Posted on 06/09/2005 12:03:02 PM PDT by Rytwyng
Radio evangelist Chuck Baldwin, WorldNetDaily, and Whistleblower magazine have recently revisited findings by Christian opinion researcher George Barna that only 9% of born-again Christians have a Biblical perspective on life. “The problem with America’s Christianity today is that, for the most part, it doesn’t exist!” Baldwin said, in a June 1 broadcast.
We should revisit these figures too. They first appeared in a Barna Update December 1, 2003: “A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person’s Life.”[1] Barna defined a Biblical worldview as belief in eight propositions:
Absolute moral truths exist. The Bible defines moral truth. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe, and He rules it today. Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned. Satan is real. Christians have a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with others. The Bible is accurate in all its teachings. What Does It Mean? “People’s views on morally acceptable behavior are deeply impacted by their worldview,” Barna wrote.
In general, he found, people who do not have a Biblical worldview are much more likely than those who do have a Biblical worldview to condone or engage in immoral behavior: cohabitation, drunkenness, homosexual activity, adultery, profanity, voluntary exposure to pornography, abortion, and gambling. For example, those who held a non-Biblical worldview were 31 times more likely to accept cohabitation than the Biblically faithful.
Nondenominational Protestant churches yielded the highest percentage of persons with a Biblical worldview (13%), with Pentecostal churches next (10%), and Baptists third (8%). Mainline Protestant churches (2%) and Catholics (1%) brought up the rear.
“The results are shocking!” Baldwin said.
Given the prevalence of the non-Biblical worldview — in a country in which 80% of the people call themselves Christians — is it surprising that our entertainment industry cranks out smut? That our public schools teach moral relativism and hold “workshops” to teach children how to perform aberrant sex acts? That our politicians, judges, and business leaders aren’t much better?
Shocking, maybe. Distressing, to be sure. Thou Shalt Not Panic Let’s not panic. As bad as these statistics are, we who do have a Biblical worldview know that Christ sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father. All power in heaven and earth is given to Him (Matt. 28:18). His enemies shall be made His footstool (Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:34–35). Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess Him Lord (Phil. 2:10–11). That is the end to which God has directed all of history. That is the message of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
God’s Word is about truth, not self-esteem. Rather than be demoralized by findings like Barna’s, we should take them as indicators of where we are as a nation and where we need to go.
Acquiring a Biblical Worldview If America wanted to be a Godless nation, there would not have been such a decisive “values vote” in the 2004 election. Support for abortion would not be slipping in poll after poll. Eleven out of 11 states would not have amended their constitutions to block “gay marriage.” Mainline denominations would not be losing droves of members to Biblically faithful churches.
These are indications that more Americans would like to adopt a Biblical worldview. Speaking as someone who for much of his adult life did not have a Biblical outlook, my biggest problem was that I didn’t know I had a problem.
How do you acquire a Biblical worldview?
Read the Bible every day, making it an indispensable part of your daily routine — like getting dressed. It’s good to read about the Bible, to take a Bible study course, and to listen to Bible teachers, but there’s no substitute for the Bible itself. God will speak to you through His Scriptures — if you listen. Get into the habit of measuring all things by how they stack up against the Scriptures. To be able to do that, you have to acquire the familiarity with the Bible that comes with daily reading. Don’t ask, “What would Jesus do?” You don’t know because you’re not Jesus. Ask instead, “What does the Bible say?” This is the standard used by Jesus Himself and by His apostles (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 4:30). Strengthen your prayer life. Prayer is how you connect with God, person to Person. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10; Ps. 53:3); this means you, and everyone. We need God’s grace in our lives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). No one else can pick us up when we stumble. No one else can help us to do better. There’s Hope Barna has reported one sign that more Americans are already trying to acquire a Biblical worldview. In an April 11, 2005 Barna Update, he found that 45% of adults in America read the Bible during a typical week — “a significant rise from the 31% measured in 1995,” he reported.[2]
A level of 45% still means there’s 55% left to go, and “during a typical week” can be improved to “every day.” Nevertheless, it’s progress — the kind of progress that, in time, ought to mean changes in the more distressing figures.
That'll be the last time I see something like that from you. If you can't control yourself, go elsewhere.
The saints in heaven are more alive than you are.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for all those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies of The Church.
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Good point. Not only that, but we have different interpretations of those versions. Which reminds me of the parables, for which interpretations also exist.
"Not only that, but we have different interpretations of those versions."
Another thing that I forgot to mention. The Hebrew version of the OT, the one which Protestants use, is based on the Masoretic text. This text is based on an 800 year old TRADITION! Young men would be trained on writing the Hebrew WITHOUT the vowels. So for 800 years or so, there was an UNWRITTEN tradition of which vowels went where. What is interesting also is that after looking at the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars have found that the Greek Septuagint that the Catholics use for their OT is more accurate with these Dead Sea Scrolls, written 200 BC, compared to the Masoretic text, written 600-800 AD (with the vowels added in).
To get an idea of the 'tradition', interpret this:
THLRDSMSHPHRDSHLLNTWNT
HMKSMLDWNNGRNPSTRS
HLDSMBSDSTLLWTRS
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT
HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES;
HE LEADS ME BSIDE STILL WATERS.
(PSALM 23: 1-2)
One can see how a word could become misinterpreted. I find it ironic that those who refuse tradition rely incredibly on this tradition...
Regards
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Interesting.
I don't think you will find a verse that actually calls it the first command.
However, that it is, can be seen by
All of those point to baptism being an important command that should occur as soon as a person accepts Jesus.
CI>Pity for those Christians living between 33 and 60 AD without any of the Christian Scriptures.
The followers of the Christ had the same scriptures that Y'shua had!
Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, Ora Pro Nobis!
Please do not grieve the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist says speaking of Y'shua:
Matthew 3:11 "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
B'Shem Y'shua
Of course, you realize we're referring to the New Testament.
Agreed, There are two baptisms. One is the baptism with the holy spirit which occurs to all believers. The other is baptism by water, which is a public testimony to repentance. It's clear from scripture that baptism by water continued during and after Jesus.
Did Y'shua quote from the so-called New Testament?
B'Shem Y'shua
"Mikvah" - (f., pl. "Mikvaot"); a ritual pool of water, used for the purpose of attaining ritual purity. Immersion in a Mikvah is performed for the following main purposes: It is used in connection with Repentance, to remove the impurity of sin. It is also used in connection with Conversion, because the convert has taken upon himself or herself to adopt the lifestyle of the Jew, that is based on the recognition of G-d as King of the Universe and on the obligation to perform the commandments of the Torah. It is the ritual act that divides two periods of time - the period of separation when marital relations are forbidden, because the wife is in the state of "niddah," and the period of union when such relations are not only permissible but regarded as essential to a healthy marriage. (See also "Taharat HaMishpacha" - family purity)
from
http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/m.htm
B'Shem Y'shua
(Brother.......)
LC
NIV Deuteronomy 18:10-11
10. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
11. or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
19. When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
3. The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
Sorry Brother
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