Why Theology Is Important (briefly...)

Now don't get the impression from my previous posts that I think theology is no longer worthwhile.  Just because there are some lines of thought that I disapprove of (such as theodicy), it doesn't mean that I am giving up theology.  What I a doing is giving up a theology that removes all mystery from God. 

 

I think in many instances the church has screwed up.  One of these instances is that pastors and churches have stopped struggling with theological issues, claiming that such issues "aren't important" or "we just can't understand them" or other such nonsense.  They have traded in the intellectual aspect of Christianity for a purely emotional Christianity.

 

Case-in-point: Sunday morning music.  No longer do you hear/sing music that speaks theological truth or music that challenges or music that makes you think.  Music in today's church is mostly emotional jargon.  Not that that never has its place...but think about it.  You sing a worship song.  And then you sing the chorus again.  And again.  Then you repeat the verses.  All the while people are being built into a spiritual frenzy.  An emotional high.  And in most instances, there is little or no worthwhile theological content to these songs.  Heck, most of them aren't even theologically sound.

 

Example: extremely popular song...that redo of Amazing Love.  You know the one I'm talking about: "Amazing love, how can it be.  That you my king would die for me.  Amazing love, I know it's true.  And it's my joy to honor you, In all I do, I honor you."  Theologically sound?  Well, His love is amazing.  No denying that.  But "In all I do, I honor you"!!!  Liar!!  You do not honor Him in all you do!  I know I sure don't!  If anybody does, I'd love to find out how...please fill a brother in!  It's an emotional song with an emotional response to Christ.

 

Now DON'T GET ME WRONG, an emotional response is good!  But when an emotional response to God is all that is left in the church, something is mising.

 

Matthew 22:37:
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

 

Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

 

Luke 10:27
He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’

 

Now this is why theology is good and necessary.  We are called by Christ to love the Lord our God not just with our hearts, but with our minds as well.  This is the greatest commandment!  And if you fail to love Christ not just with your heart but with your mind as well, you're failing to live for Him.  Now note, it says to love Him with all your heart as well.  An emotional response and an emotional love is equally valid and equally important, and there is a danger when intellectualizing your faith to forget the emotional side of it (this is something I know I am prone to doing).  But in most instances, people don't have trouble with loving the Lord with their heart--they have trouble loving Him with their mind.

 

And that is why theology is important and why I will never give theology up.  Jesus commands us to love the Lord with our minds.  To fail to do so is to fail to follow Him.  He gave us our minds, He gave us the ability to reason and to think critically...why would He give us these things if not to use them?

 

So, in conclusion, go pick up the manifesto of some German theologian on his systematic theology and read it or else you're not really following God.  Just kidding.  :-)  But remember that it is important to love Christ not just with our hearts but minds.  Use the gifts He has given you!

 

Until next time, grace and peace.

Mike