Where does your theology come from?
In some
Christian circles, the word "theology" has gotten a bad name. Even as
other people are being drawn into liturgy and traditions of man, in these
circles, "theology" has taken on a context so negative you'd think
that theological discussion was the work of the enemy. What is so evil about
theology? Why does it strike fear in the hearts of so many pastors and parishioners?
First, let's look at what the word even means.
Theology: The study of the nature of God and religious
belief.
OK, well,
that seems fairly innocuous. Why in the world would so many people demonize and
shy away from the study of (or discussion about) the nature of God? Doesn't the
Word itself tell us many times over to earnestly seek after Him and to know Him
better? Doesn't that same Word also talk about meeting together, and iron
sharpening iron? Clearly, we are to seek to know Him better, part of that
process being discussing what we're learning with one another and even
challenging one another's ideas, in order to get to the Truth.
So that
begs the question, with so many different theologies out there, where do they
come from? Those claiming that God accepts homosexuals just as they are and
does not require them to leave that lifestyle to become members (or even
pastors) clearly have a different theology than those who claim that God loves
(and we are to love) homosexuals, but that their lifestyle is a sin which must
be dealt with before accepting them into membership, much less leadership. The
former happily celebrate same-sex unions in their church buildings, while the
latter feel that practice is heresy. Many of the first group even feel strongly
enough about this issue that they feel the government should step in and remove
churches and businesses from the latter, and would gladly, proudly, turn them
in for this purpose.
How diametrically
opposed can one group (the church) be? And this is just one issue! There is
only one God, there is only one Truth, so how can each of these groups be
right? They can't, plain and simple. God has one opinion on this issue and
someone, maybe everyone, is on the wrong side of it. Knowing how strongly both
sides feel on this issue, isn't it ignorant not to assume that God has just as
strong an opinion? He loves both sides, He loves the homosexuals in the center
of the debate. Knowing that He loves and does not wish that any be lost and go
to hell, doesn't it behoove EVERYONE in the discussion to let their own
opinions go, fall on their faces and pray, and seek His Word for His final say
on the issue? This way, if the former group is wrong, they, and their
homosexual church members and leaders can repent and be saved. If the latter
group is wrong, they can do the same.
So, if
someone's wrong (and someone is),
where did that wrong theology, that misunderstanding of God, come from? Did
they misread the Bible? Did they just make it up for themselves? Did someone
else intentionally mislead them? Looking at issues (and denominations) under
this particular light, it poignantly drives home the point that we need to take
serious stock of our theologies and make sure that we're right with God. The
church today is made up of factions, most of which simply must be wrong about
who God is if there is but one Truth, all working towards their own goals, not
God's, and not together in anything remotely resembling unity. This is not His
perfect design for the church. God did not curse the church, His Body, with the
same division and confusion with which He cursed the world after the tower of
Babel.
That's
an important point to remember here...There is only one God, there is only one
Truth. With all the (mostly disingenuous) talk out there about
"unity" and "just getting along" and "banding together
despite our differences", seeking after God's true character with all your
heart has become something of a divisive pursuit. But when seeking after Him
with our whole heart, one must necessarily come to a place where you ask; where
did all these different ideas, denominations, traditions and theologies come
from? Why don't we actively seek to find true unity by setting aside all these
misconceptions and come together to really seek His one Truth? How much more,
better, real unity could we find then? How does God feel about this? Wouldn't
He seek to reveal Himself more clearly to a body who was willing to seek Him in
this way?
I
humbly submit that this is precisely what He has been desiring to do for some
time now. So let us respond to Him in the only appropriate way we can. Let us
come together, as one Body, globally, and fall on our faces, repent of our
division, search our His Word for His view on the issues which divide us, and
begin walking together in real unity, with one accepted view of who God is,
what He wants, how we are to serve Him...One Theology, that He may receive the
glory which only He deserves.
In Service of the King,
~Michael "Blue" Erdmier
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