Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Intelligent design. Same-sex marriage. Universal healthcare. Jihad. Pro-life. The spiritual gift of tongues. Teachers’ unions. Capitalism. Feminism. Expositional preaching.
All of these terms are controversial in different spheres in our world today. When reading a given term, your mind might have immediately responded favorably or unfavorably toward it: that initial reaction you had is a reflection of your worldview.
According to Norman Geisler and William Watkins, your worldview is “a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality. It is an interpretive framework through which or by which one makes sense of the data of life and the world.”
“Jesus is not just identified in Scripture as a Savior; He is also identified as Lord. Salvation is not simply a trip to Heaven when we die, it is new life as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).“
– David Gamble
Everyone has a worldview, but most people would have trouble describing or defining their worldview, and fewer people still would be able to pinpoint where their worldview originated. Christian apologist David Noebel astutely notes that most people develop the beliefs of their worldview the same way they would catch a cold—by simply being around other people.
Our worldview reflects how we think about the most important things in our world, and in many ways is so ingrained into how we think and process information that it flows from us automatically the same way walking flows from our muscle memory. As Christians, this means it is essential that we have a worldview that is consistent with biblical doctrine.
As Paul begins the “practical” section of his letter to the Romans, his first request to the believers regards their minds. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells the Christians of Rome (as well as believers 2,000 years later in the United States) not to be conformed to the world. The Greek word “conformed” means “to conform one’s mind and character to another’s pattern.” Imagine pouring Jell-O into a decorative mold before putting it in the refrigerator: the Jell-O would take on the form of the decorative mold, becoming “conformed” to its image. Using this terminology, Paul warns Christians against allowing the world to mold our way of thinking according to its anti-Scriptural patterns.
Instead of having our worldviews molded according to the secular patterns of the world, Christians are to be “transformed by the renewal of [their] minds.” The word “transformed” in Greek is where we get our English word “metamorphosis,” and means “to change into another form.” This phrase reminds us that our way of thinking before we were saved was worldly and incorrect in many ways. It is necessary that our thinking—our worldview—be changed after our salvation to become consistent with the truths of the Bible.
Many Christians in the western world picture salvation too narrowly. Jesus is not just identified in Scripture as a Savior; He is also identified as Lord. Salvation is not simply a trip to Heaven when we die, it is new life as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Though being a new creation certainly includes the resurrected bodies we will receive in Eternity, it also includes being renewed within, which begins the moment we are saved. As a new creation, we now have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and it is our responsibility as believers—under the power of the Holy Spirit—to renew our minds and transform our way of thinking.
Many Christians in our culture may lack a biblical worldview, but that should not keep us from striving to conform our thoughts to think like Christ. It is crucial as Christians that our worldview be formed by the God that formed this world. We must prioritize spending time in the Bible–not just reading, but making an actual effort to study the Bible, and being humble enough to let the Bible transform our way of thinking and living. We must prioritize public worship on Sundays. If church attendance is not a priority in our lives, then it’s likely we do not yet have a biblical worldview. If it is common for us to be absent from public worship, then church attendance is probably not yet the priority in our lives that Scripture calls us to make it.
A truly biblical worldview will have a direct impact on how we daily live our lives. As I allow my thinking to be transformed by the teachings of Scripture, I will become a better husband, a better father, a better employee, a better neighbor, a better brother, and a better friend. I am better equipped to live out the “one another’s” of Scripture as the principles and doctrines of Scripture become the guiding force behind my thoughts and actions.
My challenge to every child of God reading this post is to be committed to the pursuit of a biblical worldview this year. Whether you are a new believer or you were saved many decades ago, I encourage you to give great effort to letting God speak to you through His Word this year, striving to let His Word direct the way you think, the way you speak, and the way you act.