Genuine Theology

There's a lot of talk in the church about talking about theology. Theology is a fine subject. Martin Luther elevated theology (the study of God) as the head of all subjects. He said, "Whatever we may do, let us see to it that we do not lose the Bible but read and preach it! When theology flourishes, everything goes on happily; for theology is the head of all branches of knowledge and the arts."

Theology is a worthy pursuit. It is the core of the mission of God and, therefore, the center of the mission of the Church. But there is a danger. Not all conversation claimed as theological is really about theology. Someone may assert that he is discussing theology when, in reality, he is not discussing the things of God, but the things of man.

Jesus rebuked Peter when his theology went the way of man. After Peter confessed Christ as the Messiah, the disciple went on to try to keep Jesus away from suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus responded, "Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" (Mark 8:33).

Peter thought he was talking theology. Jesus let him know that theology can easily drift into an anthropological gutter when placed in the shaky hands of sinful men.

Even Luther realized this danger. He said, "The proper subject of theology is man, guilty of sin and lost, and God, who justifies and is the Savior of sinful man. Whatever in theology is sought or argued outside this subject is error and poison."

As you venture into the high calling of bringing lost people the Good News of the Savior, you are immersing yourself in theology. But there will be people around you--even people in the church--who claim that your theology is secondary to the "real" theological issues they want to talk about.

Be on guard against such theological misdirection.

Putting lost humanity and the Savior God on the back burner, servings of pseudo-theology may be placed before you. Debates about music, church adornments, vestments, worship style, ministry titles, structure, hymnals, uniformity in practice, and the like will be served up as theological conversation. But this is not theology. Dare I say that even some debates about communion practice and the pastoral office are not in the realm of genuine theology.

Oh, it can be worthwhile to discuss these subjects. But, too often, human pride can commandeer god-subjects and elevate them even above the cross of Jesus Christ, above real theology. No one would admit this affront to the cross, but if someone spends more time thinking, talking, writing, and debating about anthropological issues, where is his heart?

Paul cautioned believers in Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Why? Because theological misdirection will pull us away from the cross and away from God's mission.

I hear a lot of talk about who's breaking worship rules, how pastors are supposed to dress, how worship services are to be outlined, and why some pastors and congregations are to be looked at with suspicion and disregard. But I don't hear a whole lot of genuine theological conversation. What if we discussed our obedience to the Great Commission? What if we discussed our personal alignment with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5)? What if we talked about our ministry of reconciliation and our adherence to Christ's command to forgive and to love each other? What if we discussed what it means to have a Christ-like attitude in light of Philippians chapter 2? What if we debated how the church can grow and develop as the light of the world (Matthew 5)? What if we discussed how the Word of Christ can dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom (Colossians 3)?

What if we minimized anthropological smokescreens and pride-filled platitudes and started to venture into genuine theology?

(Church Planting Series, Part forty-one)

Struggle Well

My daughter is teaching third graders over the summer. They're wild, wooly and drama-filled. It's summer vacation. They don't want classrooms, rules, or structure. They want freedom! It's my daughter's job to facilitate some semblance of order in the middle of this chaos.

Recently, she weathered a particularly rambunctious day with the students (read: she wanted to quit). I was proud of the way she handled the behavior cyclone. Instead of blowing up, yelling at the kids, and chucking the whole mess, she assessed the situation. As she navigated the turbulence of 16 rebelling eight-year-olds, she did her best to communicate with them and serve them. She realized that many of them have no foundation of discipline at home. She understood that she still had to get her job done, care for these little human beings, and help them understand what boundaries and good behavior are.

In other words, instead of struggling poorly, she struggled well.

Oh, the temptation to struggle poorly! As you serve Christ and His people, it is so enticing to lash out when they rebel. It feels so natural to give up, become disheartened, and walk away. When hard times hit, you feel weak and weary, disheartened and depressed. It's during those times you want to abandon your calling, tell God to find someone else, and take a permanent vacation. Or you lose your temper. Or you lose yourself in destructive behavior. There are so many ways to struggle poorly.

But Jesus opened a new way through struggle. The Apostle Paul said, "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings" (Romans 5:1-3). Why? How? Because "hope does not disappoint us." Yes, we struggle. But in Christ Jesus, we can struggle well.

Jesus shattered the barrier of hopelessness when He rose from the dead. When grief fills our hearts, when depression envelops our souls, when temptation wracks our bodies, when frustration strains our emotions, we've been given a way through it that brings glory to God and bears witness to His name. In Christ, we struggle well.

Paul captured that divine dynamic in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

As you serve Jesus, you will be tempted to struggle poorly. You'll be tempted to conform to the behavior of the world. But you are called to something better. The Spirit dwells in you for a greater purpose. You are here to struggle well, and to see that light of Jesus Christ shine in the hearts of those who are lost in darkness.

Read more about struggling well in my new book "Struggle Well: Living Through Life's Storms." Click the link on this page to take a look at the book--complete with study guide.

(Church Planting Series, Part forty)