Good Theology requires a good perspective.
Three people were visiting and viewing the Grand Canyon – an artist, a pastor, and a cowboy. As they stood at the edge of that massive abyss, each one offered his personal perspective. The artist said, “Ah, what a beautiful scene to paint.” The minister said, “What a wonderful example of the handiwork of God.” The cowboy mused, “What a terrible place to lose a cow.”
If every Christian were a better theologian the world, instead of sitting on the verge of collapse into chaos, would be a far better place than it is currently.
True theology points to God. In the summer of 2015, LifeWay Research conducted a survey which revealed that 45% of Americans claim there are many ways to Heaven. Only 30% of Americans actually have Evangelical beliefs and of them only 70% believe Jesus is the only way of salvation. The good news is that it does appear that those who believe Jesus is the only way also believe that they have a responsibility to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus as their Savior.
Distinctly Christian theology, which the apostle Paul refers to as “sound doctrine” in 2nd Timothy 4:3 is founded upon the belief that God has revealed Himself to us in His Word, The Holy Bible. Of course good theology is also focused on Messiah, the holy one of God, The Christ. We read in the Gospel according to John in 5:39 that Jesus declared the Scripture testifies about Him.
Unfortunately, a large portion of Americans are getting their “theology” from Hollywood, television, and other unchristian, even antichristian sources instead of the Holy Bible. Yes, even Christians have to be careful to avoid getting their theology warped by the wrong sources.
It is by knowing God that we come to love Him, and by loving Him that we come to know Him who first loved us.
Theology is undertaken so that our hearts might respond to God and that our lives might be conformed to His will, not the will of some mere ‘prophet.’ Loving God and loving people are made possible by a correct theological vision of God and the Christian life.
True theology, a correct speaking of the things of God, fuels our devotion to God, the God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and our passion for sharing the gospel of the holy one of God, Jesus The Christ.
Every Christian is, in all actuality, a theologian. Imagine how blessed our world could be if every Christian were a good theologian in the distinctly Christian sense of the term.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
pastorwardclinton 