| Is God sovereign? If you truly believe that he is then | | | | too many Christians have allowed their view of history |
| everything must be understood in the light of His | | | | to be tainted by philosophies of men. If they will reject |
| revelation. A Christian should have a well rounded | | | | these false doctrines and view history as having a |
| education including a knowledge of history and its | | | | definitive purpose, the Christian will begin to act |
| relationship to God's revealed word. History seems to | | | | differently toward culture. |
| be an important concept in the Bible. How you | | | | The first question in the Westminster shorter |
| understand history is important to how you react | | | | catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man?" The |
| toward culture. | | | | answer, "the chief end of man is to glorify God and |
| If you look up "remember" in the Strong's | | | | enjoy Him forever." This is a marvelous summation of |
| Concordance you will find almost a full page of | | | | our purpose in light of God's plan in history. God's plan |
| references. God constantly commands His people to | | | | for this world, man and, yes, all of creation, is being |
| set up reminders of His marvelous works. He | | | | accomplished through history and can be seen in |
| commanded the Children of Israel to set up the Gilgal | | | | passages such as I Peter 4:11: "If any man speak, let |
| stones at the crossing of the Jordan, He set up the | | | | him speak as the oracle of God: if any man minister, let |
| passover as a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt, He | | | | him do it as of the ability that God giveth; that God in all |
| gave to the Christian the sacraments of Baptism and | | | | things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom |
| the Lord's supper as a remembrance of Him. | | | | be praise and dominion forever." |
| Isaiah 46:9,10 reads, "Remember the former things of | | | | Understanding history as God "declaring the end from |
| old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and | | | | the beginning" and as Him "do(ing) all (His) pleasure" |
| there is none like me, declaring the end from the | | | | helps you see all of history, and everything that is |
| beginning, and from ancient times the things that are | | | | happening today in such a way that motivates you to |
| not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will | | | | live for His glory. If history is seen as a purposeful |
| do all my pleasure". Passages like this one and Isaiah | | | | creator directing everything to His glory, life then has |
| 25:1 inspired the Augustinian, or Christian, view of | | | | purpose. You see, it's all about God. Man, even |
| history. The Christian sees history moving in a linear | | | | Christian man, tends to want to view everything in the |
| direction for the purpose of glorifying God and | | | | context of 'what's in it for me'. If it is all about God then |
| accomplishing His will. | | | | you can see history as pointing everything to His glory |
| Another label for the Christian view of history is the | | | | and you will live out I Cor. 10:31, ("Whether therefore ye |
| providential view of history. Providence is a concept | | | | eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory |
| found in the fathers of the church and this country that | | | | of God.") with gusto. |
| has almost been lost on today's Christian. Tragically, | | | | |