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How much does theology matter to you? Sometimes I feel that the topic of theology is a touchy subject amongst Christians. To some, being a theologian or discussing the finer points of doctrine is to provoke conflict, arrogance and division.

We are all theologians though. All of us. Christian or not we all believe something about God and who He is. Atheists even believe something about God. They believe He doesn’t exist. These beliefs about the Lord come from something and if you are not reading the bible then experiences, observances and your own philosophies shape your view of who He is. The problem with this is, we all have different life experiences. People and experiences change and fluctuate like the weather. Thankfully God does not change, and His Word doesn’t either.

So I guess the question is. Do we crave the truth? Do we actually want to know the truth about who God is and who Christ is? It comes down to a heart issue…would we opt for potential conflict and deny our own experiential philosophies in pursuit of knowing the intricate details of an amazing God. The people who would do that see the value and purpose of living a life for a Father they know through a Saviour they have a relationship with. Doctrine is not so much adhering to a certain denomination or being called Calvinist or Armenian, its about pursuing the One who pursued us and drawing close to Him. Joshua Harris in his book “Dug Down Deep” summarizes the need for sound theology in a clear and applicable way. He states: “Being a Christian means being a person who labours to establish his beliefs, his dreams, his choices, his very view of the world on the truth of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished - a Christian who cares about truth, who cares about sound doctrine.”

God is not a God of division…unity is His desire for us which is why He gave us the Bible… “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10)

As Christians we’re all on a mission to figure out who God is. A strong commitment to truth is crucial but we can’t forget grace. Humility and grace…. even when we don’t entirely agree with our sisters and brothers in the Lord. We’ve got to encourage each other to strive hard for the truth that will be our foundation when the world throws a million other beliefs at us.