Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Worldview - Part 4 - Destiny

The final question in helping to define a worldview is "what is our ultimate destiny?" Once again, from a Biblical perspective, man's destiny springs from the fact that God created us in His image. His original intension for us was to be in relationship with Him. Man's disobedience brought about a separation between us and God. This precipitated the coming of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to build a bridge back to God.
Herein lies the choice. The Bible teaches that the eternal life God offers is available to "whoever believes in Him (Christ)..." The word "believe" in the New Testament is not simply an intellectual assent but it implies a commitment, a reliance on Jesus as Saviour. On the other hand, those who choose not to accept God's offer of reconciliation will face an eternity in that condition. Hell has been called "God's ultimate compliment to man's freedom to choose."
So, in summary, the Bible teaches that man was designed with a soul that lives on after the body dies. His destiny stretches far beyond the confines of earthly experience.
Conversely, an atheistic view of man ends at the grave. Since he is simply a product of a blind evolutionary process, he has the same ultimate destiny as a dog, a cat or even a bug. This view of man diminishes his value and ultimately leads to despair.
One of the byproducts of a Biblical worldview is the concept of hope. Failure does not have to be final. Redemption is possible. Even the worst reprobate can have the hope of a better eternity as demonstrated in the promise of Jesus to the thief dying beside Him - "Today you will be with me in paradise."

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