CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

General discussions of Christian ideas, values, and theology.

by

Worldview: Naturalism

Introduction

Last month’s blog provided a general overview of James Sire’s works. One of the works highlighted in that overview is the one for which Sire is probably most remembered by Christians who follow his writings, The Universe Next Door. The subtitle of that book by Sire is A Basic Worldview Catalog. Sire delineates what he designates as nine worldviews, exploring how each worldview answers what he calls eight prime questions. As stated in last month’s blog, Sire’s The Universe Next Door went through six revisions, 2020 being the latest and last revision. He had originally delineated seven prime questions, and then added the eighth in the 2020 updated version of his book. The eight prime questions that each worldview seeks to answer are: 1) What is the prime reality or really real? 2) What is the nature of external reality (that is the world around us)? 3) What is a human being? 4) What happens to a person after death? 5) Why is it possible to know anything at all? 6) How do we know what is right and wrong? 7) What is the meaning of human history? 8) What personal life-orienting personal commitments are consistent with this worldview? There are many worldviews that challenge the worldview of what Sire calls Theism, and thereby Christianity, but one major worldview battle that Christians face emerges from the philosophy of Naturalism. That will be the focus of this month’s blog discussion.

Although those who have been given the epithet the New Atheists, (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens,) claim that their position is based on science, naturalism, nonetheless is a worldview. The battle between naturalism and Christianity is not between religion and science, but between two conflicting worldviews. To get a solid understanding of this worldview conflict, a good work to read and study is John Lennox’s God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God. Lennox presents a thorough study of how these worldviews are indeed in conflict, and how the conflict between them historically came about. I hope to explore Lennox’s work sometime in the future on this blog.

The World View: Naturalism

What is the Prime Reality or Really Real?

Any worldview will seek to answer the question regarding the nature of existence. In naturalism, the nature of the cosmos is considered to be primary. Since there is no creator God, the natural realm becomes eternal, but not necessarily in its present form. Sire quotes Carl Sagan’s claim regarding the cosmos: The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be. Although naturalists can agree and disagree as to the form of matter having always been the same, where they agree is that there is no spiritual or transcendent force that gave rise to the cosmos, nor did anything spiritual or transcendent emerge from matter or the cosmos. Sire states regarding this worldview: In short matter is all there is. Ours is a natural cosmos.

What is the nature of external reality?

The cosmos exists as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system. There was a time when naturalists or materialists held that the world was similar to that held by deists, the view of the world a machine, analogous to what is called a clockwork mechanism. However, modern scientists rightfully see the universe as more complex than a simple machine. Nonetheless, from their perspective, the cosmos is a closed system. What this entails is the view that the cosmos is not open to any kind of alteration or reordering from the outside by a transcendent creator (because no such Being exists), or by self-transcendent or autonomous beings. Sire points out that the naturalist worldview aligns with the Humanist Manifesto II (1973) that straightforwardly denies the existence of a creator and the miraculous. Naturalism is a pervasive worldview. The question emerges: In a naturalistic closed system, can one logically believe in free will and the ethics of right and wrong/morality and immorality?

What Is a Human Being?

From a consistent naturalistic worldview, human beings are viewed as complex machines. Human personality is the the epiphenomenon of chemical and physical properties of which we lack full understanding. The experience of consciousness and mind tends to challenge this idea, even from the perspective of some naturalists. However, to be consistent, the majority of naturalists see the mind as a function of machine. The human being is seen as a machine. Hence, according to naturalism, the self and soul are jettisoned, at least from a the perspective that such a notion describes the essence of being human. As human beings, we are part of the cosmos, which contains one reality: matter. Such reductionism can be over-simplified. Naturalists, such as Ernest Nagel point out the complexity of being human. . . . a mature naturalism attempts to assess man’s nature in light of his actions and achievements, his aspirations and capacities, his limitations and tragic failures, and his splendid works of ingenuity and imagination (Sire quoting Ernest Nagel). This brings up the thorny question again of free will and determinism. While some naturalists are strict determinists, others see a place for what they consider limited or restricted freedom.

What Happens to a Person at Death?

For the naturalist, death means the extinguishing of individuality and personality. Since human beings are made of nothing but matter, this position is the logical conclusion of naturalism’s view of the human being. Again, the Humanist Manifesto II states straightforwardly that the personality is a biological entity that functions in a social and cultural context. According to the Manifesto, there is no evidence that the personality survives death. The natural body is the sum of what human beings are.

Why Is It Possible to Know Anything at All?

This question gets at what philosophy designates as epistemology. How do we come to know things? What degree of certainty can we possess regarding our knowledge of things? The naturalists point to autonomous human reason granting our ability to know and understand to a limited degree the universe in which we are situated. This autonomous human reason they equate with the methods of science. It is this understanding of the mind and its operation that leads naturalists to pit science against religion. Those who hold to a theistic and Judeo- Christian worldview are labeled as anti-science. From the standpoint of naturalism, reason developed over a long period of time via the mechanism of natural evolution. The human being’s ability to reason is simply an innate ability that came about for humans via the mechanism of natural selection. Human knowledge then is the product of natural human reason and its perceived ability to grasp the truth of being in the world. The question that emerges is can we really know the world accurately? Many naturalists today would claim that language allows us to live successfully or unsuccessfully in the world. Hence, they turn to pragmatism as a philosophical approach to living. However, they hold that it is highly dubitable that we can know truth as truth about the world. More modern and poststructural positions see science in a different light from those who lived during the Enlightenment. However, consistent naturalists ground human reason in human nature – a product of nature – itself.

How Do We Know What Is Right and Wrong

A thorough worldview will take a stand on ethics, morality versus immorality. From the standpoint of naturalism, however, ethics did not play a major role in its historical development. Metaphysical notions gave rise as a logical extension of the a priori notions naturalists held regarding the external world. For quite sometime, naturalists held, for the most part, to ethics of their surrounding culture. The Humanist Manifesto II contain ethical norms similar to traditional morality with exceptions. However, the longer the existence of God is jettisoned as a legitimate belief, the wider the disagreements will become between a theistic and naturalist worldview. We are seeing that play out in the militancy by which the New Atheists attack Christianity. For the naturalist, ethics is autonomist and situational. Life has meaning, according to naturalism, because human beings themselves create such meaning. Hence, we are witnessing a split between what naturalists, especially those designated as the New Atheists, call science and the humanities. Postmodernism has brought its effect on science. However, many of the postmodern persuasion question whether science can offer human beings any accuracy regarding the world. The question that ethics gives rise to is: how do human beings derive an ought from what is?

What Is the Meaning of History?

From the standpoint of naturalism, if there is no Creator nor any transcendent meaning to existence, then history is simply linear with no overarching purpose. Human history is swallowed up by natural history. Human beings are merely along for the ride wherever natural history takes them. Since the goal of evolution was not focused on the emergence of human beings, there is nothing special and meaningful about human existence. Human beings appear on the naturalistic scene, and as self-aware creatures can make meaning of their existence, but the history they make has no inherent worth, nor is there an overarching goal to history. History will last as long as human beings last. When they go, then history will go.

What Personal Life-Orienting Core Commitments Are Consistent with Naturalism?

Naturalism itself implies no particular core commitment. Like ethics, commitments are chosen unwittingly, autonomously, and situationally. The naturalist claims that each individual is free to choose his or her core commitment. This raises the knotty question once again regarding the possibility of human freedom in a naturalistic system. Naturalism in practice is worked out in various forms of humanism. Humanism as a whole holds that human beings have dignity and value simply because they exist. One form of humanism is called secular humanism. This form of humanism is framed within a naturalist worldview. Such humanists would fall comfortably in responses to questions 1 through 6 above.

The second form of humanism is Marxism. Marxism and naturalism share certain assumptions, but Marx’s materialism was historical and dialectical, placing an emphasis on the economic factors of life as the primary determinants of history. Hence, history for Marx has meaning, and that meaning is found in class struggle. The goal of history is the new socialist individual, who will be less individualistic, working for the good of others. Marx likewise rejects any moral values as a basis for human motivation. Human beings create themselves through their work, and their work should be for the good of others. The sticky question that emerges with any worldview similar to Marx’s is can human beings really become good if they have the right environment? And then, what is the right environment? Marxism, like any form of naturalism, does not provide people with meaning and purpose. They are simply caught up in the dialectic of history that somehow will lead to Shangri-La.

