"Why bother with theology"? "I don't really judge people on the details of what they believe, Jesus is all that matters". I've heard this sentence or one like it time and time again. The intentions are certainly good, they want to keep the main thing, well, the main thing. Yet I want to suggest to you that this mindset is doomed to lead to shallow Christianity. A Christian who does not care nor desire to know more about the God they serve will be left behind in the shallow waters of infancy. I do not say this to be harsh, but out of concern! Do you want to grow in your faith? Do you feel stuck? May I suggest theology as an answer.
The truth is, the Lord cares DEEPLY about theology. It is crucial to be a mature and good worshipper of the King. Here's why...Theology simply means "the study of God". This is a daunting task of course. Yet what we know and believe about God determines what we praise about him. If you approached me and told me how much you loved my wife, the 5-foot blond woman who loves playing golf, your praise would be meaningless! Why? Because my wife is amazing, but she's a tall brunette who really could care less about golf! (despite my best efforts). Whoever you are praising is someone else!
Ephesians 4:11-14
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Theology not only deepens our worship, but it protects us from being led astray! In our own sin, and the sin of others who would seek to lead us away, we cannot afford to "not care" about theology. Here in Ephesians Paul is showing us that attaining the "knowledge of the Son of God" is a part of what makes us more into the fullness of Christ. That we shouldn't stay in our infancy! If we do we are easy to manipulate and lose our way.
To study theology is to seek to understand all the bible teaches about the Lord and His teachings. There are many ways to do this, but we must do it! The Lord did not give us His word just to teach us how to be forgiven of our sins through Jesus, but also to show us who he is and all the wonderful ways in which the Gospel transforms our life. That is THEOLOGY.
For some, theology is too complex or makes life complicated. It can definitely feel overwhelming. This is partly because our God is way beyond our ability to comprehend! We cannot expect to fully grasp God, or he would not be a very impressive God. Yet it actually makes life simpler. Theology protects us from reading the word wrongly and listening to harmful or bad advice, it gives us clarity on how to order and direct our lives, and it meets us in the messiness and struggles of this life with the truth of God's word and the grace of His Gospel.
I want to encourage you to devote yourself to lifelong study and growth in knowing the God who made you. Don't become content with just knowing that Jesus died for your sins. Don't be content with shallow Christianity. Know what you believe and understand all the bible teaches as it is all for our good and our godliness (2 Timothy 3:16). When we are uncertain about our theology and don't care, what we are really saying is that we don't need to know the real Jesus, but are content with the one we've made up in our head. Brothers and sisters, this cannot be.
Take some steps! Reach out to a pastor, attend our Grow Classes, or begin a good theology book to grow in your knowledge of your King!
"Regardless of what we think or feel, there is no authentic worship of God without a right knowledge of God" - Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters.
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