My World View

The Nature of Truth

There is truth that is objective, that is true regardless of whether I believe it to be true or false.  Objective truth is discovered, not created in the mind.  While the objectivity of truth is most obvious in the physical realm, it is not necessarily limited to this realm. 

The Nature of God

God is infinite, transcendent, but personal and immanent.  He has always existed.  God is above and beyond our ability to measure or fully grasp.  He is not to be confused with his creation but transcends it and oversees it.  God was the initiator of the Big Bang:  “Let there be light!”

God is not merely a “force” or “energy”, but exhibits a unique personality and has made himself to be known by those whom he created.  He has revealed his character to us in the Bible, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, by his Spirit, and through the creation itself.  God is the ultimate source of goodness.  His love is an expression of his goodness.

Human nature

Human beings are created in the image of God and thus are like him in that we possess personality, intelligence, morality, and creativity.  We can make choices on how we act; we are not conditioned by hormones, genes or external stimuli as many would assert, but can transcend this reductionist view of humanity through our personal choices through God’s grace.  We possess the capacity for distinguishing between good and evil.

The dignity of man is derived from being created in God’s image.  Thus, all men and women have intrinsic value; human life should be respected and defended.

So, what went wrong with the world?

While humanity was initially created to be good, reflecting the character of their creator, God did not create us to be little robots.  We were given a free will and could choose to love and honor God or to rebel against God.  Man chose to rebel: in theological terms, this is called “The Fall”.  The legacy of this event reveals itself in the human condition.  Death became a part of life.  Our basic inclinations are no longer inherently good by nature.  Our reflection of God’s image is distorted and broken.  We must learn to distinguish between good and evil.  This unfortunate fact seems to be confirmed by an unbiased look at the recorded history of humanity.  Mankind is by nature in either passive or active denial of God’s presence and character.

Is life then meaningless or hopeless?

Not at all.  God’s love for his people was not changed by mankind’s rebellion.  Although every one of us is naturally separated from God and cannot reach him by our own effort, God has provided the way for this broken relationship to be restored.  He took upon himself the form of a man as Jesus Christ, lived a life that was morally perfect, and allowed himself to become a sacrifice for our rebellion against him.  Our brokenness deserves death, but he paid the price for it instead of us.  The purpose for his death and resurrection was to restore our relationship with God, but only if we choose to accept it.

This restoration brings healing and hope.  When we reconnect with our creator, our perspectives, personality, desires, and moral compass begin the process of transformation back toward God’s image.