Conclusion

The raging battle between worldviews of naturalism and theism is not a battle between religion and science, as individuals like the New Atheists would have everyone believe. Instead, the war is between two worldviews. Naturalism, as a worldview, posits no creator, no meaning in history, and that what people attain in this life perishes with them when they die. As a form of humanism, it provides no purpose and meaning for human beings. The church, however, has a challenge before it that has been with it since the Advent of Christ. What are we witnessing, as Christians to the world, what we and life in Christ are to be about? The history of the church has witnessed horrible persecutions of one another, the ugliness of religious wars, and petty divisiveness that has nothing to do with the fundamentals of the faith. If we are to be the light and beacon on a hill that the church is called to be, then we must understand our calling in Christ, living out our worldview, which is diametrically opposed to the worldview of naturalism.

[References

Lennox, J. (2009). God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Oxford, UK: Lion Hudson plc.

Sire, J. (1976). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. (Originally published in 1976, Sire’s The Universe Next Door underwent six editions over the years, each building on the previous edition (1976, 1988, 1997, 2004, 2009, 2020).]

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./December 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Worldview

by

The Works of James Sire

Introduction

Anyone who follows or by happenstance stumbles across this webpage know that it is dedicated to the Christian worldview. For that reason I want this month’s blog article to provide a general overview of several works authored by James Sire. Much of what I came to understand regarding the Christian worldview come from the writings of Francis Schaeffer and James Sire. Sire (1933-2018) was known mainly as a Christian writer, working for a number of years as the chief editor for InterVarsity Press (IVP). He obtained his Ph.D. in literature from the University of Missouri and held a professorship, teaching literature, philosophy, and the Christian faith. He authored 22 books covering those same areas of thought. He is known mainly for his book The Universe Next Door, which went through an evolution of six editions from 1976 to 2020. He delivered lectures at over two-hundred universities. Due to his focus on worldview and his defense of the Christian faith, he is known mainly as an apologist and his expertise in worldview analysis. Although Sire certainly excelled in the areas of apologetics and worldview analysis, he also wrote in many other areas that believers can read and study, finding a foundation for living out their faith in today’s postmodern world with its challenges to and attacks on, not only the Christian faith, but also on the notion of absolute truth.

Sire’s Focus on Worldview

As previously stated, Sire’s most well-known and probably most widely read work is The Universe Next Door. As the subtitle of the work indicates, this book is a catalogue of various worldviews, nine in all, surveying Christian Theism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Atheistic Existentialism, Theistic Existentialism, Eastern Pantheistic Monism, New Ageism, and Postmodernism. Sire doesn’t hold back from the fact that he writes as an evangelical Christian. His purpose is not to attack other worldviews, but to provide an overview of what they proclaim. I believe he provides a fair overview of each of the above delineated worldviews. More importantly, no one can write or discuss such ideas as these by totally surrendering or checking their worldview at the door. What one can do, however, is straightforwardly let his position be known and become aware of disagreements so as to write as balanced a presentation as possible. Sire accomplishes this task. The Universe Next Door went through six editions from 1976 to 2020. Through the years, Sire updated his discussions and added additional worldviews to the original work published in 1976. For the believer, this work provides a solid foundation for the different worldviews that he or she might encounter in day-to-day living, and since Sire taught at the university level, those believers who are ensconced in university life will find this work helpful in addressing the worldviews and philosophies that counter their faith in the classroom. The Universe Next Door is indeed Sire’s most popular work, selling over some 400,000 copies.

Sire’s catalogue of worldviews, however, is not his only work on worldview philosophy that believers in Christ can find helpful. He authored another study on worldview titled, Naming the Elephant (2004). He designates this work as a worldview analysis. He makes the case for the place of worldview and cultural analysis in this important work. He provides a historical overview of the various explanations of the concept of worldview, building on a similar work authored by David Naugle, Worldview: The History of a Concept (2002). Sire explains his expansion and philosophical nuances of his definition and understanding of what a worldview encapsulates. As such, this book will be of use to the student in humanities, whether he or she is studying literature, history, philosophy, or religious studies. The book is more philosophical and academic than Universe. Nonetheless, Naming the Elephant is accessible and will provide solid ground for university students who encounter worldviews opposed and even antagonistic toward their Christian beliefs.

Additional books by Sire that believers will find helpful in the areas of worldview analysis and apologetics include: A Program for a New Man: An Alternative to B. F. Skinner, Aldous Huxley, & Herbert Marcuse (1973); Scripture Twisting: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible (1980); Chris Chrisman Goes to College: And Faces the Challenges of Relativism, Individualism, and Pluralism (1983); Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All (1994; Sire eplores the philosophical realm of epistemology); Shirley MacLaine and the New Age Movement (1988); A Little Primer of Humble Apologetics (2006); Why Good Arguments Fail: Making a Persuasive Case for Christ (2006); Apologetics Beyond Reason: Why Seeing Really Is Believing (2006); Eclectic Apologetics: An Argument from Everything – Especially Literature (2014); Deepest Differences: A Christian-Atheist Dialogue (2009, co-authored with C. Peraino).

Sire’s Devptional Works

In addition to worldview analysis and apologetics, Sire authored some works that believers can read through as daily devotions. These include: Jeremiah Meet the 20th Century: 12 Studies in Jeremiah (1975); Beginning with God: A Basic Introduction to the Christian Faith (1981; As the title indicates, this short work by Sire is an excellent introduction to the Christian faith, particularly for new believers who want a solid springboard into their faith. Sire’s book comprises 13 chapters that can form an excellent group study format over a period of twelve to thirteen weeks. From understanding God’s name to coming grips with what it means to be in Christ, or relating to God as a personal God, this concise introduction to the Christian faith provides a foundation from which believers in Christ can begin their journey into the faith, moving toward sanctification and growth. Basic themes from the Bible are explored: God as the I Am; God as creator; human beings in the Imago Dei; the fall; sin; the believer’s life in Christ; believers as members of the family of God.); Meeting Jesus: 13 Studies for Individuals and Groups (1988); Discipleship of the Mind: Learning to Love God in the Ways We Think (1990; this work builds on what Christ proclaimed to be the greatest commandment); Jesus the Reason: 11 Studies for Individuals and Groups (1996; 2003); Habits of the Mind: The Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling (2000; 2022); Introducing Jesus (2001); a devotional study); Learning to Pray Through the Psalms (2005); Thirsting for God: Exploring Prayer Through the Psalms (2006); Praying the Psalms of Jesus (2007); Echoes of a Voice: We Are Not Alone (2014; Sire discusses those experiences that connects us with something that is beyond the realm of our immediate experience. He designates such experiences as echoes of a voice, drawing on Peter Berger’s nomenclature, signals of transcendence. As the title indicates, these are experiences that tell us in some way we are not alone. Such echoes may occur for us the first time we see an ocean, or our first encounter with a place such as Flathead Lake or Glacier National Park in MT. Sire distinguishes 4 different levels of theses echoes. Level 1 is simply a signal per se that leads us to think beyond its mere existence. Level 2 signals tell us that there is something about an experience that points to that which is beyond its mere material existence. Level 3 signals point to something that is personal that exists beyond ordinary reality, something that can bring peace or danger. Level 4 signals speak of the depths of the Thou, a Person who is ultimate being, and can be described only in terms of the holy and the divine – the mysterium tremendum. Sire explores these echoes or signals throughout this work, calling on us as readers to reflect and meditate on such experiences as signals of transcendence coming from the one true God as spoken of in the Bible.)

Sire’s Approach to Literature

Having received his Ph.D. in Literature, Sire also provides some thoughtful studies for believers and others in literary analysis. These include: How to Read Slowly: Reading for Comprehension (1978; Sire provides some poetic passages from Matthew Arnold, William Blake, and others on which to concentrate, learning to read and re-read slowly.); The Joy of Reading: A Guide to Becoming a Better Reader (1984). In the genres of biography and autobiography, Sire provides some insightful works: Vaclav Havel: The Intellectual Conscience of International Politics: An Introduction, Appreciation, and Critique (2001); Rims of the Sandhills: Why I Am Still a Christian (2012; An autobiography that traces Sire’s life from his early childhood, growing up in Nebraska through his journeys from his early school days to his stint in the military in Korea to his navigations as a college student, teacher, professor, and editor of InterVarsity Press. Along the way readers travel with him through his various lectures in the U.S. and Europe. One major theme that stands out is that Sire was always drawn towards ideas, wanting to be an intellectual in service to Christ and God’s Kingdom. In alignment with his interests with scholarship was his strong desire to understand various worldviews and how Christians could respond to a culture steeped in ideologies that contrasted with and were even antagonistic towards Christianity. This short book contains key bibliographic information regarding Sire’s works along with some of those that influenced him. While not exhaustive, they provide a solid beginning for those who would like to know more about Sire and who would want to read more of his works.)

