Recently, I received a delivery from Amazon that had this slogan on the side of the box: “create your own reality.” I was amazed to see this, because behind these words is the audacious presumption that one can define one’s own reality. If, however, you believe in a created universe, then it logically follows that only the Creator can define reality.

Today there are many who contend that the universe was not created but rather is the product of random forces. This view is void of any explanation for how the material and random forces that produced the universe came into existence. Nevertheless, many people so want to deny the existence of a Creator that they will believe something as wild as the idea that all matter and physical laws just popped into existence without causation. In other words, these people will deny the law of cause and effect to support their presupposition.

This illogical view, known as atheism, exists because there are people who want it to exist. These people want to deny the existence of a Creator who defines reality because then mankind assumes the role of definer of reality. This role is important because many people want the authority to define reality as they please. To illustrate this, consider the following examples of attempts to define reality.

Choice is a term used both positively and negatively. Those who want unbridled sexual freedom support legalized abortion, asserting the woman’s right to kill an unborn child (choice) over the right of the unborn child to live. Choice, for those with gender dysphoria, is a pejorative term based on the claim that gender identity is not a choice but something innate (through some unknown random force) at birth not connected to human biology.
Inclusive means that all sexual preferences and gender identities as self-defined by individuals are acceptable. Sexual preferences are the purview of the individual and gender identity is the self-defined discovery of innate reality.
Secular refers to any issue that is disconnected from a god hypothesis. The above definitions of choice and inclusive are based on atheism, which denies the existence of a Creator. With the rise of atheism in today’s cultures, secularism presumes authority over all facets of life—social norms, education, economics, and public policy.

These attempts to define reality without a Creator are distinctly anti-Christian.

From a Christian worldview, Jesus is the Creator who defines all reality. This means that humans do not have the authority to redefine reality. Humans will be held accountable before God to discover his definition of reality and to live accordingly. Therefore, the above humanistic definitions of choice, inclusive, and secular must be submitted to biblical scrutiny. Consider how these terms would be defined based on a hypothesis congruent with Christianity.

Choice in a fallen world means that mankind’s choices tend to reflect rebellion against God. Consequently, as a maxim, the default choice of fallen mankind is sin. Certainly, this can be seen in the above definitions. Given that life comes from God and begins at conception, the presumption that women have the right to abort a child is sin because abortion is murder. The genesis of legalized abortion was a capitulation to support sexual immorality. People wanted the freedom to have sexual relationships with anyone at any time. This led to unwanted consequences (pregnancies) that needed to be eliminated. Legalized abortion provided a legal means to irradicate the consequences. Christianity teaches that licit sexual relationships are limited to biblically defined marriage between one man and one woman and that life is created by God at conception.
Inclusive sounds appealing. What would be wrong with inclusivity? As used above, inclusive is a euphemism for calling evil good. Sexual preference and gender identity are not choices granted to humans. (Transgender people claim their gender is not a choice but something innate, but they choose to deny the Creator’s choice for them as revealed in their birth gender.) The context for sexual relationships and gender identity are the sole purview of the Creator. These are not human choices.
Secular is a term that describes aspects of reality presumed to exist independent of God. To describe anything as secular in a created universe is an oxymoron. There is nothing that exists independent of God; therefore, there is no such thing as secular. There is, however, the existence of rebellion—sin—against God that began with the fall of mankind recorded in Genesis 3. Sin is a distortion of the goodness of God in creation.

Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, atheism is globally the fastest-growing worldview. It has grown from virtually nothing to perhaps the third-largest worldview. Atheism is the worldview behind the efforts of organizations, such as Amazon, to promote a false view of reality.

But there is another presumption behind humanity’s efforts to redefine reality, namely, that this rebellion against the Creator will not suffer consequences. Like the presumption that mankind can redefine reality, however, the assumption that there will be no consequences is false. Consider for example, Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (vv. 1–6 ESV)

The psalmist made a clear distinction between those who view and live in reality as defined by the law of the Lord and those who don’t. The former enjoy divinely defined prosperity and the latter will perish under divine judgment.

The phrase the law of the Lord refers to Scripture—the written revelation of God. Christians understand this to be the Bible. Therefore, a Christian view of reality is defined by Scripture. This means that Christians are regulated by the Bible.

Applying the truth of Psalm 1 to the efforts of mankind to redefine reality independent of the Bible implies that such efforts are incongruent with Scripture and will be judged in the end.

Organizational leaders who capitulate to the pressure to define your own reality are walking into a trap. Their efforts to support human choice, though seemingly compassionate, are contrary to Scripture. Their efforts to be inclusive, though seemingly well meaning, are biblically erroneous. And their efforts to secularize, though seemingly freeing, will prove to be a trap because in a created universe everything is connected to the Creator.

From a Christian worldview, scriptural truth is the only basis for defining reality. All attempts to redefine reality independent of God will fail. And there will be economic consequences for both individuals and organizations that fail to conform to a biblically defined view of reality.

This month, Christians traditionally celebrate Christmas—the birth of Jesus who is the Savior of mankind from the consequences of sin and death. Jesus alone has divine authority to define reality. May the people of the world humble themselves and submit to the Creator’s definitions of reality, as most clearly revealed in Scripture, so that they can know Christ and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live obedient lives before him.

Merry Christmas!