Total Truth

"Did you take a vacation from your blog?" "Did you quit blogging?" "Are you still alive?"

Yes, no, and yes.

I had every intention of writing up several blog entries over the Christmas break so that when my heavy class and work load started up this Spring I would have a queue of quality entries I could post. That intention got lost in a barrage of great football games, a couple of unexpected things at work, and a couple of trips I hadn't anticipated.

So here I am, embroiled in my hardest semester of school thus far, and I've got nothing ready to go. So bear with me.

Over the break I took an elective class at the seminary called "Contemporary Issues in Apologetics" that was taught by Probe Ministries . It was a one-week whipping I wasn't looking forward to, but turned out to be a very enjoyable and informative class.


One of the required books for the course was "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey. If you haven't read this book yet, it's worth picking up. Pearcey talks about the fact that the majority of Christians in the west live with a sort of undiagnosed schizophrenia; The worldview we believe we live (a Christian worldview) and the worldview we actually live (a secular/cultural worldview) are two different things. The vast majority of Christians today believe their faith has little or nothing to do with their occupation or lifestyle beyond defining certain moral codes. (We all know we shouldn't lie or cheat at work, but just those behaviors are not enough to call our worldview Christian).

One of the most helpful insights of Pearcey's book is that the majority of Christians begin their view of humanity too late. As we talk about theology, and even the Gospel, we begin with the Fall. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23) is the beginning of many of our gospel presentations. Pearcey argues that since the Bible begins with the Creation instead of the Fall, we should too. "Our value and dignity are rooted in the fact that we are created in the image of God, with the high calling of being His representatives on earth..."(page 87).

The message of redemption is one of restoration - we were created to have fellowship with God, and were created in the image of God to be His representatives on earth. The Creation account reminds us of God's power, character, and plan for His creation. Only when we realize those things are we able to better think about how we should live as believers today.

Interesting stuff.