Conclusion

The list of works above authored by James Sire provides believers in Christ a thorough foundation for dealing with worldviews that counter and/or are antagonistic toward their spiritual beliefs. Additionally, Sire provides some in-depth devotional studies that can offer a thorough foundation for believers in their day-to-day sanctification, whether they are university students or those who simply want to deepen their relationship with God. For students and connoisseurs of literature, he offers some insights on how to read slowly for comprehension. Finally, readers can learn much from Sire’s writings on Vaclav Havel, the dissident who stood against Russian communism that had invaded Prague. For Christians, readers can delve into Sire’s autobiography, Rims of the Sandhills, in which Sire discusses how he came to faith and maintained that faith through his life-long endeavors. For those Christians who seek to engage worldview analysis, one can’t find a better guide than the works of James Sire.

John V. Jones, Jr. Ph.D./ November 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Worldview

S

by

We Are Barabbas

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. (Romans 2:23-25)

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteous of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Introduction

All four gospels address Pilate’s acquiescence to the Jews in his releasing of Barabbas while condemning Jesus to be crucified. All four gospel writers mention that Barabbas was either an insurrectionist, a robber, or a murder. At the time of Jesus’ trial, Barabbas had already been imprisoned and was condemned to die. How is it, then, that the case and release of Barabbas represent the Christian understanding of humanity in the world? Our full understanding of Barabbas comes through our understanding of Jesus’ propitiatory work through His substitutionary atonement.

The Substitution

When Jesus came to him to be baptized, John the Baptist declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus lived perfectly the Law of God, so there was no sin in Him. Only a perfect sacrifice can remove our sin once and for all. The Book of Hebrews proclaims the preeminence of Christ. His sacrificial atonement completes – fulfills once and for all – the sacrificial shedding of blood. The sacrifices as detailed in the Old Testament are but foreshadowings of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ. For it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). But through His fulfillment of the Law the blood of Christ ended the sacrificial system once and for all. Eternal life is granted to those who believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. As the epigraph above, (2 Corinthians 2:21), proclaims: our sin was imputed to Christ and His righteousness as a free gift has been imputed to those who are called to be in Christ.

We Are All Barabbas

Barabbas was imprisoned. He was a condemned insurrectionist, robber, and murderer. As the epigraph above (Romans 3:23-25) tells us, before knowing Christ as our savior, we were all Barabbas in his condemnation. We were imprisoned and enslaved by our sins, our fallen nature. We were guilty and condemned before God. We were dead in our trespasses. When Pilate pardoned and released Barabbas, he was freed from the just sentence he had received, awaiting execution. Jesus Christ took his place. For those who believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, we are now the freed Barabbas. In Christ, the gavel has sounded, echoing in the court room. The Judge makes the pronouncement: Justified. One step remained: the recognition of our guilt and that it had been paid – atoned – for. We have to receive the pardon, that is admit our need for God’s grace.

Receiving the Pardon

Barabbas could have very well rejected his pardon. He could have proclaimed to be a sworn enemy of Rome, wanting nothing from them. Yet, he did not reject his release and pardon for his crimes. We too, as believers in Christ, had to recognize our need for the atoning work of Jesus the Christ. We had to profess before God our need for His grace and receive the gift of salvation. This is not a work on our part anymore than Barabbas in some way earned his pardon from Pilate.

In 1892, a man by the name of George Wilson committed a crime for which he was sentenced to hanging. Being approached by friends of Wilson, then president Andrew Jackson granted Wilson a pardon from his death sentence. Wilson, however, rejected the pardon. His case reached the Supreme Court in which John Marshal wrote, a pardon is an act of grace, proceeding from the power entrusted with the execution of laws . . . delivery is not completed without acceptance . . . we have no power in the court to force it on him.

Our pardon before God is an act of grace. We must see our need and then believe in the atoning work of Christ. Scripture tells that faith too is a gift of God. In some manner beyond human fathoming, God’s providence and man’s responsibility before God are both Biblical truths. Those who do not recognize their need for Jesus’ atoning work reject it. They are in the stead of George Wilson.

Conclusion

We have no historical documentation that records for us what unfolded in Barabbas’ life following his pardon. We can hope that he came to know the teachings of Christ and took them to heart. After all his name, Bar-abbas, means son of the father, one who obtained his pardon because the Son of the one true living God the Father took his place. Our Christian worldview holds that we are Barabbas, justly condemned, but graciously pardon. We live in a world where we must recognize that every living soul is a Barabbas in need of a pardon, apart from which there is only condemnation. Hence, there is no meritorious difference among people when it comes to what God offers us through Christ. Those of us whom God has called to believe in Christ strongly and emphatically embrace the free gift that comes to us through His grace alone.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./October 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/WORLDVIEW

by

The Attributes of God: Navigating the Paradoxes in Life

For our Lord is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:9)

The lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 103:17)

Introduction

We may call them tensions of existence, those seemingly contradictions that upon deeper reflection or examination form the paradoxes that make up our lives. How we navigate those paradoxes goes a long way in showing how we go about living our lives. And the way we live our lives speaks to the worldview we hold, regardless of the extent to which we are aware of our worldview. I have written before about what I call tensions of existence, [here] [here], but I want to restructure that discussion in light of worldview analysis from a Christian perspective. The paradoxes that fill out our experiences I believe are grounded in the character of God. Rather than being contradictions, they are tensions that give meaning to life when we come to understand that such experiences are grounded in the reality of who God is, thereby shedding light on how we can navigate such experiences in our day-to-day living.

I want to open a door to four areas in which we might experience living as comprising contradictions or tensions, exploring God’s word as to how we might settle into navigating those paradoxes that confront us: diligence/ceasing to strive; obedience/resting in God; human responsibility/God’s sovereignty in our lives; and finally what has been errantly considered as Pauline theology in contrast with theology attributed to James.

Diligence/Cease Striving

They will seek me diligently but they will not find me . . . (Proverbs 1:28)

Cease striving and know that I am God . . . (Psalm 46:10)

Throughout the book of Proverbs, diligence is contrasted with indolence. Want and poverty come upon the idle and lazy like night falling over the day. In contrast, the diligent provide for their means and the means of their family and loved ones. One of the major themes in Proverbs is its declaration to seek wisdom above all else, to pursue wisdom diligently. Other synonyms for diligence include assiduity (skillful living), persistence, and hard work. The warning of Proverbs 1:28 entails the frightening consequences of idleness, wherein one realizes the results of slothfulness in not pursuing wisdom, but cannot find wisdom although one seeks for it diligently. This provides a harrowing portrait of a wasted life.

Given that diligence comprises skills that are amassed across life via persistence and hard work, it is easy for us as fallen creatures to turn diligence into a harried lifestyle, full of anxiety and fear. We may come to believe that we must know everything, exercise perfection in all that we do, and build up a way of life that proves something to ourselves and others. (Many of the verses in Proverbs pertaining to diligence and hard work have been absconded in the false teaching of the prosperity gospel). To counter such a harried lifestyle, we must take to heart Psalm 46:10 – Cease striving . . . How do we on the one hand, diligently work out our lives, while on the other hand, cease striving before God? To understand striving, we must acknowledge those times we are trying to work according to our own strength, not being led by the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:16-18). Developing diligence does not entail a work-harried life, nor does ceasing to strive equate to an idle or passive way of living. Both exhortations from Scripture are true. We are to pursue wisdom diligently, building diligence into our lives, while simultaneously resting in God for the outcome and care He provides. Some people may want to call such an approach to life balance. But I think the notion of balance can be misconstrued. We work at life diligently, accruing the wisdom that Scripture calls us to build, while resting in God’s sovereignty that He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6).

Obedience/Enter God’s Rest

But he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

For the one who has entered God’s rest has ceased from his works as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:10)

As believers in Christ, we know that we are to obey and keep God’s commandments. Scripture is replete with commandments to be obedient before God (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy, 11:1; Psalm 103:14; Isaiah 1:19; Luke 6:46; John 14:21-24, 15:23; 1 John 5:3, etc., etc.). Equally true is the warning against legalism, seeking to obtain righteousness through fulfilling God’s Law by our own merit. Paul’s entire epistle to the Galatians speaks to this human failing along with many of his other epistles as well as writings penned by other apostolic authors. How do we on the one hand, obey God, while on the other hand rest from our works as God did from His (Hebrews 4:10)? Just as we can turn diligence into a harried life, we can do the same with our pursuit of obedience to God. Hebrews 4:10 speaks to the truth that upon entering God’s rest, we have ceased from our works, i.e. seeking to earn our salvation through works. As believers in Christ, we can do the exact same thing with our sanctification whereby we strive to grow in the knowledge of God by becoming obedient to Him through our own efforts. God’s word tells us that His will for us is our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Likewise, salvation and sanctification are gifts bestowed upon us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:14-19). Entering God’s rest means we embrace His grace to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who works in us to do His will (Philippians 2:12-13). As fallen creatures, we come up short every day in working out our salvation, many times per day. We have the solace, however, from 1 John 1:9 that when we do fall short, as children of God we can confess our moral failings, thereby restoring our relationship with God. Faith is the overarching power that allows us to pursue our sanctification but to enter God’s rest and cease striving.

