(…continued) We all approach life with a “worldview;” which is our ‘philosophy’ of life. How we understand the world and everything in it, will, in a big way, determine how we will live our lives. Every world-view has to answer four basic questions: #1) How did we get here?; #2) Why is everything such a mess?; #3) What can be done about it (if anything)?; and #4) Where are we going from here (if anywhere)?
The Christian world-view has a one-word summary to answer each of those four philosophical questions: #1) Creation; #2) Fall; #3) Redemption; #4) Restoration. All of what we as Christians believe and teach about everything will fit into this outline. This provides the framework for our ‘philosophy.’
I have always been familiar with this framework and found it helpful, so I wanted to provide a brief summary here. I wondered if my ‘Google AI’ tool could be of some assistance and save me some time. Though it can sometimes be spectacularly wrong, I am amazed at what this artificial intelligence tool is able to do. I have always feared the bias in previous search engine tools, especially Google, and that has often proven to be a well-founded fear. However, the few times I have used Google AI for my Biblical and theological questions, it has been quite accurate and well-worded. I asked it for a summary of this Christian world-view, and it gave an excellent reply, which I include here (with some adjustments and additions):
The terms “creation, fall, redemption, restoration” represent a common framework for understanding the biblical narrative and God’s plan for humanity. It outlines a progression from God’s initial perfect creation, to humanity’s rebellion and fall into sin, to the redemption offered through Jesus Christ, and finally, to the eventual restoration of all things. This framework is often used to understand both the overall story of the Bible and the individual experiences of believers.
Here’s a breakdown of each stage:
- CREATION: God creates the world and everything in it, including humanity, and declares it “very good”. This highlights God’s goodness, power, and intentionality in creating a world that reflects his glory.
- FALL: Adam and Eve, the first humans, disobey God’s command and introduce sin into the world, resulting in separation from God, broken relationships, and a fallen creation. This introduces the reality of sin, its consequences, and the need for redemption. Every human being ever since Adam and Eve have continued in this rebellion and sin.
- REDEMPTION: God, in his love and mercy, provides a way for humanity to be reconciled to Himself through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the central event of the Christian faith, offering forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.
- RESTORATION: This refers to the future hope of a complete and perfect restoration of all things, when Christ returns and establishes his eternal kingdom. It’s a time when sin and its effects are completely eradicated, and creation is restored to its original perfection.
This framework isn’t just a historical timeline; it also reflects present-day realities. Believers experience redemption now through their relationship with Christ, but they also anticipate the future restoration when all things will be made new. The story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration provides a lens through which to understand the human condition, the nature of God, and the hope of salvation; or in other words, everything.
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THE EFFECT OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD-VIEW ON TWO PEOPLE:
“The modern philosopher told me again and again that I was in the right place, and I still felt depressed…. But when I heard [through the Christian faith] that I was in the wrong place, my soul sang for joy, like a bird in spring.” –G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
The Fall made this wonderfully Created world feel like the wrong place; by faith, Chesterton came to rejoice in the promised hope for the Restoration of God’s good world, by the Redemption which came in Christ Jesus.
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Many people were shocked a few years ago when some private letters of Mother Teresa (1910-1997) were made public. This strong woman of faith, now a Saint (since 2016), was shown to be a person who had a dark side of doubt and despair and sometimes even anger at God. Some, ever anxious to condemn all things related to the Christian faith, even called her a hypocrite. But think about it. Think about what Mother Teresa did all day, picking up diseased and dying and starving people from the streets all day, and caring for them. Is it surprising that she would have times of despair, and, like Job in the Old Testament, sometimes doubt the goodness of God? What is surprising is that she never wavered from her task. She never stopped praying to Jesus, every morning and evening and throughout the day. And she never stopped serving Jesus, proclaiming Jesus, and challenging the growing world-wide culture of death. In her world-view, she believed in a good God who created a good world (#1). Every day she faced the results of a fallen and sinful world (#2). She believed in the redemption brought by Jesus Christ (#3). And, she looked forward to the restoration of all things in life in God’s coming Kingdom (#4). That is how she was able to endure and serve.
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II Corinthians 5:17-20 — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
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Heavenly Father, all that you CREATED was very good (Genesis 1:31);
But we have all sinned and FALL short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23);
Now, through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:24);
We are RESTORED, reconciled to you, in Christ Jesus, who has made all things new (II Corinthians 5:17-20).
O give thanks, unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1).
Amen.
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