The City Which Has Foundations

A Vision for the Mission and Strategy of the Worldview Alliance

By Boyd W. Morris

June 2004

"By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country... for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:9, 10)

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews 12:22-24)

Mission

"The Alliance is dedicated to leading a Reformation-minded revival of our churches, the socio-political reconstruction of our nation and the moral reform of our citizens according to a biblical worldview. The goal of this mission is to have our nation function as "one nation under God," as implicitly stated in the Constitution, with all areas of social life operating under Biblical-based ethics."
There are five points in this mission statement.

	The five main points in the Mission Statement	The solution each point proposes	The problem each point addresses
1	"the moral reform of citizens according to the biblical worldview."	A confessional approach to the interpretation of Scripture	Liberalism
2	"to have our nation function as 'one nation under God,' as implicitly stated in the Constitution"	A covenantal view for all of society	Pietism
3	"with all areas of social life operating under Biblical-based ethics"	An ethical standard for all of life based in Scripture	Antinomianism
4	"a reformation-minded revival of our churches"	A reformational vision for the church	Humanism
5	"the socio-political reconstruction of our nation"	A transformational vision for the nations	Secularism

The Alliance champions a confessional, covenantal, ethical, reformational and transformational view of the nature and mission of the church in contrast to a liberal, pietistic, antinomian, secular and humanistic view. These terms are defined on the following page.

Two Contrasting Views of the Church

The Problem Five reasons why the church does not operate according to the biblical worldview.	The Solution Five characteristics of the church when she operates according to the biblical worldview.
Liberalism Liberalism holds that Scripture is at best authoritative only in those areas to which it speaks directly. This view denies the systematic relevancy and final authority of Scripture in all areas of thought and life. By implication, those holding to such a view are no longer able to defend the inerrancy of Scripture. Denial of Scripture's comprehensive relevancy is the root of liberalism while denial of inerrancy is but its fruit. (Gen. 3:4-5)	Confessional The church makes God's interpretation of all things her own, restating in word and deed what Christ has originally stated as He speaks infallibly in Scripture. Scripture speaks of all things because it reveals God's own worldview or interpretation of all things. In making this worldview our own we truly declare Christ to be Lord of all. (Ps. 36:9; Matt. 4:4; 16:15-18; Jn. 7:16-18, 24; 1 Jn. 2:20)
Pietism Pietism makes individual regeneration the goal of salvation, compromising the gospel in order to win acceptance of it. In pietism legalism replaces biblical law, democratic or autocratic ideology replaces theocratic social theory and libertarian freedom replaces covenantal accountability. (Matt. 23:15, 23)	Covenantal The church administers the keys of the kingdom as the preeminent government on the planet (not by means of political force, but by testifying to the truth), discipling its members in covenantal accountability to the biblical worldview in all areas of thought and life. (Is. 2:2-4; Ps. 110:1-3; Matt. 5:17-20; 16:18-19; Jn. 18:36-37)
Antinomianism Antinomianism, (meaning "against the law") denies that the best cure for the legalism of men is the law of God. This view invades the church when she fails to heed the words of Christ to not even begin to think that He came to abolish the Law, but that He came to fulfill (i.e., confirm, restore) it. All attempts to apply any part of Scripture to any matter without taking the jot and the tittle of the least of the commandments into account destroys the self-authenticating context of Scripture, leaving the church culturally irrelevant and believers as less than conquerors. In reaction to this, antinomianism inevitably leads the church into inappropriately employing coercive power to enforce legalistic standards upon its own members and, if it can, upon society as a whole. Antinomianism holds that might makes right in contrast to the biblical philosophy that right makes might. (Matt. 5:17-20; 20:25-28; Jn. 18:36-38)	Ethical Christ commissions His church to bring every thought captive to obedience to Himself because it is He Himself, not any principle that exists above or independent of God, Who is the Author and Standard of truth. Therefore to know anything truly about the Creator and His creation requires knowing Christ as Redeemer. Attempts to acquire knowledge independently (i.e., outside of a relationship with God) is the essence of original sin. While love for Christ and others is the motivation for obedience and discipleship, the Law is the standard. Likewise, just as the Holy Spirit is the power of our sanctification, so the law is the pattern of our sanctification. This is so because the exhaustive detail of the Law continues to have abiding validity since all aspects of the Old Covenant law remain morally binding in the New Covenant era except for those aspects which are rescinded or modified by Scripture itself. (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:22; Prov. 1:7; Matt.; 28:18-20; Jn. 5:39; 14:6; Rom. 8:4; 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 10:4-6; Col. 2:3)
Humanism Humanism is the worldview that believers are systematically discipled into whenever the church governs herself democratically or monarchially because both of these forms of governing elevate human authority and the traditions of men above the word of God. As Christ demonstrated to Israel 2000 years ago, He destroys and replaces such apostate ecclesiastical institutions with new wineskins. (Matt. 21:43; 26:64; Mk. 7:8-9; Jn. 2:19)	Reformational The church is a holy nation commissioned by Christ to replace the world system with God's world system - the kingdom of God. As a covenant community, the church teaches the biblical worldview, not just through instruction, but also through ceremony in worship and through the accountability of church discipline (or government) where all human authority and tradition is placed under Scripture (sola Scriptura). (Gen. 1:26-28; Matt. 21:43; 28:18-20; 1 Pet. 2:9)
Secularism Secularism invades the church when she operates in terms of the secular-sacred split - the view that Scripture speaks with final authority only to certain areas of thought and life. This produces a retreatist, sub-culture Christianity where believers think and act just like the world, but do so within the sub-cultural "safety" of groups comprised of Christians only (i.e., most Christian schools, youth groups, etc.). (Jn. 19:15)	Transformational As a holy nation, the church is the world's leading catalyst for the establishment and extension of Christian civilization. Christ calls His church to be proactively kingdom-cultural rather than sub-cultural or just counter-cultural, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. When the church as a city on a hill models the kingdom, then all nations will voluntarily come to be taught God's word in all areas of life. (Ps. 110:3; Isa. 2:2-4; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Heb. 12:22-24)

Strategy

At a citywide or regional level we may dare to imagine the Worldview Alliance accomplishing its mission by means of a unified strategy with three parts:

1. Establish local chapters in a city or region. Chapters may be established in one of two ways: 1) By forming individuals into entirely new groups or 2) by inviting existing groups of various ministries and congregations to join the Alliance.
   