Human Responsibility/God’s Sovereignty

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (Exodus 33:19)

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

Much of the discussion above can be consumed under the heading of human responsibility juxtaposed to God’s sovereignty over all things. The question that this apparent contradiction brings up is how, on the one hand, are human beings morally responsible for their actions, while on the other hand, God is understood as being totally sovereign over the universe and all that transpires there? While the Apostle Paul gets at this knotty problem through his epistles, he primarily addresses this paradox in Romans, chapters 8 and 9. From a reading of those two sections of his epistle to the believers in Rome, we obtain Paul’s teaching that God is totally sovereign, can do as He pleases, when He pleases, and however He pleases. Additionally, Paul tells us in Romans and other epistles that God is totally just, perfectly holy, and supremely righteous in all that He decrees. God is not the author of sin, nor does He tempt or cause anyone to sin (James 1:13). Although God is completely sovereign, human beings are morally responsible before Him. Given that He owes humanity nothing, anything good coming from God is a gift through grace from Him. At this juncture, we must look at the line where space-time meets with eternity. Human logic is a gift from God for our use to navigate the world in which we live. What finite logic cannot do, however, is totally comprehend God, whose ways are higher than our ways (Ecclesiastes 11:5). Both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are Biblical truths that we embrace although not totally understanding how they work together. While human responsibility signifies to us our culpability before God, God’s sovereignty is our comfort that no matter what occurs, He is in control. As stated above, we can enter His rest and cease striving, knowing He is God.

Justification: Faith and Works

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24).

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. (Romans 3:28).

These two statements, both by apostles of Christ, have caused much consternation for believers who make up the Body of Christ, the church. Early on, after his conversion, Paul made contact with Peter and James, sharing with them what he understood the gospel to comprise. They readily responded to Paul with a handshake of acceptance. (Galatians 1:18-19). Paul delineates these facts in his letter to the Galatians. In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul painstakingly lays out that individuals are not justified by their fulfillment of the Law of God. The Law, in fact, is a roadmap to the need for grace from God. The Law declares to us the fact of our sin nature, that we do in fact commit sin, constantly falling short of the requirements of the Law. Hence, the Old Testament sacrificial system is a type that pointed to the antitype fulfilled in the atoning work of Jesus, the Christ. Paul declares to the Galatians that one is justified, declared innocent before God, by faith alone in Christ’s atonement on the cross. To seek to live by the Law, therefore, is to add human merit to the work of Christ.

Those known as the Judaizers, Jews who knew James, the brother of Christ, infiltrated the church at Galatia, teaching the Christians there that in addition to faith in Christ, they must fulfill the requirements of the Law. Specifically, the Judaizers told the Gentile Christians in Galatia that they must be circumcised. Upon learning this, Paul writes his epistle to the Galatians, excoriating those who view getting right before God by adding certain requirements of the Law to faith in Jesus’ work of atonement. Because the Judaizers knew James, and because of particular verses in James’ epistles, some theologians have construed that Paul and James preached two different gospels, one by faith alone in Christ (Paul), and one by faith plus work (James). However, as stated above, James was one of the first apostles whom Paul made contact following his conversion. Afterwards he met with Barnabas, submitting his understanding of the gospel to him to make sure he was not running in vain (Galatians 2:2). A closer look at James clarifies the apparent contradiction between Paul and James, thereby clarifying the apparent contradiction we may experience in our understanding of faith and works.

Throughout the epistle of James, he denounces an empty mental assent to a belief in God that in turn produces no evidence in a person that he is a Christian. The foundational teaching of James is that one cannot claim to be a Christian while evidencing no change in one’s life that indicates that he belongs to Christ. He presents the same teaching as Paul of Abraham as an example of faith. While Paul stresses that Abraham was reckoned as righteous some 400 years before the Law was given to Moses (Romans 4), James points to Abraham’s offering of Isaac for sacrifice as evidence of Abraham’s faith (James 2:21-24). As Paul had pointed out, Abraham was reckoned as righteous because He believed God (Genesis 15:6), centuries before God gave the Law to Moses, and many years before God tested Abraham in commanding him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Paul and James, therefore, are speaking to the same truth. We are justified by faith, but our justification should evidence changes in our lives that demonstrate that we are different individuals due to our faith. Indeed Paul equally emphasizes with James the relationship of faith to works. Paul lays out this truth in Ephesians 2:4-10. While we are indeed saved by God’s mercy, we are also God’s workmanship created for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Are we then saved by faith alone? Yes. Are we to evidence works, or good deeds, in our lives? Yes. But we do not perform works to merit salvation. Our works are in response to the grace that God has bestowed upon us.

Conclusion: The Attributes of God

The verses that form the epigraph at the beginning of this blog, speak to the attributes that make up the character of God. When we explore and meditate upon the various attributes of God, we confront what we may believe to be apparent contradictions. As stated above, how we navigate the paradoxes that life sends our way speaks to the worldview by which we live. It incumbent upon us to comprehend our worldview as fully as we can. We are to live out the truths of God in our lives through faith as a witness to the world. How we understand those truths so as to live them out entails our Christian worldview. God is wrath/God is love. God is eternally sovereign/humans are finite and responsible. God is transcendent/God is immanent. God is beyond our comprehension, yet He has revealed Himself to us so that we can know what He intends for us to know (Deuteronomy 29:29). How are we to understand the apparent contradictions that seem inherent in the attributes of God? First, we must humble ourselves before God, setting aside our sin of pride, becoming open to the truth that because He is infinite and we are His finite creatures, human logic cannot envelop the nature of God. There are paradoxical truths to which we must simply hold. This we can know. Given all His attributes, God is not arbitrary. He is totally just. In terms of God’s wrath and His love, these two attributes are resolved, not in discounting God’s justice, but knowing that the price has been paid by Christ’s atoning work so that love and justice meet. God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Given the attributes of God who makes all things, and that we are fallen creatures, why shouldn’t we encounter life as a series of apparent contradictions that we are to navigate and understand in light of the character of God? God is the source of all that is good, holy, just, and righteous. And without compromise, God is the source of all that is compassionate, gracious, forgiving, and loving-kind. Without compromise is the key. Both sides of these attributes are grounded and resolved in the lovingkindness of God who satisfied justice through the payment of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. Our Christian worldview can be lived out before the world by God’s grace. Likewise, given human responsibility, we can fall woefully short of living out what we believe before the eyes of the world. May we prayerfully seek God’s grace to be the kingdom of priests and the light that the the Body of Christ, the church, is called to be.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./September 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Worldview

by

Biblical Wisdom for Independent Thinkers: How Scripture Guides Us in Seeking Truth and Living Freely.

Guest Author : Ava Addams

[Unfortunately, we live in a culture that caricatures Christianity as a faith whereby one must leave his or her mind at the door while entering the sanctuary. Ava Addams takes aim at such thinking in her article: Biblical Wisdom for Independent Thinkers.]

Biblical Wisdom for Independent Thinkers: How Scripture Guides Us in Seeking Truth and Living Freely.

We live in a world that constantly tells us what to think, how to live, and what to believe. Whether it’s the news, social media, or even well-meaning voices in our church communities, it can feel like we’re being pushed in a hundred different directions. But what does the Bible say about thinking for ourselves?

A lot of people assume that Christianity is about blind obedience—that faith means shutting off your brain and just going with the flow. But that’s not true. The Bible actually encourages independent thinking. God doesn’t want robots; He wants people who seek truth, wrestle with tough questions, and ultimately find freedom in Him.

So, how do we balance faith and critical thinking? How do we make sure that in our pursuit of truth, we don’t end up drifting away from God? Let’s dive in.

Does the Bible Encourage Independent Thinking?

Absolutely. Jesus Himself challenged the religious leaders of His day, calling out traditions that had strayed from God’s heart (Mark 7:6-9). He constantly invited people to think deeper—to not just follow the rules, but to understand why they existed.

