Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Theology Without Result
Justin Taylor recently did dueling quotes between Ray Ortlund and J.I. Packer. Ortlund is complaining about how a theology as grace filled as the Reformed variety could produce a people as legalistic as the average Reformed person. Packer's "response" is powerful, but limited:
I understand where Packer is going here, but have to disagree with his word choice. "Theology" does not produce any of that in us, good or bad. Theology is descriptive, not causational.
Consider Newtons Law's of Motion. Does a body at rest stay at rest because Newton wrote an equation to describe it? Of course not, Newton simply describes what he saw, the nature of God's creation is the reason inertia "works."
Theology is our best effort to describe God and our relationship with Him. But make no mistake - theology does not soften our heart, the Holy Spirit does. More Theology does not even change whether the Holy Spirit works in us or not. Even if your theology leaves little room for the Holy Spirit, you can count on the fact the Holy Spirit is making a room in you.
Why is this important? Well, the kind of hard-hearted culture Ortlund complains about is not a result of the theology, but of people putting the theology into God's rightful place. It's called Idolatry. It is putting our thoughts ahead of Him and in His place.
Theology gives us something to talk about, so we tend to focus on it a bit too much.
I'm wondering if a "theology-fast" could be a spiritual discipline?
If our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart,
it actually hardens both;
if it does not encourage the commitment of faith,
it reinforces the detachment of unbelief;
if it fails to promote humility,
it inevitably feeds pride.
it actually hardens both;
if it does not encourage the commitment of faith,
it reinforces the detachment of unbelief;
if it fails to promote humility,
it inevitably feeds pride.
I understand where Packer is going here, but have to disagree with his word choice. "Theology" does not produce any of that in us, good or bad. Theology is descriptive, not causational.
Consider Newtons Law's of Motion. Does a body at rest stay at rest because Newton wrote an equation to describe it? Of course not, Newton simply describes what he saw, the nature of God's creation is the reason inertia "works."
Theology is our best effort to describe God and our relationship with Him. But make no mistake - theology does not soften our heart, the Holy Spirit does. More Theology does not even change whether the Holy Spirit works in us or not. Even if your theology leaves little room for the Holy Spirit, you can count on the fact the Holy Spirit is making a room in you.
Why is this important? Well, the kind of hard-hearted culture Ortlund complains about is not a result of the theology, but of people putting the theology into God's rightful place. It's called Idolatry. It is putting our thoughts ahead of Him and in His place.
Theology gives us something to talk about, so we tend to focus on it a bit too much.
I'm wondering if a "theology-fast" could be a spiritual discipline?
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