You're Doing It Wrong

THEOLOGY. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Is it boredom? Perhaps a few examples of division through doctrine? Then again, maybe your first thought was passion. Where does theology rank in your life’s desires? For far too many, it’s simply a word which never even comes to the surface. Many Christians choose to leave it in the background while focusing on simply loving Jesus. Is this an acceptable norm or is there a hidden danger? I would dare say the latter. My reasoning isn’t overly complicated. If you don’t understand the God of the Bible, along with His beautifully righteous attributes, how can we ever hope to properly worship Him? 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” As a living example, Scripture speaks of the Bereans who examined the Scriptures daily to see if the teachings they had heard were true (Acts 17:11).

It seems as if those who choose to stand for the truth are met with the bitter distaste of the surrounding crowd. Sadly, this crowd can oftentimes involve more self-proclaimed Christians than unbelievers. It almost seems as if the

mantra of the modern church should be “To love is divine. To doctrine is to divide.” Why are so many avidly against the thought of having a proper theological perspective? Are they really against the notion of knowing Scripture? I’m convinced this isn’t necessarily the case. I believe there are many well-meaning Christians out there who just don’t take well to controversy. Should we crucify them for it? Absolutely not! Just as not all take well to stress in the workplace, not all take well to heated discussions and standing in the face of error. One need look no further than Aaron in Exodus 32. Moses had entrusted the camp unto Aaron and, while Moses was gone, he built a golden calf. In verse 22, we see Aaron readily admitting the act was evil. I’m convinced that he knew exactly what he was doing but that he did it anyway due to buckling under the pressure of having the entire camp coming down on him. For another example, we can look to Peter. He denied Christ three times out of fear. Scripture is filled with examples of men who have caved under pressure. Just as it happened then, it continues today. I don’t believe everyone has the innate ability to stand tall under pressure or even the threat that it may come.

Just as there are those who try to avoid the stress of potential arguments, there are also those who simply do not agree with contention. With all the disagreements that abound in any given topic known to man, why add even more? Can’t we just love Jesus, grow in our relationship with him, and let our

actions speak louder than our words? Won’t bickering among the brethren just lead to unbelievers thinking we don’t know what we’re talking about? While these are very valid points, I think they miss the bigger picture. It’s true that there are many pointless debates that would probably serve well as private discussions rather than public spectacles. However, this doesn’t mean that all disagreements should remain silent. Imagine if Martin Luther had chosen to forgo nailing his 95 Thesis to the door of Wittenberg. Certainly there are times to discuss and discuss loudly if need be. I’m convinced that, if the topic at hand is one that could depreciate Christ, it deserves to be addressed. That being said, we must remain aware of how we are conducting ourselves in the presence of believers and unbelievers alike. The truth divides but we don’t need to let our pride amplify this fact. There’s a difference between standing firm in the truth and being stubborn as a mule.

Going back to the beginning, it is vital that we have a proper understanding of God. This can only be accomplished by reading the Scriptures. Once we have this knowledge, we have a responsibility to take care of it (2 Timothy 2:15). Sometimes, this will be in the form of facing opposition. Other times, it will be in the form of worship. Still other times, it may present itself in yet another manner. There are a multitude of potential ways we could be presented with an opportunity to guard the truth. This is why we must be ready at all times (2 Timothy 4:2).

So the latest debates on abortion may not be your thing. Maybe you don’t really care about the difference between credobaptist vs. paedobaptist or amillennialism, premillennialism, & postmillennialism. While all of these can be wonderful discussions to partake in, they are all worthless if God’s attributes and His redeeming gospel are left out. When I say theology, it is my hope that your first thoughts be of God’s sovereignty, love, righteousness, glory, etc. Out of this knowledge, all else will come in time. Out of this knowledge, one can build their very foundation as a Christian. If we don’t know God, we can never know God’s will for our lives. So, how do we know God? It’s easy! He’s given us His revealed Word so that we may understand that which was previously a mystery (Ephesians 3:4). If your primary motive for studying theology is to win the argument, know it all, or anything other than to better worship your Father in Heaven above, you’re doing it wrong.