Words like confession and discipline and consecration...words like ecclesiolology and Trinity and theology...words like parachurch and ecumenical and universality...words like denomination and doctrine and redemption...words like conservative and liberal and evangelical...words like missional and incarnational and historical...words like evolution and creation and intelligent design...words like reformation and revolution and redefinition...words like interpretation and exegesis and hermeneutics...words like sacrifice and sanctification and atonement...words like infallible and literal and absolute...words like liturgy and ritual and sacrament...
How many of the Disciples would understand our religious vocabulary? Would they still recognize the message? Instead they used words like faith hope and love...joy, gospel and grace...
Why must we make it into a science, technical and studious? Why can't we just believe? It's not that simple, you say? Why not? Who complicated it? It wasn't Jesus, that's for sure.
I believe He came in simplicity so we could not complicate it.
I believe He came in humility so we could not take pride in it.
I believe He came in grace so we could not judge.
I believe He came in love so that we could not hate.
I believe He died in the flesh so we could have life in the Spirit.
I Believe.
How many of the Disciples would understand our religious vocabulary? Would they still recognize the message? Instead they used words like faith hope and love...joy, gospel and grace...
Why must we make it into a science, technical and studious? Why can't we just believe? It's not that simple, you say? Why not? Who complicated it? It wasn't Jesus, that's for sure.
I believe He came in simplicity so we could not complicate it.
I believe He came in humility so we could not take pride in it.
I believe He came in grace so we could not judge.
I believe He came in love so that we could not hate.
I believe He died in the flesh so we could have life in the Spirit.
I Believe.
Hi, Lily,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should just be able to believe and, to some extent, leave it at that. Christ said that unless we come with the faith of a child, we cannot be saved. And everyone knows that a child's faith is simple and unhindered by the complexities of life.
Detailed theological study is wonderful when you want to learn the specifics of your faith, though. Kinda like getting into the guts of your computer. You can use the computer, but some of us want to know what makes the sucker tick, and so we search out the details behind the workings.
Theology is a lot like that -- it gives us the guts of our faith, the workings behind it. Trouble is, there are many who think that the hardware is more important than the fact that it works. They would rather make the theological details the most important part, when the fact that all we have to do is believe that Christ came and died and rose and will save us if we simply ask. It's like saying that knowing how the hard drive in my hand works is more important than the fact that I can actually do something with it.
Faith comes first, then comes the details.
Great post!
Darn it. Knew I should have copied the comment before submitting. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteShort version -- great post, and I agree! Simple faith first. The details are the gravy of our faith.
Thanks Jim for your thoughts. I love your computer analogy...speaks to a geek like me.
ReplyDeleteI understand (I think) the value of theology and all the other intellectual aspects of faith. I can open a Strong's or a Vines and read Mere Christianity, too. But I haven't had the benefit of a theological education (or college education of any kind) and sometimes I'm left in the dark when it comes to matters of faith...this can leave me feeling like a "lesser" Christian if I'm not careful to focus on the "belief" part of it.
Along the lines of what you said...it's one thing to value "knowledge" as an added benefit to faiht, but it's another thing to measure someone's spiritual maturity and righteousness by their theological prowess.