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Imagine going to the doctor with a broken leg and being handed a headache tablet. It might make you feel a bit better for an hour, but it won't fix the problem. The cure has to match the diagnosis.
That's the key to the fifth big question: what's the fix? Each worldview offers a fix, and each one depends on what it thinks is wrong. The Bible's answer is surprising, because it doesn't start with us at all.
What you'll learn
- Why the fix a worldview offers depends on its diagnosis
- What "grace" means, and the difference between "do" and "done"
- Why Christianity rests on historical claims about Jesus' death and resurrection
The fix must match the diagnosis
Here's how the three worldviews line up so far:
| If the problem is... | ...then the fix is... |
|---|---|
| Ignorance and bad systems (secular materialism) | Education, science, better systems |
| Outside pressure on the true self ("be true to yourself") | Self-acceptance and self-expression |
| A heart turned away from God (the Bible) | ? |
If the problem is in every human heart, can humans be the whole fix? Who could fix it?
A gift, not a wage
Probably the best-known verse in the Bible answers that question:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Look at who acts first. God loves, and God gives. People believe, which means trusting and receiving what he's given.
Paul makes the point even sharper:
"For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6–8)
When did Christ die for us? Not after we'd cleaned up our act, but "while we were still sinners". Paul admits that people very rarely die even for a good person. Jesus died for people who were against him.
That is grace: God's undeserved kindness. You can't earn it. You can only receive it.
Here's a simple way to see the difference:
| "Do" (earning) | "Done" (grace) |
|---|---|
| I'm accepted if I do enough good | I'm accepted because of what Jesus has done |
| I never know if I've done enough | It's finished; I can be sure |
| Good works are how I get in | Good works are how I say thank you |
Lots of people, religious and not, think Christianity is about "being good enough". Even many churchgoers think that. The Bible says it's the opposite. The pastor Tim Keller put it something like this: the gospel says we are more flawed than we ever dared believe, and more loved than we ever dared hope.
Did it really happen?
Christianity doesn't just offer a nice idea. It makes claims about history:
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
Jesus died, was buried and was raised. That's not a feeling or a philosophy; it either happened or it didn't. Paul wrote this letter about 20–25 years after Jesus' death, and he says he's passing on something he had already received. Many historians, including some who aren't Christians, think this summary goes back to within a few years of the crucifixion. In the next verses Paul lists people who saw the risen Jesus, many still alive and able to be asked.
Paul even says that if Jesus wasn't raised, Christian faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:17). In other words, Christianity invites you to investigate it.
Other fixes, fairly
Secular materialism says we fix things ourselves, through education, science, medicine and better systems, because there's no one else to do it. It's right that we should work hard on real problems; Christians agree and have often led the way. But can it change a human heart? Can it forgive guilt, or defeat death?
"Be true to yourself" says: accept yourself, express yourself, and refuse to let anyone judge you. It's right that people need acceptance and that shame crushes people. But self-acceptance can't deal with real guilt. What about the days you can't accept yourself, or when you've genuinely hurt someone?
Every other fix depends on us. The Bible's fix depends on Jesus.
Key words
- Grace: God's undeserved kindness; a gift you receive, not a wage you earn.
- Gospel: "good news"; the message that Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
- Resurrection: Jesus coming back to life, in a real body, after his death.
- Forgiveness: wiping out a debt or wrong instead of making someone pay.
How this points to Jesus
This lesson is the centre of the whole story. The suffering servant in Isaiah 53 dies and lives again. The promised one in Genesis 3:15 defeats the serpent by being crushed himself. In Jesus' death and resurrection, Christians believe God did for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Think about it
What's the difference between "do" and "done"?Show answer
"Do" says you're accepted if you do enough good; "done" says you're accepted because of what Jesus has already done, so good works become a thank-you, not a way in.
Why might grace be hard for some people to accept?Show answer
It can feel unfair, or it can hurt our pride to admit we can't earn it; some people also find it hard to believe they could be loved that much.
Why does it matter that 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 makes historical claims?Show answer
Because it means Christianity can be investigated: if Jesus really rose, it changes everything; if he didn't, Paul himself says the faith is useless.
Take it further
Ask yourself honestly: if this were true, what difference would it make to my life? If you have questions about it, talk to your teacher, your school chaplain, or a Christian you trust.
If you want to, you can pray this quietly, or just read it and think about it: Lord Jesus, thank you that you died for me while I was still a sinner, and that you rose again. I can't fix myself. Please forgive me and make me new. I want to trust you and follow you. Amen.
Your worksheet helps you compare the fixes and add the "What's the fix?" row to your worldview table.