A total gospel
Dr. Roberto Miranda
SUMMARY: Secular groups want to limit religion and spirituality to the private sphere, but it's impossible to separate spiritual beliefs from practical decisions. Christianity is a total worldview that encompasses all aspects of life, and Christians should establish the lordship of Christ in every aspect of their lives.
In a world that becomes more secular every day, some want to relegate religion and the spiritual to the purely private sphere. According to this model, the influence of religion should be limited to the church or home, and never extended to the public realm. The great decisions of society — its politics, economics, education, even its morality — should be determined according to supposedly objective considerations, not according to the uncertain and subjective patterns of religion or spirituality. At least, that is what the liberal and secularizing groups in many Western societies want.
The truth is that it is ultimately impossible to establish an absolute separation between the moral and spiritual postulates of religion, and the purely practical and secular considerations of the state. As we have noted before, an individual's spiritual beliefs, if close to his heart, must always profoundly affect his practical decisions. The principles of the Christian faith cannot be easily isolated from the other aspects of human life.
The Bible states that “the earth is the Lord's and its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it” (Ps 24: 1). If this is so, then the whole of life — social, economic, political, scientific, moral, intellectual — will necessarily have to reflect that divine lordship. Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper declares: “No single element of our mental universe should be hermetically separated from the others; and there is not a single square inch in all the terrain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not declare: Mine! "
Christianity is a total and organic worldview, which encompasses all dimensions of life. It has something to say to all aspects of human life — political, judicial, cultural, scientific, and economic. According to Nancy Pearcey, in her book, Total Truth, “We must find ways to overcome the dichotomy between sacred and secular, public and private, facts and values — showing the world that only a Christian worldview offers comprehensive truth. and total. That vision is true not only with respect to a limited aspect of reality, but with regard to the total reality. It is a total truth ”(p. 121).
As Christians, we are to live that way — recognizing and establishing the lordship of Christ in every aspect of our lives. From the greatest to the smallest, from the most public to the most intimate, our lives should reflect the total mastery of gospel principles. Certainly, there must not be a single space of our being over which Christ cannot confidently declare: “Mine!
The truth is that it is ultimately impossible to establish an absolute separation between the moral and spiritual postulates of religion, and the purely practical and secular considerations of the state. As we have noted before, an individual's spiritual beliefs, if close to his heart, must always profoundly affect his practical decisions. The principles of the Christian faith cannot be easily isolated from the other aspects of human life.
The Bible states that “the earth is the Lord's and its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it” (Ps 24: 1). If this is so, then the whole of life — social, economic, political, scientific, moral, intellectual — will necessarily have to reflect that divine lordship. Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper declares: “No single element of our mental universe should be hermetically separated from the others; and there is not a single square inch in all the terrain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not declare: Mine! "
Christianity is a total and organic worldview, which encompasses all dimensions of life. It has something to say to all aspects of human life — political, judicial, cultural, scientific, and economic. According to Nancy Pearcey, in her book, Total Truth, “We must find ways to overcome the dichotomy between sacred and secular, public and private, facts and values — showing the world that only a Christian worldview offers comprehensive truth. and total. That vision is true not only with respect to a limited aspect of reality, but with regard to the total reality. It is a total truth ”(p. 121).
As Christians, we are to live that way — recognizing and establishing the lordship of Christ in every aspect of our lives. From the greatest to the smallest, from the most public to the most intimate, our lives should reflect the total mastery of gospel principles. Certainly, there must not be a single space of our being over which Christ cannot confidently declare: “Mine!
