Coming to God as a Child (Part 4): Total Dependency

By David Ryser

In Matthew 18:1, Jesus’ disciples came to Him asking Him to settle a dispute.  They wanted to know how to be great in the Kingdom.  Jesus called a little child and set him in their midst (18:2).  Then He told them that they had to become like little children to enter the Kingdom (18:3).  And they had to humble themselves like a little child to become great in the Kingdom (18:4).

Did this settle the dispute?  Not according to Luke 22:24.

What is it about little children that makes them great in their fathers’ eyes?  There are a number of characteristics of little children that fit into this category.  One is that they know they are totally dependent upon their parents.

And they have no pride.

What parent has not experienced a day when their child exhibited less than ideal behavior?  In fact, the child may have been a little rat all day.  The parent may have reached for the telephone book in an attempt to contact an exorcist.  It was a rough day.

So what happened at suppertime?

When the child was served, what did the child do?  Did the child pull up to the table with a contrite look on his face and say, “Father, I’ve been a bad child today.  I am unworthy to partake of the food you have provided for me.  I am ashamed to eat.”

Certainly not!

That little rascal takes his seat at the table and piles the food onto his plate.  Then he begins to devour his food like a hunger-crazed timber wolf.  No apology.  No remorse.  No offer to pay for the food.  (Or the dinnerware.  Or the furniture.  Or the utilities. Or anything else.)  Does this child have no pride?

Bingo!

Little children have no pride.  They partake of the things you provide for them without regard for their behavior.  They instinctively know that they are entitled to your provision just because they are part of the family.

Somehow they know that receiving the things you have provided for them is based upon your goodness.  And not theirs.

Do we know this about God?

And this goes to the heart of the disciples’ dispute…and Jesus’ answer.

Whether we realize it or not, we are totally dependent upon God.  Everything we are and everything we have is a gift from God.  The very air we breathe is a gift from God.  Our next heartbeat is dependent upon the benevolence of God.

There is nothing we can give to God that was not His to begin with.  So what can we do for God that will bless Him?  What can we give to God that will touch His heart?

Consider again the small child.

Imagine your young child comes to you asking for some money to buy paper and crayons.  You give the money to the child.  The child buys a tablet and a box of crayons.  Then the child takes a piece of paper and his crayons, and draws a picture.  He brings the picture to you and says, “I drew this picture for you.  I love you, daddy/mommy!”

What does that do to your heart?  How do you react?

Do you say, “Oh for crying out loud!  I don’t want that!  I paid for that paper and those crayons!  You haven’t given me anything!  And it’s not even a good picture!”?

Of course not.

Your heart swells with joy.  Tears come to your eyes.  You say, “Thank you for the picture!  I love you, too, sweetheart!”  You receive the picture as you would a priceless treasure.  You display it for everyone to see…not because it is great art, but because it is an expression of your precious child’s love for you.

Is God any different?

Is there anything we can do for God that He cannot do for Himself?  Is there anything we can give to God that He cannot give to Himself?

Yes. Our Love.

God does not make us love Him. True intimacy requires the willing participation of another. He will not force us to love Him.

If God is going to receive this love, it must come from us.

We were created in the image of God to be in a love relationship with Him.  The Bible is full of examples that illustrate this truth.  But it is perhaps expressed no clearer than in Genesis 3:9.  Adam has sinned and is hiding from the presence of God.  Fellowship with God has been broken.

How will God react?  What will He say?

“Where are you?”  This is not a geography examination.  God knows where Adam is…and what he is wearing.  This is the cry of a Father’s heart when fellowship with a beloved child has been broken.

No lecture…not yet.  Just the cry of a broken heart.

So let’s enter and live in God’s kingdom as little children.  Let’s live confidently in total dependency upon God and His goodness.  Let’s receive His love and provision, and give Him the only thing we can give to Him--our love.

And when we obey and serve Him, let it be because we are loved…and because we love.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Coming to God as a Child (Part 3): I Can!

By David Ryser

In one of his books, author Robert Fulghum makes an interesting observation about children.  If you go into a kindergarten classroom and ask “Who can sing?” or “Who can dance?” virtually all of the children raise their hands.  If you ask the same questions in a high school classroom, only a few of the students will raise their hands.

Why?  And what does this have to do with the Kingdom of God?

In Luke 18:17 (cf. Mark 10:15), Jesus said that it is impossible for someone to enter the Kingdom of God unless they receive it like a little child.  As Fulghum noted, little children have not yet become jaded by life.  They believe they can sing.  They believe they can dance.  They believe they can do anything they have not yet been told they cannot do.

They believe they can!  And they are right.

The fact is, everyone can sing and dance.  I may not be able to sing like a recording artist or dance like Fred Astaire, but I can sing and dance.  If I don’t sing and dance because I don’t have professional talent, I will never sing or dance.  Or play golf.  Or swim.  Or play a musical instrument.

Or minister….

What if the church I attend has a worship team or a choir?  Should I stop worshiping because I’m not talented enough?  Should I not spread the Gospel because there are professional preachers who are more eloquent than I?  Should I stop ministering God’s power to people because there are healing evangelists and miracle workers?