Then there’s the story of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. Paul came to preach, but instead of just accepting his words at face value, the Bereans “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” They weren’t skeptics for the sake of skepticism; they were seekers of truth. And they were commended for it.

That’s the kind of independent thinking God calls us to—one that is grounded in truth, not just rebellion for the sake of rebellion.

Faith vs. Reason: Do They Have to Clash?

Some people are afraid that asking too many questions will shake their faith. But the Bible is full of people who questioned God—Moses, Job, David, even Thomas after Jesus’ resurrection.

Look at the book of Job. Job didn’t just accept his suffering—he asked why. He wrestled with it. And instead of punishing him, God engaged with him. Job didn’t get all the answers he wanted, but he got something better: a deeper understanding of who God is.

Faith and reason aren’t enemies. In fact, real faith requires thinking. If we never stop to question, to dig deeper, or to seek understanding, we risk building our faith on shaky ground.

Freedom in Christ: Independent Thinking vs. Spiritual Bondage

A lot of people think independence means doing whatever you want. But the Bible defines freedom differently. True freedom isn’t about rejecting authority altogether—it’s about being free from the wrong authorities.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). That means freedom comes from knowing God’s truth, not just following the loudest voice in the room.

Paul warned against both legalism (being controlled by religious rules) and lawlessness (doing whatever we feel like). Instead, he pointed to a different kind of freedom—one that comes from living in the Spirit (Galatians 5:1, 5:13).

So, independent thinking isn’t about throwing off all authority. It’s about choosing the right authority—God’s truth over human traditions, His wisdom over the shifting opinions of culture.

Thinking for Yourself in a World of Misinformation

Let’s be honest: we live in a world full of noise. Everyone has an opinion, and not all of them are true. So how do we separate fact from fiction?

The Bible gives us a few tools for critical thinking:

  • Test everything. “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). Just because something sounds good—or even Christian—doesn’t mean it’s true.
  • Seek wisdom, not just validation. Proverbs 18:17 says, “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” In other words, don’t just listen to one side of an argument—seek a fuller picture.
  • Pray for discernment. James 1:5 says that if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us generously. When in doubt, pray for clarity.
  • Surround yourself with truth-seekers. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Find people who challenge you in a way that leads to growth, not confusion.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Independent Thinking

Here’s the thing: independent thinking is great, but we’re not meant to figure everything out on our own.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be our guide: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). That means we don’t have to rely only on our own logic—God Himself will help us discern truth.

The key is staying humble. There’s a danger in thinking that we always know best, but Proverbs 12:15 warns, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Being an independent thinker doesn’t mean rejecting all authority; it means being careful about whose authority we trust.

What About Church? Can We Question Leadership?

This is a tough one. Some churches encourage open discussion, while others see questioning as a threat. So, where’s the line?

The early church leaders debated theology (Acts 15), and Paul even confronted Peter when he was in the wrong (Galatians 2:11-14). That tells us that even church leaders should be held accountable.

At the same time, Hebrews 13:17 reminds us to respect godly leaders who truly shepherd well. The key is discernment—if a leader resists all accountability or shuts down questions, that’s a red flag.

Healthy churches encourage dialogue. Unhealthy ones demand blind obedience.

So, what does it mean to think independently as a Christian?

Final Thoughts: Independent Thinking Done Right

It means:

  • Seeking truth, not just accepting what we’re told.
  • Balancing faith and reason instead of fearing questions.
  • Finding true freedom in Christ—not in rebellion or legalism.
  • Learning to discern truth in a world full of noise.
  • Trusting the Holy Spirit to guide us.
  • Holding leaders accountable while staying humble.

The Bible doesn’t ask us to shut off our brains. It calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Independent thinking, when done right, isn’t a rejection of faith—it’s a deeper pursuit of it.

Author’s Bio: Ava is an experienced writer and SEO specialist who excels at creating engaging narratives that deeply connect with audiences. Drawing from her expertise in Christian marketing, she has dedicated five years to refining her craft as a content creator and SEO strategist at a leading Christian Brand.

Guest Author: Ava Addams/August 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Worldview

by

“Deep Calls to Deep”

Deep calls to deep at the sound of your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:7-8)

Introduction

I am reflecting on the tragedies that have fallen on countless families in the Hill Country of Texas, the many losses of life, numerous being children who were attending a Christian camp called Camp Mystic. In no way will I seek to stand in the shoes of those family members who have lost loved ones. I do believe that such experiences are inexplicable to the human mind. Rather than being distant during those hard-hitting moments, we have a heavenly Father who is never far from us. Our feelings, however, can get the best of us, and the questions of why can be never ending. However, this is not a time to question or stifle one’s emotions. Pronounce them and cast them before God because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Psalm 42: Waiting on God

David’s psalm speaks to the experience of going through difficult times and his yearning for God’s nearness. Psalm 42 opens with the intense description of David’s longing for God: As a deer pants for the water brooks/So my soul pants for You, O God (v. 1). Another rendering of the word pants is longs for. Throughout the psalm, David describes his soul as being in despair and having become disturbed within me (vv. 5, 6, & 11). Like all human beings, he asks why this is the case. His response to his despair is to hope in God, for I shall again praise Him (vv. 5 & 11). But David’s reply to his despair is not perfunctory or wishful thinking. Another rendering of the word hope in God is wait on God. Although we see the resolve in this short psalm, David, like all of us had to place his faith and hope in God and wait out what God would do for him. The psalm provides no idea how long David had to wade the troubled waters that engulfed him. This is not easy, for faith is not about life being easy. 

Poetic Longings for God

The psalms are Hebraic poetry; therefore, they use metaphors and symbols. Deep calls to deep is possibly a metaphor for David’s deep despair calling on God’s deep understanding and lovingkindness. The breakers and waves are the troubles that have flooded David’s life. Yet he also states that these breakers and waves are Your breakers and Your waves. This is not a declaration that God is actively punishing David or arbitrarily flooding him with difficult times. It does mean, however, that God is sovereign. No matter what we experience, God is sovereign and near as we navigate troubled times in our lives. 

Then follows the statement: The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime (v. 8). The word command can simply mean what it says, the Lord commands us in certain ways. Yet the Hebrew word used here, tsavah, can also mean that God establishes His lovingkindness in the daytime. God appoints His lovingkindness to be with the psalmist; He establishes His lovingkindness to be actively present with David. The thought is then completed by the statement: And His song will be with me in the night. Symbolically, the daytime speaks to things that we can readily see, while the night places us in the dark where we must cling to the promises of who God is. But there is not a time that God’s care ever forsakes us. God’s presence and lovingkindness will be with us in the day and through the night. 

Conclusion

As we remember our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Hill Country of Texas who are presently going through some devastating times, may we take solace that God has established His lovingkindness and presence to be with them as the flooding rains there are hard-hitting symbols of the reality that they are truly facing.

God’s presence and lovingkindness is and will continually be with them in the day and through the night.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./July 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

by

Thought and Action

Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:3a; James 1:22; 2:8, 14-26

Introduction

Over the course of this blog, I have delineated five categories that comprise a worldview: mind, meaning-making, valuation (ethics), humility/finitude, and thought/action. For this month’s blog article I want to focus on thought/action – do our actions align with what we claim to believe, do they provide evidence for the worldview that we espouse? I write from a Reformed Christian perspective, so I will speak to the building up of a Christian worldview (See Abraham Kuyper; Francis Schaeffer; James Sire; Os Guinness; Chuck Colson; Nancy Pearcey).

Thought and Action for the Believer in Christ

As Christians, we are called, not only to salvation, but to sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification entails our lifetime growth in the knowledge of God, the study of His word, and the building up of relationships with other members of the body of Christ, the church. To claim to be a Christian, but to neglect these areas in our lives demonstrates a misalignment with what we claim to believe and how we live out our claim. Although we are not saved by works, the epistle of James informs us that works should evidence our faith (James 1:22; 2:8, 14-26). No doubt none of us are perfect in living out the claims of our faith, but our lives should indicate a change in the way we live as a believer in Christ in contrast to the way we lived prior to our salvation.

The Fruit of the Spirit

Although there is no checklist for the purpose of merit, there is Biblical teaching regarding what our growth in Christ should look like. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians speaks of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Interestingly, though nine characteristics are listed in those two verses, Paul uses the singular fruit of the Spirit. This passage is one indication of the change that should comprise our lives upon confessing Jesus, the Christ, as our savior. The apostle Peter delineates a similar list in his first epistle to believers in various churches (1 Peter 1:5-7). Again, these Christian virtues written for the purpose of our sanctification are not checklists that we mark off for the sake of merit or demonstrating our Christian beliefs. God works in our lives through grace in every way. The fruit of the Spirit manifests in our lives via the power of the Holy Spirit upon our inner being. Hence, the Christian worldview, although acknowledging that evidence for our faith is real, embraces God’s grace. Our relationship with God grows through grace and faith. The Christian worldview does not proffer any kind of meritorious action for our salvation or our sanctification. The fruit of the Spirit is God’s planting work within us.

