Sunday, February 19, 2006
The Role Of Theology In Personal Faith.
The Gad(d)about had an interesting post the other day.
Now, that said, there is little question that evangelicalism as gone a little too far in the anti-intellectual direction, but if we are going to do battle with anybody, that is where I think we ought to do it. We need to worry less about convincing people to have our ideas and more about getting them to think about their faith at all.
I'd be really happy if everyone in church could write there own brief faith statement. Hey - maybe I ought to teach a Sunday School class on that?!
Related Tags: calvinism, arminianism, theology, thought, church, evangelicalism
Very few Calvinists are born the moment they give their lives to the Lord. The reason is there are so many hoops one must jump through, rationally, before one can arrive at a reasonable theology. And that's just getting person set up to wrap their minds around the very broad sovereignty of God.Shoot, a lot of Christians never figure out what they think theologically. If it was necessary, the learning disabled could never experience grace! Did you ever think about that?
Calvinism is a system, and I've never met an unbeliever who embraces a system. What they do embrace is the simple Gospel which tells them of God's love for them and of their sin, and of their need for Christ to redeem them.
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My pastor has a saying I think he borrowed from his seminar professor: "I don't care how much of a Calvinist you are, you're still going to preach the Gospel like you're an Arminian." The point is regardless of your theology, there's no alternative to the zeal of preaching the Gospel.
Just something to keep in mind the next time you unsheathe your sword to do battle with a semi-pelagian poopyhead.
Now, that said, there is little question that evangelicalism as gone a little too far in the anti-intellectual direction, but if we are going to do battle with anybody, that is where I think we ought to do it. We need to worry less about convincing people to have our ideas and more about getting them to think about their faith at all.
I'd be really happy if everyone in church could write there own brief faith statement. Hey - maybe I ought to teach a Sunday School class on that?!
Related Tags: calvinism, arminianism, theology, thought, church, evangelicalism
