them were found to hold a biblical worldview. Conducted by Dr. George Barna, the study also reported that just 6% of American adults overall hold a biblical worldview."
#ItSeemsToMe...this may be why there are so many #evangelicals yelling at one another on social media. Maybe we think that everything we think is what Jesus would think.
True discipleship is the difficult task of asking the Holy Spirit to give us discernment that leads to wisdom from the knowledge we have acquired. Knowing the Bible does not automatically mean we know the mind of Christ. Theology is not mere information to memorize but truths to be actualized. Being "right" (able to quote Scripture or knowing a biblical value) does not mean our implementation of the command is "righteous" (doing the right thing with the right motivation at the right time for all the right people). The Pharisees were right (correct) when they quoted Scripture but far from righteous when they applied it.
A biblical worldview is radical (not extreme but digs to the root of the problem). It will bother both right and left. Red, Yellow, Black, Brown, White. Poor and Rich. Me and I hope, you.
No worldview is complete if it fits into one party or affinity or ethnicity. That is the seed of fascism. It resembles the grievous error of the Pharisees, religious scholars who rejected Jesus because he radicalized the people who became his followers.
Too many of us think we are in the 2% because we've completed a workbook and listened to scores of sermons.
Journey-Launching Questions/Suggestions
- Are you willing to invite the Holy Spirit to take you on an internal journey; confirming strengths, but also exposing blind spots?
- "Do not be conformed to how the world perceives the world." (Romans 12:2)
- As you seek the mind of Christ, are you willing to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2)? If so, expect your worldview to expand beyond the borders and barriers your values-system and culture-cues have set for you. Not a revision of biblical truth but a reevaluation of how you have applied the text.
- "A worldview is a collection of attitudes, values, stories and expectations about the world around us, which inform our every thought and action. Worldview is expressed in ethics, religion, philosophy, scientific beliefs and so on (Sire, 2004). A worldview is how a culture works out in individual practice."
- Bible study, while critical in the life of every Christian, is not the same as worldview. In disciple-making, we teach theology as if believing scriptural truths automatically override the influences of ethnicity, personality, family, education and experiences (ie, the components that forger our personal worldview). Believing humans are created in the image of God does not mean that believer will treat others with love, show them mercy or advocate for justice when they are mistreated. In fact, that believer may, at the same time they study the creation story, hold racist attitudes or judge other ethnic groups as inferior.
- Are you conservative/liberal in your lifestyle? That may influence the application of your biblical theology more than you know. You may think you have conservative/liberal political views because you have a conservative/liberal theology, but it may also be that your conservative/liberal worldview has drawn you to a conservative/liberal theological interpretation of biblical truths.
- Identify (list) 5 core theological beliefs you consider guiding lights fas you work out and walk out glorifying God by living out the will of God.
- Think about how you have applied each scriptural truth/instruction/command
- Think of how others have applied this biblical teaching differently
- Ask the Spirit to reveal to you the motivation that causes them to see/apply this biblical truth/text differently.
- Christ-followers both liberal and conservative believe the command of Jesus to "love your neighbor" is a paramount biblical truth in their worldview. But, it is obvious that when it comes to the application of that truth, liberals call for more compassion (tolerance) while conservatives tend to control (preserve law and order). Neither choice is inherently wrong. An action plan (policy) to pursue that choice may be, but liberal are not evil merely for pressing for compassion nor are conservatives evil for holding to the law. God liberates. God conserves. Most of us seem to be able to only do one thing at a time.
- For example, what social circumstances gave birth to "Liberation Theology?" Without accepting any unbiblical aspects to this viewpoint, as you analyze your own attitude toward liberty, look for an application of God's justice/liberty you have resisted, rejected, or reacted against.
My point is not meant to be political or call you to change denominations.
I am simply asking you to consider that discipleship is not achieved by memorizing a scriptures, reading a book, or attending a seminar.
Discipleship is not merely mental adherence to a doctrinal statement.
Discipleship is a Spirit-led, Scripture-fed integration of biblical truths into:
- Your personality-traits
- When you apply biblical truths, do you live them out as an introvert or extrovert? Are proactive or reactive? Trusting or fearful? Open-set or closed-set minded (open to new/other ideas or strict boundaries)?
