Living with Theology
The popular conception among churches today suggests that we have advanced past theology. All we have to do now, as Christians, is love Jesus and people. Theology may have been a great hobby a few centuries ago, but we have clearly surpassed that. Right? No. Loving Jesus and people is essential, but without correct theology, the foundations of these relationships crumble. God has said to love others like he has loved us. How are we supposed to know how he has loved us without theology? We don't know. We study theology because we love the Father.
One thing I hear more than anything else when discussing theology is that the Pharisees knew theology. They were all about it. How do we avoid becoming like the Pharisees? We come to theology as a way to know more about our God, not as a replacement. We must avoid being tripped up in legalism, yet we also can't leave theology and doctrine in the dust. They are essential for a Christian's growth. For a church to truly grow, not only in population, but in spiritual maturity, proper doctrine is a must.
Where do we find biblical doctrine? The answer is obvious, but still must be said. We get biblical doctrine from the bible. Often, people will say that they simply are not interested in theology, instead they love to spread the gospel throughout the world. To that, I say awesome! That is one of the many beautiful things about the body of Christ. Some are meant to be the hands, and others the feet, etc. Consider Ephesians 4:11-12: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up". Some of us are made to focus entirely on pushing the gospel out. Some are meant to be prophets, and help guide the church. Still more are made to lead the church as pastors and help Christ's sheep stay in His pasture. There are some like me. When I open the bible, I see beautiful things. I see paradoxes and things that don't seem to match up. I know that the Word is inerrant in nature, so I set my sights on figuring them out. All of us are meant to encounter Christ in our day to day lives. We all can see the Glory of God, but we don't all see it the same way.
His glory is everywhere, some of us see it in day to day life. Others see it when they climb higher, when they pray for knowledge, when they study the word. All of us are needed to push the body of Christ ahead. We are all called to be his body. We must be merciful, loving, truth-pursuing, faithful and kind. I have often, especially as of late, grown angry with other Christians that simply had different gifts than I did. That is ridiculous and selfish. We all were made differently. It's our job to use our gifts together to show Christ on this earth. Take into account what Jesus said in Matthew 22. "37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Our heart and soul love the Lord by being merciful, and loving others. Our mind loves the Lord by theology, the study of God. We must make sure to love the Lord with everything we have, whether it be our merciful spirit, or an inquisitive mind.
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Thanks for reading,
Nathaniel Gregg