Doers of the Word

As Christians, the alignment of thought (belief) and action should be evidenced by our being doers of the word rather than mere hearers of the word (epistle of James). Our worldview is not held merely intellectually, but we live it out consistently with what we claim to believe. The old adage, actions speak louder than words, indeed carry a truism that should inform us. Any mature believer in Christ knows that we fall short of this thought/action alignment everyday in someway. But such inconsistency should not be characteristic of our day-to-day lives. We should see that our way of living prior to our being called in Christ should diminish over time. Such a way of life should not characterize our lives now that we are in Christ.

Misalignment of Thought/Action

What does it mean (how should we explore the reality) when our actions do not align with our professed beliefs (when such a way of living becomes a marked characteristic of our lives)? Can we actually deceive ourselves as to what we claim to believe and value? I think it’s quite possible that we can. On the other hand, I believe people will be acutely aware that the way they are living does not align with what they claim to believe. They may not want to admit it, to themselves or to others. But the proof lies in what daily characterizes their way of living, what they consistently practice as a way of life. For the believer in Christ, this is one reason why it is important to be a member of a local body of Christ, a church. It is in this setting that other believers can approach us and admonish us. This is an important element for a Christian worldview. We all must take on the uncomfortable task at times of lovingly admonishing others in the body, as well as receiving admonishment ourselves.

Conclusion

We hold a Christian worldview not merely by intellectual assent. Such a belief system becomes demonstrable in the way we live day-to-day. God informs believers in Christ that His will for them is their sanctification. Hence our lives should evidence our growth in the knowledge of God, in the truth of His salvation to which He has called us, in a deeper understanding of God’s word, and in the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The Greek word, ginosko, means to know something so as to act on what we know. Biblical knowledge entails an experiential and intimate knowledge of what is claimed to be known. It is the opposite of mere mental assent. We know God relationally and experientially because He has called us to such knowledge. As believers we approach God’s throne as members of the household of God, crying out to Him as Abba Father. Likewise Scripture tells us to make sure of our calling. Do our actions (the way we live day-to-day) align with our thought (what we claim to believe)? This requires diligence on our part to be aware of those times when we fall short of such alignment. Hence, the place of confession in our growth and sanctification.

This blog article spoke to the life that a Christian lives in Christ. One who holds a Christian worldview should see an alignment in what one claims to believe and how one lives the calling of a Christian day-to-day. There are other important truths regarding thought/action for the believer in Christ as one looks not only to the body of Christ, but in all areas of life, exercising dominion as Christians are called to do. That is another blog article.

John V. Jones, Jr, Ph.D./May 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/THEMATIC/Thought-Action

by

Christian Worldview: A Spiritual Undertaking

Introduction

Last month’s article here I hope kicked off a long-term goal I have for this blog that entails the unfolding of a Christian worldview. As believers and followers of Christ, there are many things we have to do, study, learn, and then turn our studious learning into living out the reality of manifesting a Christian worldview. First and foremost, however, we in the body of Christ must realize that we cannot shape a Christian worldview through the power of our own flesh. How easy it is for each of us to fall into the trap of trying to accomplish those goals we believe God has set for us through our own power, sufficiency, and endeavors. There is a two-pronged trap that seeks to snare us if we are not careful. First, as stated, we can trust in our own abilities and understanding to get things done. A modus operandi we are told to avoid in Scripture (Proverbs 3:5-6). Second, in surrendering to God, we can become slothful, complacent, and directionless in our efforts. We are called by God to be diligent, but we cannot fulfill that calling by our own strength or by a misguided notion of surrendering. To shape a Christian worldview that guides the way we live in the world I believe entails the following: 1) our thorough understanding of the Biblical notion of diligence; 2) our living by the power of the Spirit; 3) our understanding and belief in the power of prayer; 4) our further understanding of the imputed righteousness of Christ; and 5) our constant trust in the Lord, committing all our work to Him, and doing everything in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Diligence

Diligence is a trait spoken of throughout Scripture. English dictionaries define the word as persistent effort and attention to detail. The Hebrew word haht-mah-dah or harus delineates a similar notion, entailing perseverance, persistence, and consistency, particularly at the various tasks of living. The Old Testament Scripture, especially Proverbs, contrasts the lazy and idle with the diligent. (Unfortunately, these verses have been stolen by those who proclaim the prosperity gospel). But Scripture tells us that the diligent will prosper (in life, not necessarily wealth) by attending to and persevering in the tasks of life, which above all entails our pursuit of God. The diligent become skilled at living, which is the essence of wisdom – another notion addressed throughout the book of Proverbs.

The Greek word for diligent is spoude, which entails the pursuit of daily tasks, eagerly, earnestly, and zealously. The tasks set before us if we want to carve out a Christian worldview are beyond our doing apart from the grace of God, and we live in a world that is antagonistic to our goals as Christians. We cannot hope to manifest a Christian worldview while being inconsistent, half-hearted, and not persevering in all that we seek to accomplish. Diligence is a trait that runs throughout all the endeavors we pursue to bring about dominion on this earth in the name of Christ by God’s grace alone.

The Power of the Spirit

Nor can we accomplish exercising dominion in this world by our own strength. The apostle Paul tells us that our lives should evidence our being led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:15-16). As believers in Christ for our salvation, we are gifted with the indwelling Holy Spirit who grants us the strength to live as God would have us live. Such Christian living, while involving many things, entails our working out our salvation (Phil. 2:12), that is our sanctification, pursuing the life and tasks that God has set before us. Again, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing the work that God has set before us according to the power of our own flesh. If we take that pathway, we will surely run into many obstacles and failures. If we are to exercise dominion on this earth that entails carving out the Christian worldview, we must do so by the power of the Spirit. The power that is available to us through the Holy Spirit is the very power by which God raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:20). We must be diligent in our pursuit of God so as to live and be led by His Spirit. Otherwise, we are working according to the power of our own flesh.

The Power of Prayer

As believers in Christ, we are children of God, members of His household. Therefore, He is available to us so that we can approach Him at any time, placing our petitions before Him, and be in communion with Him. When I think on how little I embrace this gracious gift, I can’t help but wonder how different my life would have been over the decades if I had prayed more. Scripture calls on us to constantly be in prayer, to pray without ceasing (Luke 18:11; 1 Thess. 5:16-18). Constant prayer means an attitude of prayerful connection with God, not just those times we set aside for formal prayer. The work of dominion, carving out the Christian worldview, requires our diligent dependence on the power of prayer. Do we believe that God desires our communion with Him in prayer? Do we believe that He answers prayer? We will not establish dominion on this earth while not believing in and engaging in prayer because it is not our doing that will bring about dominion and a Christian worldview, but the power of God working in us. The Christian life is a spiritual life, not a secular one. We are called to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). We are God’s workmanship called to good works which He established beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

The Righteousness of Christ

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteous of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

How difficult it is to fathom that as believers in Christ, God has imputed Jesus’ righteousness to us so that His atoning work on the cross propitiates God’s wrath toward us. We are to walk in – live in – that righteousness that God has imputed to us. We neither merit nor deserve it. On this side of life, we recognize how far we fall short of that imputed righteousness everyday. Only by the righteousness and power of Christ that indwells us (2 Cor. 12:29) can we hope to carve out a Christian worldview while living in the world but not being of it. Hence again, diligence comes into play. We must be diligent in pursuing a life that evinces the righteousness of Christ that indwells us. On this side of life, we will fall short daily of this task. Hence, the pursuit of God in prayerful communion must entail our confessions (1 John 1:9). For the believer, manifesting the power of Christ that dwells in us is not about our perfection, but it is about His working out His will in us through our weakness (2 Cor. 12:29). People must witness through a Christian worldview not our personal power, strength, and perfection, but our dependence of God’s grace in our lives that transforms how we relate, not only to God, but to others in the world.

Trust, Commitment, Acknowledgement

Trust in the Lord with all your heart . . . Acknowledge Him in all your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In everything you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to Him to God the Father. (Col. 3:17).

