By Ron Auvil

What is this concept called “worldview?” A brief explanation would see worldview as a comprehensive sense of personal relationship to the world surrounding us. Simply it is a sense of destiny and purpose.

There are many worldviews confronting people in the world today. Humanism, for example, is a worldview which states that the universe is centered upon man and his achievements. Marxism is a worldview which believes in the inevitability of class struggle based on economic factors.

Major world religions are based upon worldviews. Hinduism is a worldview based upon many deities, and endless life-death cycle and inevitability of human suffering. Islam, on the other hand, is a religion of martyrdom, conquests by force, and police state modesty. Thus to understand any of these movements and religions, we must understand the worldview they are founded upon.

The importance of worldview cannot be overstated. For any movement of religion, it is the motivational factor that causes it to expand, contract, appear, and dissolve. Adherents to a particular movement test their worldview by acting upon it and observing the effects. The chart below illustrates:

Any individual’s worldview causes them to act based upon how they perceive their role in the world. This action causes a result which upon observation will either verify or prove incorrect their worldview.

For example, a Marxist believes that class struggle is inevitable, thus he acts to form revolutionary cells bringing disruption to the present system. When the disruption erupts it will verify his worldviews thus spurring him to greater revolutionary activity. This worldview caused Marxism to violently expand both in Europe and Asia. Marxism is now disappearing because it has been proven false based on its results of economic ruin and human misery.

Developing a Christian worldview is of extreme importance in order to advance Christ’s kingdom as false systems collapse under their own corrupted weight. One reason for the decline of Christianity in western culture is the lack of biblically based worldview. Instead the cultural worldview of materialism, selfishness and greed has become the predominant vision.

The first step in addressing this problem is by admitting that by and large the Church in the West has a spiritually bankrupt worldview that can be summarized by the saying, “Shop till you drop,” rather than “Pick up your cross and follow me.”

Thus if we were to properly understand the role of worldview, we would understand it as a set of rules that reside at the very core of our being. If our set of values is earthly, carnal and debased, then our actions will reflect such rot. However, a change in this set of values will bring a change in our actions. If we are taught a biblically based worldview, radical change will take place. Believers the world over will experience revival and evangelism will become more effective than ever.

What then are the chief elements in a Christian worldview? Listed below are the foundations for the building of this godly vision.

1. Christian worldview begins with Christ’s words, “You must be born-again,” and this wonderful truth was preached by the apostles to the intent that the corrupt sin ridden depraved human nature and an incorrect view of the world around us would be displaced by a true worldview based on the Bible truth and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

2. Christian worldview must be based upon who Jesus is and upon Him alone. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). This sounds so basic, so true, that seemingly no one could disagree. However, it is alarming to note the new and numerous doctrines which are advanced in our day, which focus not upon the glorious Christ but upon earthly events such as a unified European economic community, Soviet maneuvers, and futile speculations as to where the antichrist is hiding.

3. Christian worldview must express God’s mission for His people on earth. This is expressed in the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:16; 11:17,18) as a blessing of ALL nations of the earth with the Gospel. This is made applicable to the Church in Galatians 3:12,29, and is verified in the language of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). This is the highest priority of the Christian worldview and implies unlimited prayer and, financial and human resource be provided for its accomplishment. This effort is demanded until a closure with the goal is achieved. This means that the Gospel is to be preached until every peoples group has a functioning expression of the Church that will act as a witness and testimony to them.

4. Implicit in this worldview are revival and spiritual awakening as the great means of forwarding God’s purposes on the earth. The unrevived, stagnant Church would have as much chance of achieving God’s purposes on earth as would a corpse winning the 100-meter dash at the Olympics. Therefore, all attention must be given to the state of revival progress in the Church.

5. This worldview will spur ministry to alleviate social ills and utilize ministry to spread the Gospel to all levels of society. Society will then be changed and become more responsive to the demands and claims of Christ.

6. The true Christian worldview must express Christ in every area of the believer’s existence. Family relationships, work, finance, entertainment, politics, all areas of endeavor must be subject to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. No division of activities into “Christian” or “secular” can take place. All things will involve the work of Jesus. If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

7. All issues must be understood through this worldview. In short, it becomes a filter through which everything from the profound to the mundane is examined.

As you can see, Christian worldview will express the Lordship of our glorious Lord in every area of life. It will displace every other worldview and show them to be false. The Church will be spurred on to the completion of the Great Commission. The Gospel will be demonstrated in society, and great sweeping change will be effected.

In our next article we will define and examine history in light of Christian worldview.

Ron Auvil is a staff member of Christian Evangelistic Endeavors (CEE), a ministry dedicated to bringing a great and mighty revival to the Church and spiritual awakening throughout the nations. CEE sponsors Intensive Revival School, a two year discipleship program designed to prepare students for the ministry. Revival Flame, a bimonthly newsletter published by CEE, contains articles written by staff members and revivalists of old concerning revivals past and present. CEE also conducts church seminars on revival in the United States and the United Kingdom.

To receive Revival Flame or to request more information on CEE’s seminars, write to:

Christian Evangelistic Endeavors, Inc.
35155 Beachpark Dr.
Eastlake, OH 44095