Bible Question:
Dear Joe! Greetings in Jesus' name! Guilty of some (but I hope not all! :-)) of the above! No theological training, non-confessional, and I can't read Aramaic. As an illiterate, I humbly ask you what the 'huge impact on the conduct, assurance, and evangelism of believers' is? Please use little words :-) Bless you, my brother, in Christ Jesus, charis |
Bible Answer: Charis: What I mean is simply this: what we think about when we think about God impacts the entire way our spritual life operates. A very good example is the World Trade Center incident. How does one respond to someone who says, "Where was God on the morning of September 11? How can a loving, holy, all-powerful God let something like this happen?" I have heard some very well-meaning Christians give some very unbiblical answers which deny God's omniscience and sovereignty and power to keep Satan in check. All of these errors are based on bad theology. Therefore, one's theology is what one reveals when talking about God. It also impacts our life. Our worship and service to God are completely different is we hold that God is primarily here for us, rather than the biblical truth that WE exist for HIS glory. The former leads to selfishness and Christian laziness; the latter tends to lend itself to God-centered worship and a yielding and (dare I say?) obedience toward Christ. All theology truly held will define our attitudes toward God and our actions as believers. That includes whether one has a Calvinist view or an Arminian one. Again the differeences aren't salvific, but they are important ones. Whenever we talk about sinful man's ability or inability to do good or follow Christ, or the extent and character of God's sovereignty, we are touching on issues over which we will (respectfully, I hope) disagree. --Joe! |