We will miserably fail in exercising dominion in this world and establishing a Christian worldview if we are not diligent in acknowledging God in all that we do and seek to do everything in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. God Himself will make straight our paths, or they will not be established at all. If we seek to do even the things of the Lord by our own strength, our strength will fail us. As I stated above, it is a razor’s edge that we walk. On the one hand as believers we should not seek to carry out the things of God via the power of our own flesh. On the other hand, we should never interpret our surrendering to God as becoming inert. Each of us who are in Christ have been granted gifts to utilize and paths to work out, knowing that the gifts are from God and the working is His working in us. We live in a world that is antagonistic toward our Christian worldview. While our enemies are real, we can diligently pray to be delivered from them (Psalm 31:14-15), knowing too that Christ has commanded us to pray for our enemies. If we seek to exercise dominion in this world, carving out the Christian way of life, we must trust God with all our heart, acknowledging Him in all our ways, and doing all that we do in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This calls for our diligence to be totally dependent on Him.

Conclusion

Establishing a Christian worldview in the present culture is a tall order. There is much work to be done that Christians must embrace. The January 14th blog article reached back to categories of thought that I have contemplated for some time. The short bibliography provided in that article reinforces the depth of work that must be done. So it would be easy to become caught up in that work, forgetting as Christians from where our power really stems. We must above all things realize that our battle, rather than being merely academic, political, or cultural, is a spiritual one. But this is not an either-or proposition. In seeking to provide a cornerstone for the Biblical mandate for dominion in our culture, we must by faith apprehend the truth that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. There will be no dominion or Christian worldview until we realize that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the world forces of this darkness (Eph. 6:10-13). That truth requires us as believers in Christ to be diligent in our embracing the strength that God provides us in the battle. To forget that, or to try to fight otherwise, is paramount to our standing on our own strength, the power of our own flesh, which is no power at all. To establish a Christian worldview in the world is a spiritual undertaking. We have one source for such an undertaking. We must build on the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./March 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Christian Worldview

by

Pathways 2025

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Psalm 3:6)

Introduction

On past blogs, I have explored to a limited degree what goes into formulating a worldview. There are several categories I considered that I believe must be taken into account for understanding all that a worldview entails. You can read my thoughts here, here, and here. I recently subtitled this blog, A Christian Worldview; consequently, I hope to shape this blog in the future, filling out what a Christian worldview entails. You can read my earlier thoughts on this notion here and here. For the coming months in 2025, the theme of a Christian worldview is what I hope to work out here on this blog. Such a path is not one I can forge on my own. I will draw on works of such authors as Abraham Kuyper, Francis Schaeffer, R. J. Rushdoony, Nancy Pearcey, and Chuck Colson, among many others, including early church fathers such as Augustine and Calvin.

A Word About Categories

Over time, I wrestled with thematic categories that I believe shape the way we think about the world. My earlier thoughts focused on mind, and how the human thought process shapes how we live in the world. Earlier categories included mind, meaning making, humility/finitude, and thought/action. I explored how the last three categories contributed to how we might view and understand the mind. Later I added valuation/values because what we value shapes our ethical and moral understanding of how we live. Still later I became convinced that all these categories shape the worldview by which we live. Hence, mind, meaning making, humility/finitude, valuation/values, and thought/action all contribute and speak to the worldview we hold. Worldview and mind are difficult to nuance, but I believe they should be deciphered because various worldviews hold different viewpoints on what makes up the mind.

Worldview

As I stated, the sub-title for this blog is A Christian Worldview. There are a plethora of worldviews that clash with Christianity, and over the course of time, I will explore those on this blog. Suffice it say, the general heading of secularism covers many isms that not only differ from Christianity, but also have been formulated to directly oppose Christian thought. Atheism, naturalism, materialism, reductionism, pragmatism, scientism, rationalism, and empiricism make up the wide gamut of worldviews that are in opposition to theism and Christianity. Philosophically, humanism, existentialism, romanticism, modernism, and postmodernism take aim at theistic worldviews. Politically, Marxism originated as a form of thought that set itself up as antagonistic to a Christian worldview. Many of the worldviews listed above can be integrated into a Christian worldview with a correct nuanced understanding of their propositions. For example, we live in a world that God created, so the material universe is real and external to us. But to hold that the material makes up everything, and the material is all there is to existence, is a self-defeating worldview. What I hope to discuss over time on this blog is that the Christian worldview is the only consistent worldview for understand ourselves as human beings and the universe in which we live. Some of the Christian writers I will draw on for this task include James Sire, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaffer, and Os Guinness, among others.

Mind

Theories of mind have been proffered for centuries. What is mind? From a Christian perspective, we are commanded to to love the Lord your God with all your mind (Matt. 22:37-40). To live up to that commandment, we must understand what the Biblical understanding of mind entails. I hope to explore that question over the course of time on this blog. I will also look at some various worldviews that have a different take on what the mind is. The fields of cognitive science and neuroscience are on the cutting edge of a scientific understanding of the mind. However, much that comes from these fields are materialistic and reductionistic. What is a Christian view of mind, rationalism, and reason? What is the relationship of mind to body? Critical inquiry is an important endeavor for every Christian. Consequently, how we think about critical thinking, our thought process, logic, and reason must be clarified as much as possible.

Meaning Making

As human beings, we search for meaning and purpose in our lives. We want our work, relationships, family life, and even our R & R time to be meaningful. What is the relationship between worldview and meaning making? How does a Christian worldview shape the way in which we make meaning for ourselves? The greatest fear that many human beings experience is a wasted life. Near the end of their lives, people do not want to look back on their existence, believing they have accomplished little. A meaningful life, however, is not one big home run swing. Meaning exists in even those experiences we may think are trivial, small, and unimportant at the time. Human beings tend to set goals for themselves. Although they may not accomplish all the goals they set (time runs out for all of us), what gives many people purpose in their lives entail the goals they set for themselves, experiencing those goals as their lives unfold. From a Christian perspective, the sovereignty of God is a great comfort for the believer. How are we to understand God’s sovereignty in our lives as it relates to our meaning making and purpose for living? Christian writers such as Francis Schaeffer, C. S. Lewis. and Os Guinness have addressed these questions. Those outside the faith have also, e.g. Rollo May and Viktor Frankl.

Valuation/Values

Whether we realize it or not, we all have values that guide us through life. As a professional counselor, I used the process of valuation in my practice with clients, but have come to have a different take on what valuation entails. I don’t believe that people can simply choose their values and begin living by them. The thought process and life formulation for creating values for our lives is much more complicated and complex than that. I repeat, we all have values by which we live. Several questions emerge from that fact. First, are we aware of the values we hold? Second, are the values we hold helping or hindering how we want to live and fulfill the goals we have set for ourselves? If we come to understand that we are living in ways contrary to our values, what does that mean, either about making changes in our lives or making changes in our values? The atheistic philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche, talked about our re-evaluation of our values. However, his thought stood on the proposition that there is no God. From a Christian perspective what does it mean to hold and live by Christian values and virtues? (e.g. the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23; Christian virtues, 2 Peter 1:5-7). Do we truly believe that who we are is how we act in the world? Put another way, do we embrace the notion that how we act speaks to who we are, what we believe, and what values we hold? The values we hold and seek to live by form our worldview, framing our ethics and morality. None of us are perfect; consequently, from the Christian perspective those actions of confession before God must be real in our lives.

Humility/Finitude

We all have a limited amount of time on this side of life on this earth. Time impacts all the other categories – mind, meaning making, valuation/values, thought/action – in a powerful way. And we have a limited time and capacity to shape our worldviews. Scripture calls us to be humble before God, knowing our limitations and our finitude. As finite beings, however, we have an infinite and sovereign God whom we can approach and before whom we bow. The tension between sovereignty and human responsibility is one we must hold. Each day I am aware of the decisions I make for my life. I’m also aware of God’s sovereignty in my life. The latter is not an excuse or a copout for negating or short changing the former. Psalm 31:14-15 tells us that our times are in God’s hands; nonetheless, one of the most hard-hitting sins we can commit is slothfulness and the wasting of our time. Our humility before God allows us to place our lives in His hands so that we can learn to live in ways that are pleasing in His sight. What does Biblical truth mean for those of us who want to develop fully a Christian worldview? How should our humility be lived out in relationship to others? Humility is a concept easily misunderstood. It’s neither weakness nor groveling before others, but it is treating others in the way we want to be treated by them (Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31). What will our Christian worldview look like as we live it out among others, both believers and non-believers.

