He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…(Phil. 1:6).
What does everyone have, that many are unaware of, yet influences everything we do? Lets call it a “worldview”. The German word is weltanschauung. It is defined as “a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity’s relation to it.” You can see why some men and women might not even have any realization that they have one.
Paul had one. And I believe it is easy to put together the four major components of his. The letter to the Philippians can only be understood by knowing something about the way Paul viewed the world. It was his worldview that gave him the confidence we see in today’s text. As a matter of fact, the phrase that immediately precedes the text is “Being confident of this…” I like to think of our weltanschauung as being comprised of a series of mental lenses. Much like the process of getting an eye exam, having a clear and accurate view of reality involves a series of cognitive lenses that are put in place until our “vision” of life is clear.
The first “lens” of Paul’s worldview was his belief in the existence of God. The late, great theologian Francis Schaeffer explained this as the belief in a personal-infinite God who has become my father through my relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no more important component than this. You might say the whole world is composed of men and women who either have a “God lens” or don’t. Paul did.
The second “lens” was his belief that evil exists. Schaeffer would say we live in a supernatural, fallen universe where a battle is being waged between good and evil. Think of how different your view of reality is if instead of believing God exists and evil exists, a person doesn’t believe that God exists, but does believe that aliens exist. And rather than believing in the reality of a cosmic conflict of good and evil, the evil in the world is explained by a belief in the interference of aliens who came to earth millennia ago with the consequence that their influence still impacts men and women’s minds in this age. Don’t think such nonsense could ever be believed? Millions of people in world belong to groups that see reality through this lens.
The third “lens” in Paul’s worldview was his conviction that God orchestrates. Again, Schaeffer would say that as my father, God has the right to place me where he knows I need to be in the cosmic battle between good and evil. I might not understand my circumstances, but if I have this lens in place I can trust God knows what he is doing. Paul wrote Philippians from prison. He faced the possibility of death at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero. But he was experiencing joy in his situation because he could see how God was using his imprisonment to exalt Christ and increase the communication of the good news about Jesus.
Finally, Paul had a “lens” that made him believe that God will one day win the battle. This is the BIG message of the Bible: God Wins! Paul knew that all of human history was moving toward a purposeful conclusion. Jesus would return and history as we know it would end. A new age will begin. Not only will all that is wrong be made right, but the Kingdom of God will reach its consummation. There will be no more death, or suffering, or mourning, or pain. God wins!
Without these “lenses” life does not make sense. Without these lenses many men and women will go through life believing that it is not supposed to. But with these “lenses” life has meaningful purposes and even in the midst of the most difficult of situations, there is joy.
If you’d like to hear more about Paul’s worldview you can listen to a message I gave on the subject at this link: http://vimeo.com/106014753.