Kicking Off the New Year Right

I haven’t written a blog post in like forever (or so it seems)…but I thought I would give you a reason. I have been taking this discipleship class at my church and studying theology so that I can write even better blogs that are based on sound doctrine. Studying and preparing for the class have zapped away the hours that I typically would spend writing to you. But during this process, I have learned that biblically sound theology is important for all believers.

What is theology?

Theology is more than deep-rooted knowledge of the Bible. It is knowledge about God that impacts our thinking, feeling, and doing. And the only way we gain rightful knowledge about God is through His Word.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Why theology is important?

Theology enables us to think rightly about God. We have to have our facts correct. As believers, we want our thinking about God to be in line with His character and His attributes as revealed in His Word. We have to ensure that our thinking lines up with the truth and accurately reflect Scripture.

Whenever my thinking towards God is contrary to His Word, I know that I am out of line. For example, in Exodus 34:6-7, God describes Himself to Moses by saying, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Therefore, anytime my thinking towards God is contrary to His character…anytime I think the Lord is unloving or quick to anger or is being unfair, or stingy…it is my thinking that has gone awry. We must seek to know the truth. Dig into God’s Word. Long to know God first-hand.

Theology results in the right relationship and affection towards God. Without relationship, theology is dead, legalistic, mundane, and boring. It becomes task-oriented rather than relationship-oriented. Correct theology desires to know God personally, not merely facts about Him.

Theology results in right action. When we begin to experience God, it affects the way we live. It begins to pour out from our lives in every moment. How we parent. How we spend our time. It impacts the decisions we make and the things we truly value. It is reflected in how we spend our money and what we do in our spare time. Whether you realize it or not…you are living for something. And your behavior comes out of what you believe.

You Are Set Apart for the Gospel

This morning as I read Romans 1:1 I was struck by the description Paul uses for Himself. It reads, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” Paul’s extraordinary life of sacrifice reveals that he truly believed that he was set apart. He lived with a great purpose. He preached with great confidence and conviction that Jesus is the way of salvation. Not phony baloney, half-hearted, mediocre, boring message. This is THE message of God becoming a man to save a broken, sinful, complicated people like you and me.

When it begins to settle in that Jesus came to die for your sins and give you eternal life, in return you want to live differently. You want to know God and live a life that is set apart for Him. This is why sound theology is important!

Let’s become a people that love God and live devoted to Him in the new year!