Thought/Action

Our worldview will be nothing but inconsistent if our actions do not follow from what we claim to believe and value. To claim that we hold to a Christian worldview must manifest the life of Christ in our lives as we seek to live in the world but not be of the world. As a Christian, we will be challenged by others to live consistently with our worldview in a harsher manner than applied to others who hold different worldviews. Two keys to understanding this are important. One, we are not perfect and need not grovel before others on that account. However, we will need at times to ask others to forgive us while apologizing for our misgivings and actions that are contrary to our being in Christ. How we act in the world will say much more than what we say. If our actions are not consistent with what we claim to believe, then we need to reflect intensely on what we claim to believe. I’m not talking about sins here and there. We will commit those daily, if not by action surely by thought. I’m talking about a lifestyle that is directly contrary to what we claim to believe. We should have Christian brothers and sisters in our lives that will say to us how we are living doesn’t appear to align with what we claim to believe. A worldview that is lived out inconsistently is a worldview built on shifting sand or over an abyss of nothing.

Conclusion

Moving forward in 2025, these are the themes and topics I hope to explore on this blog. That doesn’t mean I will not take excursions into other areas, but I want the focus moving forward to be on the exploration of what it means to hold and live by a Christian worldview. The final word should be that building such a worldview is impossible apart from being in Christ, depending and leaning on the complete sovereignty of God. As Christians we are called to relate to God as Abba Father (Galatians 4:4-7). Our being in Christ should be witnessed by those whom we encounter in the world. I pray that the task I have set for myself on this blog will, by God’s grace, be accomplished. To Him be dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

Some Core Source References:

Baucham, V. T. (2021). Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. Washington D.C.: Salem Books.

Chesterton, G.K. (2009). Orthodoxy. [originally published 1908]. Rockville, MD: Serenity.

Colson, C. & Pearcey, N. (1999). How Now Shall We Live? Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Lewis, C. S. (2002). The Complete C. S Lewis Signature Classics. New York: HarperOne.

McGinn, C. (1993). The Problem of Consciousness. Oxford, U.K.: Basil Blackwell.

Moreland, J. P. & Craig, W. L. (2017). Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic Press.

Pearcey, N. (2004). Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Pearcey, N. (2010). Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing.

Pearcey, N. (2015). Finding Truth: Five Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook.

Pearcey, N. & Thaxton, C. B. (1994). The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Schaffer, F. (1985). The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview (5 Volume Set). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Sire, J. (2010). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. [originally published 1976] Lisle, IL: IVP Press.

Trueman, C. R. (2024). To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse. Brentwood, TN: B & H Academics.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./February 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Christian Worldview

by

Dominion: A Kingdom of Priests

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood – and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His Father and His God – to whom be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)

For they do not speak peace. But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. (Psalm 35:20)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to the God the Father. (Colossians 3:17)

Introduction

America has held its election. So now what? The tendency among many of us is to think that once the results of the election is in, we can now set back, rest on our laurels, and hope for the best. Unfortunately such thinking is the by-product derived from the belief system that government exists to do something for us. Now let the ones elected do their thing. Such a mindset has shaped this country with the rise of progressivism, particularly since the Great Depression and FDR. Today the State machine is chocked full of unelected bureaucrats that devise rules and regulations that inundate our lives. What should our response be going forward now that the American people have responded somewhat strongly to the last four years of progressivism?

A Judaeo-Christian Perspective

Writing from the perspective of a Judaeo-Christian worldview, I would like to challenge Christians to counter this tendency. Government, whatever that is, does not exist to do things for us. That is especially true for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus, the Christ. As the verse from Revelation (1:5-6) that forms the heading for this blog tells us, Jesus has redeemed us, not only for salvation, but also to be a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. This means above all, that we are to exercise dominion over our culture. Unfortunately, the church has taken a position of passivity regarding its dominion mandate. There are various reasons for this, which can form the subject matter for other articles. [e.g. see Church & State.] But what exactly does it mean to exercise dominion?

The Dominion Mandate

Dominion is synonymous with government, absolute authority, and sovereignty, but within the confines of self-government. While passivity might characterize many Christians in respect to their view of politics and the State, another misunderstanding of sovereignty leads some Christians to believe that all laws should reign at the national level reflecting Biblical law. Theonomy is a loaded term that can unfortunately lead to misunderstanding Christians’ view of government. First, whether one believes it or not, God is sovereign, and He does rule the nations. (Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth.) The time will come when His sovereignty will be fully realized, here on earth and throughout eternity. As Christians, how are we called to live in the meantime? We need to navigate the channel between passivity that has led to our institutions being handed over to the culture at large, and the notion that we are to establish a heaven on earth via State power. We should most definitely be active in political matters. The culture at large is fine with Christian passivity, telling many Christians that they for sure should do their thing and stay out of politics. (There is a difference between theocracy and theonomy.) When Christians voice their political views, many in the culture will cry separation of church and state, which is a gross misunderstanding of the separation clause as written in the Constitution. Note the scream of Christian Nationalism today from those who caricature Christians who are politically engaged. On the other hand, some Christians hold a view of dominion that seeks to seize power of the State in the form of some coercion. The latter is a minority compared to those Christians who want to remain aloof from politics. But one would not realize that fact listening to the verbal attacks on the church from the progressive crowd.

We Are a Kingdom

As Revelation 1:5-6 tells us, those whom God has called to be in Christ have been made to be a kingdom through His atoning work. We are a kingdom of priests. We are to exercise dominion over the earth. Rather than seizing State power, kingdom work is to be carried out by believers through the body of Christ, the church. What we should demand of the State is our constitutional rights to do just that – to worship as we believe, to impact our culture through what we believe and how we live, and to be the salt and light that will draw people to the church. Such of way of living out our beliefs, however, is far from being passive regarding our political contexts. For example, we should stand and fight for those Christian business men and women who have been sued, taken to court, and fined for seeking to operate their business lives in alignment with their Christian beliefs. We should seek an end to abortion in a manner that saves the lives of the unborn while also aligning with the Constitution. We should have the freedom to live out our beliefs in the commonwealth so as to impact our culture for our beliefs. We should take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Dominion means living out our Christian beliefs in every area of life – work, education, family, etc. as Colossians 3:17 calls us to do. The church is to be a beacon of light for the culture. The light draws people to itself by what it is, the light. As the body of Christ, the church, we should be living out what we believe in every area of our lives. Then we will be exercising dominion, and only then will we draw people to the Light that makes up the church. Dominion is not a passive idea, nor is it a call to seize political power by coercive force. I think many Christians understand the latter, but too many Christians embrace a passivity toward political matters.

Progressivism Is not Passive

Living quite in the land is not a bad thing. Neither is it a passive preoccupation. As we have witnessed over the past four years, and with other administrations as well, progressives in politics are anything but passive. In recent years we have witnessed a rise of political clout targeting Christian engagement in the political realm. Again, think of florists and bakers who have lost or who have come close to losing their businesses because they sought to align their business operations and services with their Christian values. Note the imprisonment of peaceful protestors who have made their beliefs known at abortion clinics. Witness the onslaught of the nonsensical caricature of so-called Christian Nationalism. Mark the aggressive nature of the public education establishment toward private education (specifically Christian private schools) and parents who homeschool their children. Some states mandate that homeschoolers should be forced to use curricula designed for public schools, the very thing from which parents want their children separated. Private Christian colleges should take a page out of Hillsdale College’s playbook and refuse government subsidy for education. Parents who homeschool or send their children to private schools (Christian and secular) should demand an end to having to pay school taxes that uphold institutions from which parents desire to remove their children. Progressive politicians are not passive. Nor should the body of Christ acquiesce to State mandates regarding their children’s education. Living quiet in the land is not subservience to those who seek to determine what values families should hold or how they live, raise, and educate their children. Progressives talk the game but they don’t walk what they talk. They speak peace – equity, equality, love, justice – but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. Those who hold different values from the progressives are targeted as oppressors. It is they that want to determine what values people should hold. We as Christians should not play their game.

Conclusion

America has held its election. The question now becomes what will we do going forward. Will we continue to look to the State for an answer to all our dilemmas? As Christians I hope we choose to self-govern and exercise dominion in the culture, not by the coercive power of the State, but by the way we live reflecting the power of Christ that dwells in us. For the moment, progressivism and its agendas has been cancelled. Don’t think for one minute that progressives will go passive. The body of Christ needs to demonstrate that while we want to live quiet in the land, we will not acquiesce in passivity. We will exercise dominion in its true Biblical meaning. Elections come and go. Impacting the culture by the way we live in Christ in a long-term endeavor. Our passivity has handed over our institutions to a culture that is at best antagonistic toward God’s precepts, and at worst actually despises God’s law, actively setting the power of the State against anything that demonstrates that people want to engage their culture through God’s commandments.

God commanded a mandate to exercise dominion. Such a mandate is not a passive activity, politically or otherwise.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./November 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER/DOMINION MANDATE