"Our lives proceed out of our theology"

Thursday, June 22, 2006

In When People are BIG and GOD is Small by Ed Welch, I read the most interesting statement:

"our lives proceed out of our theology"

That statement struck me because it is so true. What we do is a result of how we view God and what we believe about him. This theology is not necessarily a stated creed (though such things can be very good) or what we would write on a theology examination; it is what we really think of God in our deepest heart. Our lives proceed from this.

It doesn't matter if I can say God is good, or can quote Romans 8:28 to hurting people, if I don't believe in my heart that God really is good.

Do I believe firmly that He keeps His promises? Are they my rock in difficult circumstances? Or do I think they are nice-sounding words that can't have meaning when my heart is aching? My life will show it.

Do I really believe that since the righteousness of God in Christ is mine by faith, that my righteousness cannot fluctuate, and that God looks at me as righteous in Christ all the time? Or do I think that when I sin He gets angry at me?

Do I really believe that if I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse? Or do I think that Christ's death was not enough for my sins, and I have to feel morbid and guilty for at least a whole day to "make up" for my failure?

Do I really believe that "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32 ESV) It will make a difference in how I live. What I believe about God is the basis of my life, whether I realize it or not.

Do I believe that God is great and awesome - really? I could sing "I Stand in Awe of You" on Sunday, but unless I believe in God's all-surpassing might and value in my heart, on Monday I could go to the mall with one thought pre-eminent in my mind: "What are people thinking of me?" and care more about that then about God. What is my theology then? What about being in awe of God? If I claim to stand in awe of Him, why doesn't His presence consume my every thought?
This is the aspect of life that Ed Welch's book deals with. Here is the context of the first quote: "Perhaps you weren't expecting a theological excursion on the path to dealing with the fear of other people, but our lives proceed out of our theology - our understanding of God and ourselves."

Sometimes...we have pretty bad theology, and sometimes we supress good theology. I believe those are the times we sin. So what I desire to do (and encourage anyone reading this to do) is to fix in my heart and mind who God really is - what He has really done and what He is really like. And that comes through His Word.

Wow - it comes back to reading the Bible.

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence"
(2 Peter 1:3 ESV)