Theology Matters

Whether you are a pastor, seminary student, or just the average church member, your theology matters. What you believe and why you believe it is of the greatest importance. It is a very foolish thing to say “I do not need creeds” or “confessions for all I need is Scripture”, for indeed Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) is a confession. The non-denominational church movement has become extremely popular in recent days, and the Biblical illiteracy that has accompanied it is staggering. Now, I am not saying that all non-denominational churches are lacking in their doctrinal statements, however, a vast majority of churches have settled for shallow thinking, which has led to a generation that is clueless as to what God's Word says and has lost the Gospel.

In the book of Hebrews, the author makes a glorious explanation of our salvation and an observation about his audience:

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" - Hebrews 5:12-14.

You can hear the disappointment in his words. You ought to be teachers by now and you’re not. In fact, your understanding is so lacking that you need someone to teach you the basics again! Is your understanding of spiritual things so limited that you cannot handle anything more? If so, you are not accustomed to the word of righteousness.

Regrettably, I fear this passage accurately describes modern Evangelicalism. We have become simple-minded babies whose message is reduced to "Jesus loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life." What's scary is that we have become content with "positive vibes" rather than following wisdom's call into the depths of understanding which is found in God's Word.

The Loss of Vocabulary

Doctrine has lost its importance, and vocabulary has been watered down. Words like Justification, Sanctification, and Propitiation have nearly been lost along with the glorious richness of their meanings. Have the words of eternal life become so insignificant to us that they're not worth the time to learn? Dear friend, our spiritual vocabulary is of the utmost importance. As Milton Vincent pointed out, if you have a medical problem and it had a weird name, you would take the time to study it to find out everything about it; for the sake of your health, you become an expert on Arboviral Encephalitis and yet when it comes to your spiritual wellbeing, the vocabulary becomes unnecessary? Beloved, consider how much of our spiritual ailments would be cured with a deep understanding of Biblical doctrine.

For the one overwhelmed by the weight of his sin, what relief is found in understanding the Christ's substitutionary atonement fully satisfied the wrath of the Father. For the one that hungers after righteousness, what encouragement is found in knowing that the Spirit's work of sanctification continuously transforms him into the likeness of Christ, strengthening him against sin, and empowering him to live biblically. The Lord has set before us a feast of rich doctrine which is as 2 Timothy reminds us is

"profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" - 2 Timothy 3:17.

We would be wise to drink deeply from the depths of understanding. Theology is a necessity for it's how we understand the wisdom found in Scripture. Good theology conforms us to be led by Scripture alone and not our own traditions. Do not deceive yourself and say you have no traditions; all of us have preconceived notions, each one of us has a way that seems right to us. Dr. James White astutely observed, "The man who claims to have no traditions is the man who is plagued by the most." This is why theology is important - it helps us keep our traditions in check and reminds us to submit to the authority of Scripture.

Now please note, theology is never to be head-knowledge. A theologian is not an old man with thick glasses in a library arguing about the end times. A true theologian is one who has an unquenchable love of God and therefore seeks to know Him better, know His Word, and glorify Him in all things.

Does Doctrine Divide?

At this point, some may still object that doctrine divides. The church of Christ is supposed to be unified as one body and theology causes people to separate. This objection, while its intentions may be admirable, fundamentally misses the foundation of unity in the church.

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" - Ephesians 4:4-6.

The unity in the Spirit is a specific thing, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism. We are called with a very specific calling. The church is not to be unified just for unity's sake, what church is unified because of a common faith as the passage later says in verse 13 "we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

Theology is not a cause of division but rather a prerequisite for unity. The doctrines of the faith are vital in ensuring that we are united in the true Gospel as revealed by Scripture. Let me clarify: disagreements in eschatology are not cause for division. We can have unity and still disagree on secondary and tertiary issues; however, those items are few. Issues like the Sovereignty of God, original sin, penal substitution of Christ's death, salvation by grace alone, repentance and faith alone, must be agreed on for are all are essential to the Gospel. Sound theology is essential for Biblical unity, any other unity is a false unity built on traditions.

Not all unity is good, and not all division is bad. Multiple times, Paul instructs the church to separate from troublemakers. Jesus told His disciples to separate from those who live in unrepentant sin. Jude is a one-chaptered book calling out false teachers and telling the church to resist them. The true church worships in spirit and in truth, therefore the church needs to be unified in truth.

Conclusion

Studying God's Word is how we come to know the truth. Our theology is how we understand that truth. What you believe and why you believe it matters. It is an illogical statement to say "I don't need theology I just know the Gospel"; theology is how we understand the Gospel. Theology is a lifelong study for the Christian as he feasts upon the riches of God's Word, continually gaining a greater understanding of God and His glorious Gospel. So I urge you, to dive into the Word of Truth, meditate on it, and let it renew your mind and shape your theology, so that you may continue to be transformed into the image of Christ and give all the glory to Him.

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Work Cited

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

WretchedNetwork. (2021, February 2). In Christ, god loves you as much when you are sinning as when you are not. YouTube. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNQzFj-2X-Q&t=52s

White, J. (2022, September 30). James White. Alpha and Omega Ministries. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/about/