The Threshing Floor

Monday, February 12, 2007

Beyond Belief

Wow, it's been a long time since I've written anything here. I promise I'll try to do better.
As I get older, I find myself asking some basic questions about faith, belief, and God. I'm not saying that what I've been taught is wrong, I just find myself trying to delve deeper into the "givens" or assumptions that I have.
I have always beeen taught that having correct theology is important. For years I just accepted that fact. Why is it important, though? Is it important because it gives a strong argument, an airtight defense against secular humanism? I would say those are somewhat valid reasons, but probably not enough. I've been asking myself, "just how much doctrine or theology does one have to know to be a Christian?" What percentage can we be wrong and still be a Christian? These maybe the wrong questions. In fact I know they are. I believe that one is a Christian based on knowing Christ, not knowing about him. Still, we want to be correct in the things we know about Him, because it enables us to serve Him better.
Anyway, the whole point of my rambling is this. There has long been debates in the church about the importance of orthodoxy (right thinking) and orthopraxy (right behavior). It's easy to say one is more important - I've seen people come down on both extremes. Some people want to have 100% correct doctrine and are paralyzed because of it. I've heard someone else say that, "belief is nothing, action is everything." To me, they both end up short. I would submit this: belief without action is not belief at all. I can say I believe something, but if I don't do something based on that belief, then I must not really believe it. It is like people who say they know they should eat better and exercise to get healthy but don't. They say they believe they will get healthy by changing their lifestyles, but they don't, so they really don't believe it. They really believe that they are exceptions to the rule, and they can do whatever they want without facing concequences. There are a bunch of examples like this. The bottom line is that we have correct thinking to spur us on to correct behavior.
In I Timothy 4:15-16, Paul says it like this:

Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation..


He basically tells Timothy that he needs to keep learning so that others may see him progressing. It's not so he can win arguments and convert people through brilliant ideas. It's so people will see he is maturing in his relationship with Christ.

May our doctrines always spur us to know Christ more and may our belief be more than acedemic.




1 Comments:

  • Hey Phil,
    Nice to happen upon your blog. A little adage I've found to be true--
    good doctrine leads to good practice, good practice defines good doctrine.

    By Blogger SLW, At 1:10 PM, April 20, 2007  

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