Skip to main content

“Worldviews seem very complicated. Does it really matter the small details of what I believe as long as I have a relationship with him?” That question was submitted by Sam.

A response from Rich Knopp: I greatly appreciate your question. Reading between the lines a little, it appears you’re saying that you have a great relationship with God, so why be concerned about “worldview matters”? Trying to understand worldviews like secular humanism, nihilism, existentialism, postmodernism, and pantheism seems complicated, distracting, and maybe even destructive.

First, I’m encouraged by your emphasis on relationship. You’ve got that right! Being a follower of Jesus is ultimately about having a personal relationship with God who came in the flesh in Jesus Christ and who is still present with us in the Holy Spirit. The most important commandment in Scripture is about love: We are to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:4; Mk. 12:30).

What I hear you saying is that you already love God. This is a wonderful personal testimony! This should always be your passion. And I will grant that, at least now, you may not need to know about “worldview matters.” But most likely, you will eventually be challenged by criticisms of your faith and encounter alternative claims of other religions and philosophies. If you’re like many professing Christians, you may find yourself, at some point, dealing with growing doubts about your faith.

Unfortunately, having a great relationship with God now may not actually be enough to avoid sliding from your faith in the future. You may begin wondering, “But is Christianity really true?” That’s why, as important as it is to have a personal relationship with God, it’s also vitally important to be grounded in what’s true. Truth is essential for the Christ-follower. Jesus says that we must worship God “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). It’s not a mere matter of having a “spiritual” connection to God; our spiritual connection must be based on truth.

First-century Jesus followers did not simply share a personal testimony (though they undoubtedly did); they boldly preached a public truth. Luke expresses the message of the disciples: “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon” (Lk. 24:34). John says that “his testimony is true” (Jn. 21:24; Jn. 19:35). And Paul claimed that his message “is true and reasonable” (Acts 26:25). In other words, it makes a huge difference what you believe, and it’s so important to know why you believe it.

So, specifically, why be concerned about “worldview matters”? One thing that might help is to think of “worldview” as a tool. Tools allow us do things more easily. Think of a knife, a screwdriver, a hairdryer, a car, a computer, or a phone. Some tools are simple to use, like a one-bladed pocket knife. Some tools are more complex, like a Swiss Army pocket knife that has dozens of functions. I believe using the “worldview tool” can be relatively simple, but it can also become more complex and powerful as we grow in our knowledge and experience. That’s why I strongly recommend that Christians learn to use the “worldview tool.”

Learning to use the “worldview tool” can help us with the following:

  1. Distinguish the big ideas from the small details. I agree with your sentiment that “small details” don’t seem that important. But how do we know what’s a small detail and what’s a big issue? Using the worldview tool can prompt us to focus on the “core” beliefs and practices of different religions and philosophies (including Christianity) and not worry so much about the things that are not so significant.
  2. Detect false ideas and practices. Once we’re adequately informed on the core truths of Christianity, we can better recognize, and reject, the incompatible positions of alternative worldviews. For an analogy, I recall the total confusion when COVID-19 surfaced. The first big question was: what is it? Until we could identify it, we couldn’t stop it. Using the worldview tool can help us identify false claims and properly resist them. We might think of it as a vaccine.
  3. Discover the influences in our culture that can deceive us. We are bombarded by overt and subtle messages in what we read, watch, and listen to. They come from TikTok, YouTube, Wikipedia, music, TV, our friends, and so on. Using the worldview tool can help us understand that our Christian faith should not be confined to Sunday or to a list of “spiritual” beliefs or practices. A truly Christian worldview sees the relevance of everything for our faith. As Abraham Kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” I love the way The Message translates part of Romans 12:1-2: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” Using the worldview tool can help Christians think more consciously about their culture and help us “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 ESV).

Learning about “worldview matters” is certainly not necessary for your salvation, but it could make a sizable difference in the stability of your personal relationship to God and in the effectiveness of your witness to others.

Rich Knopp

Executive Director of Room For Doubt and presenter for Room For Doubt seminars and workshops at conventions, conferences, colleges, Christian camps, and churches. He provides and manages content on the R4D website and app. His personal webpage can be accessed at www.richknopp.com.