- Your value-system
- "A value system refers to the order and priority an individual or society grants to ethical and ideological values. While two individuals or groups may share a set of common values, they may not give equal weight or preference to those values."
- Your culture-cues
- Is your life experience mostly homogeneous or heterogeneous? Have you lived with an attitude of inferiority or superiority? Is your response to problems/needs aimed at conserving or liberating?
Discipleship is a lifestyle expressed from being made "complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority (Colossians 2:10). Every desire and decision, every attitude and action, every conversation and comment flowing out from our union (a living relationship)with Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Sent to me by a colleague ..
"A recent article in The Christian Post discussed findings by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University that found while 61% of American millennials consider themselves to be Christian, just 2% of them were found to hold a biblical worldview. Conducted by Dr. George Barna, the study also reported that just 6% of American adults overall hold a biblical worldview."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-actual-number-of-christians-...
#ItSeemsToMe...this may be why there are so many #evangelicals yelling at one another on social media. Maybe we think that everything we think is what Jesus would think.
True discipleship is the difficult task of asking the Holy Spirit to give us discernment that leads to wisdom from the knowledge we have acquired. Knowing the Bible does not automatically mean we know the mind of Christ. Theology is not mere information to memorize but truths to be actualized. Being "right" (able to quote Scripture or knowing a biblical value) does not mean our implementation of the command is "righteous" (doing the right thing with the right motivation at the right time for all the right people). The Pharisees were right (correct) when they quoted Scripture but far from righteous when they applied it.
A biblical worldview is radical (not extreme but digs to the root of the problem). It will bother both right and left. Red, Yellow, Black, Brown, White. Poor and Rich. Me and I hope, you.
No worldview is complete if it fits into one party or affinity or ethnicity. That is the seed of fascism. It resembles the grievous error of the Pharisees, religious scholars who rejected Jesus because he radicalized the people who became his followers.
Too many of us think we are in the 2% because we've completed a workbook and listened to scores of sermons.
A reply from a colleague...
Phil Miglioratti I really do not have time to do this work for others. I have a non-profit to run. But let me say a couple of things. I do not subscribe to the idea that the Christian worldview can be boiled down to 5 simple points. (There are some points missing, I would argue.) And those points as articulated in this article suggest a perfect knowledge of what is and what is not correct.
God and his perfection are much more mysterious than the limits of our brains. As I get older (50+), I even more appreciate the words of one of my mentors/godmother/wife of theology professor at my Christian college who said that the older she got, the more she has come to understand that living with ambiguity is part of maturity. Additionally, if the morality that is noted tends to always be about sexuality and never about deep seated racism, then one has to question the framework to begin with. And many non-Western cultures would bring a much more community-focused approach to things; we here in the States, at least, are way too individualistic in our worldview, and we have tacked that onto our theology rather than reading the Bible from the point of view of a middle eastern society that would have been way more community-focused than we are today.
Seriously, though, read Soong Chan Rah. Read some liberation theology. That's for starters. I'll end with this: lots of the "Christian" people I know who would easily pass the above-mentioned test of having a Christian world view were willing to support the evils of Trump for the same reasons that the author of the article suggests are those of a secular pragmatist (because it suits their economic situation and the economic ideology they are most comfortable with): "The worldview is a pragmatist’s view.
Pragmatism is what works best for the most number of people for the longest period of time but the risk is that it can be and has been to the hurt of the least number of people for an ongoing period of time. They would be the minorities, the homeless, the jobless, and those who are living at or below the poverty level. Pragmatist’s generally stress that consequences are the criterion in which they judge or determine the meaning, truth, or value of something or some system. In other words, if it works, it must be right; especially if it works for most of the people and so its practicality is heavily emphasized. If the consequences are good for the majority of the people then that makes it truth or have value, at least to the many, but clearly the consequences to the few don’t really matter as much in this worldview."
3 Warning Signs Politics Is Becoming Your Religion
By Eric Geiger on Nov 10, 2020 04:00 amIn his classic work The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis writes from the perspective of a senior demon giving instructions to a less-experienced demon on how to get someone to reject their Christian faith. Screwtape, the senior demon, advises Wormwood, his nephew and the younger demon, on how to get “the patient” to turn from God. John Stonestreet’s recent and insightful article reminded me of one particular tactic that Screwtape advocates.
