No Neutral Ground!

Last year, I applied to the Centurions Program. I found out just before Christmas that I have been accepted to the program. The Centurions Program is developing and equipping an ongoing fellowship of Christian men and women trained by Chuck Colson and The Wilberforce Forum to restore our culture by effectively thinking, teaching, and advocating the Christian worldview as applied to all of life. So, my goal for 2006 is to share with you what I have been learning from this intensive worldview course. I want to encourage you to read "How Now Shall We Live" by Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcy in the month of January. I think it should be a required read for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. I am going to give you a suggested book to read for each month of 2006 to help you improve your worldview.

James W. Sire and Darrow L. Miller define worldview as, "a set of assumptions held consciously or unconsciously in faith about the basic makeup of the world and how the world works." Chuck Colson defines worldview as, "the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the "big-picture" that directs our daily decisions and actions." Understanding worldviews is extremely important because our major task in life is to discover what is true and to live in step with that truth.

Do you know that when it pertains to the advancement of God's kingdom, there is no neutral ground on planet earth? In fact as Chuck Colson says, "In every action we take, we are doing one of two things: we are either helping to create a hell on earth or helping to bring down a fortaste of heaven. We are either contributing to the broken condition of the world or participating with God in transforming the world to reflect his righteousness. We are either advancing the rule of Satan or establishing the reign of God." Which one are you doing?

That is why Apostle Paul referred to our life of faith as a fight. The greatest war since the beginning of time has been the battle for the hearts and minds of men and women. All external wars are a manifestation of the internal war of worldviews. We tend to blame God, but it is our deceptive thinking that leads to our destruction. Our decisions determine our destinies. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Jesus Christ.

The enemy has done a great job deceiving a multitude of people in our world. We, like Jesus, must fight this battle with the power of God's word. And no, I am not just talking about quoting scripture to people. We must know not only what our worldview is and why we believe it but also how to defend it. We must be able to identify and understand the strongholds and arguments (worldviews) that are opposing the truth, and discover why these worldviews are so prevalent today. Only then can we present the gospel in a language that can be understood. Only then can we defend truth in a way that is wise and persuasive. Only then will we be able to demolish these arguments (worldviews) by speaking what is true according to a Christian worldview, and articulating what is false about the contrasting worldview.

Whether you like it or not, you were born into a war-zone. Matthew 11:12 says, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it." It is true that the weapons of this world have been the main instruments throughout history used by civilizations to conquer and reign. The one with the most powerful sword is the one who gained the power to rule. What is amazing about Jesus is he did not conquer with the sword of man, but with the sword of His words. Instead of using external force to advance his kingdom, he used his words to change people. His sermons and teachings transformed hearts and renewed minds. We must do the same today.

Jesus timing was simply amazing. All the world had ever known up to the time of Christ was domination by external force. In fact, the Romans had conquered the world with the power of their sword. With Caesar as lord, there had never been a more commanding force on the planet. How could a carpenter with no army overthrow such a powerful kingdom? To the natural mind it makes no sense, but Jesus demonstrated that the way of God is foolish to those who think they are wise. Although the way and word of the Lord may be foolish to the wise of the world, history testifies that its power to convert and improve civilizations and cultures can not be denied.

Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (13) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Sharper than any double-dedged sword with the ability to penetrate to the very depth of a person's soul. What a weapon God has given us! We must be skilled to use it properly. As a mighty warrior, Jesus was the first to prove that the word is mightier than the sword.

If we are to win this war of worldviews, we must be trained and equipped to think like Jesus so we can act like Jesus. (1)In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: (2)Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). I hope this blog has inspired you to think like Jesus. If so, stay tuned for further training and equipping my fellow soldier. (Are you out there? Please comment and let me know. I need the encouragement. A big thank you to those who comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and treasure the feedback.)