   
2. Hold citywide or regional catalytic events (i.e., conferences, etc.) sponsored by local chapters in which Worldview Alliance speakers, member organizations, etc. converge.
   
   
3. Link people into various worldview forums before, during and after a catalytic event in order to further envision, equip and empower them to either join an existing chapter or start a new one.

These are the three basic components of any movement: local groups who implement the vision, catalytic events that proclaim the vision and various kinds of forums to develop the vision. Each works best when they work together as three parts of one strategy.

Vision

The Transformation of Nations Requires the Reformation of the Church

While our mission and strategy can and should be very specific, measurable and limited, our vision can be no smaller than Christ's vision for His church. Therefore as we engage in our mission and strategy, let us keep the following vision before us:

• Any "socio-political reconstruction of our nation" (or of any nation) will happen only through "a reformation-minded revival of our churches." For it takes a nation (i.e., the church) to disciple a nation.
  
  
• Such a "reformation-minded revival of our churches" will happen only through a covenantal and confessional recovery of the biblical worldview. For it takes the biblical worldview for the church to think of herself and govern herself as a nation.
  
  
• Such a recovery of the biblical worldview will happen, not just through instruction, but by church reformation in the areas of worship and church government. For it takes all three forms of teaching to accomplish "the moral reform of citizens according to the biblical worldview."

"Moral Reform... to the Biblical Worldview" requires more than just instruction

Teaching individuals and nations to observe all that Christ has commanded happens in three ways	Instruction	Worship	Discipline
The three main roles of the Levites in Israel	Teachers (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 17:18; 31:9-13; 33:10; 2 Chron. 17:7-9; Neh. 8:9)	Worshipers composers and musicians (1 Chron. 15:16-24; 25:1-7)	Officers and Judges (1 Chron. 23:4; 26:29-32; 2 Chron. 19:8-11)
Scriptures describing the three main activities that take place in Jerusalem	"For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:2-4)	"Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your GodÉin the place where the Lord chooses to put His name." (Deut. 16:2; cf. 16:16-17)	"For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David." (Ps. 122:5)
An illustration from how people are trained in the military	Instruction	Ceremony (marching, etc.)	Discipline
The outline of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians	Instruction through the ministry of the word (I Cor.. 1:10-4:21)	Administration of the sacraments (I Cor. 5:1-6:20)	Accountability through the church's court-enforced boundaries (I Cor. 7:1-16:2)
How Christians in The Belgic Confession of 1561 described the marks of the church	"The marks by which the true church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein..."	"...if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ..."	"...if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin."

A Citywide Vision for the Reformation of our Churches

Let us dedicate ourselves to a citywide vision for championing a reformation-minded revival of our churches that will lead to the transformation of our nation. Scripture already gives us a picture of what this looks like - a city set on a hill where God dwells with men (Rev. 21:3). This imagery is powerful and effective for simply and quickly communicating the vision of the Worldview Alliance.

Therefore, in line with this vision, let us promote local chapters, catalytic events and worldview forums, especially at the citywide level. Let us make it our goal to see growing numbers of believers who, like Peter, confess well, making God's interpretation their own (Matt. 16:17). It is precisely this confessional approach (i.e., "according to the biblical worldview") in all areas of life that is the "rock" upon which Christ is building His church (Matt. 16:18a). And it is by means of the church that God has ordained that the gates of hell shall not prevail (Matt. 16:18b). Let us therefore dedicate ourselves to mobilizing faithful gatekeepers on the walls of our cities, covenant-keepers able to use the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19) to lock shut the gates of hell while proclaiming, "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in" (Ps. 24:7). Let us occupy every area of thought and life in this way until He comes.

Three Complementary Ways of Looking at the Role of the Church in the Transformation of the City into a Dwelling of God with Men

Primacy of Function This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! (Gen. 28:17) The church has a unique and primary role in the coming of God's kingdom. In this sense the Scripture pictures the church as a city on a hill, a temple (template) in the middle of the city whose mission is to model what the kingdom of God looks like in the context of community. In this sense the church is a beachhead, a pilot plot or mustard seed of the kingdom.		Equality of Value I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. (Is. 62:6) We may also speak of the institutional church as only one sphere of society among many. All occupations (gateways) are of equal value in God's kingdom since all it takes to lose a city to an enemy is to leave just one gateway unguarded. Therefore watchmen (covenant-keepers) on the walls in every sphere play an equally valuable role in guarding the city.		Goal of History You are...royal priesthood, a holy nation. (1 Pet. 2:9) John says that in the city in which "the tabernacle of God is with men" (Rev. 21:3) that he "saw no temple" (Rev. 21:22). The whole city has become the dwelling of God with men. In a reversal of the gateway that was slammed shut in Adam's face in Genesis 3:24, the gates of this city shall never be shut (Rev. 21:25). "There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles" (Rev. 21:27).