Let [your patient] begin by treating … Patriotism or Pacifism as part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the ‘cause,’ in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce in favour of the British war-effort or of Pacifism.”
Stonestreet highlights the pattern:
“Note the progression: first, politics is part of religion. Then, politics is the most important part of religion. Then, religion becomes part of politics. It’s genius.”
The divergent political sides were pacifism or patriotism – to avoid the war or engage the war. And the way Wormwood could shipwreck the Christian faith of “the patient” was not to get the patient to believe one side or the other, but to get “the patient” to make one side or the other his whole religion.
Clearly as Christians we do not want our politics to become our religion. We want to engage politically because we care for our country, because we pray for our leaders, and because we know the policies that are set impact people and the places we live and love. But we don’t want politics to become our dominant belief system, the thing that captures our hearts and drives us. So, how can we recognize the drift in our own hearts? How do we know if politics has become our religion or is becoming our religion? Here are three warning signs:
1. Politics is what you are most passionate to speak about.
When religious leaders told Peter and John that they had to stop speaking about Jesus and His resurrection, they replied, “we can’t help but speak about the things we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Peter and John were in a politically divisive time. The Jewish people were under Roman rule, and there were differing parties and approaches among the Jewish people. But those arguments and perspectives was not what compelled Peter and John. What they could not contain was their excitement for Jesus. Jesus is who they could not keep quiet about. Whatever you love the most you cannot help but speaking about. If “we can’t help but speak about the things we have seen and heard” describes your politics, then politics is your religion. If you find yourself in conversations with friends and neighbors and you are most passionate about repeating what you heard on the news or read online, then politics is becoming your religion. If you are more eager to speak about politics than Jesus, politics is your religion.
2. Your enemy is the other political viewpoint / side.
The Scripture reminds us that our real enemy is Satan and the cosmic powers of darkness. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12). If your enemy is the flesh and blood of the other political party or the other political viewpoint, then politics is becoming your religion. A common enemy holds a powerful uniting factor, but as believers in Christ our common enemy is our Satan, sin, and shame. If we make flesh and blood the ultimate enemy, our hearts have drifted. If we frame other believers in Christ who view things differently than we do, the flesh and blood of our own spiritual family, as our enemy then we have made politics are religion.
3. You live as if there is an enduring city here.
If you believe or behave like you have an enduring city or kingdom here, you have made politics your religion. You do not have an enduring city here. The Scripture reminds us, “for we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14). When we forget that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, we have made politics our religion.
Sadly, our hearts can drift from God towards something less than God. My heart has and will in the future. I am prone to wander. And politics being so dominant in our culture provides an attractive pull. Here is how you know you have drifted: If you are more passionate to speak about politics than Jesus, if you treat your real enemy as the “other side,” and if you live as if this world is your home then politics has become your religion. You have been nursed away from loving Jesus with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Good news: You can repent and come back to the only One who can quench the longings of your soul, the One who has an eternal city prepared for you.
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People Are Being Discipled by Their Cable News
An excerpt from The Exchange with Ed StetzerIn an interview on immigration with Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition, I concluded by talking about discipleship. It was a bit tricky because I was a little unsure about mentioning the idea of “discipling” in that context.
Inskeep specifically asked me whether evangelicals were hitching their wagon to the wrong horses. I explained, cautiously using the term “discipleship” on NPR’s flagship program:
I may have been unsure at first, but I am glad that I could use the word “disciple” in that context. Discipleship highlights a fundamental issue for followers of Jesus right now: there are certain things that are in us and need to be discipled out of us and other things that need to be discipled in us and aren’t there currently.
His unique contribution—the distinction between a “worldvision” and a “worldview”—explains why so few people live out of a consistent and coherent worldview.
Personality and Worldview...recognizes that our “personality” is not only...the result of “the idiosyncrasies of [our inborn] temperament[s]” but “a set of intuitions about the world formed in all individuals by their family and home environment, their teachers and education, and the broad culture within which they live.”
Worldview isn’t ...a weapon to be wielded against opponents—it guards against triumphalism in that regard.
This quote is extracted from the Gospel Coalition article of Tim Keller’s foreword to Personality and Worldview by J. H. Bavinck, translated and edited by James Eglinton (Crossway, April 2023).