The obvious answer is, “Of course not!”  Just because I’m not a professional, I am not disqualified from worshiping, witnessing, and ministering.

But it’s more complicated than that.

What happens when I have tried and failed?  How do I react then?  Do I run off and hide like Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-10)?  Or do I react like a little child?

Small children not only believe they can do anything; they are not discouraged by failure.

Consider a toddler who is learning to walk.  How do children learn to walk?  They learn to walk by falling down…a lot.  Sometimes they fall on the padding God gave them.  But sometimes they fall awkwardly and even hurt themselves.

But they keep trying until they succeed.

Imagine if toddlers were like adults.  They would try to walk and then fall over.  Then they would say, “This walking stuff is not for me!  I tried it, and it doesn’t work!  I’m never going to do that again!”

The child would never learn how to walk.  Mothers would be lugging around twenty-five-year-old children.  It’s absurd!

But we do the very same thing in the spirit.  We fail in some way and quit.  We leave the advancement of God’s kingdom to the professionals.  We even pay them to be spiritual for us.

After all, the pastor can pray better than I can.  And counsel and comfort others better than I can.  And hear from God better than I can.

Little children are not like this.

Juan Carlos Ortiz tells a marvelous story about children and the Father’s heart.  When he would travel in ministry, he would often be gone from home for an extended time.  His wife would write to him regularly and let him know what was going on back at home.  Each of the children would also enclose a one-page letter.  The youngest child was a toddler who had not yet learned how to write.

But that didn’t discourage him.

The youngest child would take a crayon and scribble on a piece of paper to send to his dad.  When Pastor Ortiz would receive the letter from home, he treasured the scribbling of the toddler every bit as much as the letters from his other children.  Each was an expression of love for their father.  Each was equally precious to him.

Pastor Ortiz equated this with worship.

He began by saying, “I play a little guitar.”  Saying “I play a little guitar” is a lot like saying, “I do a little brain surgery.”  It means he’s not very good at it.  But that didn’t stop him from playing his guitar and pouring out his love for his heavenly Father by singing to Him.

How do you suppose God reacted?

Pastor Ortiz said he could imagine the Father turning to the angelic choir and saying, “Could you guys keep it down for a minute?  I want to hear Johnny scribble!”

So I’m not the best preacher.  Or the best teacher.  I’m not a prophet or an evangelist.  I’m not a professional singer or dancer.  I don’t know how to pray most of the time.

But I’m not going to let these things keep me from entering and living in the Kingdom of God.

Because, you see, I can scribble.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Coming to God as a Child (Part 2): Pick Me Up!

By David Ryser

I was on my way to take a shower.  I had no idea I was about to learn something about the Kingdom of God.  And I didn’t know that an eight-month-old child would be my teacher.

I was in a hurry.  I was supposed to leave the house in a few minutes, and I needed to take a quick shower before dressing to go out.  As I was going down the hall to the shower, I noticed my grandson playing in the hallway near the bathroom door.  He was playing with a toy and was quite focused on what he was doing.

I smiled when I saw him playing with the toy.  I had bought it for him.  I had given it to him for his enjoyment.  I was pleased to see him having so much fun with it.  Not wanting to disturb him, I went to step around him and go on my way.

As I tried to go past him, he saw me.  What he did then changed how I viewed my relationship with God.

When he saw me, he got the biggest grin on his face.  He was so excited!  He put down the toy.  Then he put his little hands up in the air.

What do you suppose happened next?

Even though I was in a hurry, I stopped.  I picked that little guy up in my arms.  I tickled him and played with him.  After a few minutes, he tired of me.  I put him back down on the floor.  He went back to playing with his toy.  I went on to take my shower.

And I learned something about God.

In the Gospels, we real of numerous occasions where Jesus is interrupted while traveling or teaching.  In every case, Jesus stops doing what He is doing and gives His attention to the person who interrupted Him.  He never rebukes anyone for bothering Him.  And He doesn’t ignore someone who is attempting to get His attention.  He always stops and ministers to them.

What if they had not interrupted Him?

I imagine He would have gone on His way to wherever He was going.  Or He would have continued to do what He was doing.  It’s not as if Jesus didn’t have anywhere to go or anything to do.

But He always stopped when someone noticed Him and wanted His attention.

I’ve had opportunity to talk with people who say they want Jesus to come into their lives and their churches.  Many are frustrated because they don’t sense the presence of God in their daily lives and in their church services.  This confuses me a bit because Jesus always stops when someone wants His attention.

Reading the Bible and my life experiences have taught me that Jesus always comes when (and where) He is wanted.  And He always stays where He is accommodated.

Getting Jesus to come into your life or church is relatively easy.  You just have to want Him to come.  He always stops when someone notices Him and wants His attention.  I’ve heard people say something like, “God is too busy to pay attention to me.”

Is He?  Jesus was busy every time He stopped for someone.  But He stopped.

I suspect we have this thing backwards.  (Imagine that!)  I don’t think Jesus is too busy for us.  I think we’re too busy for Him.

Consider my grandson.

If he had continued playing with his toy when I went to go past him, I would have continued on my way to the shower without disturbing him.  I wouldn’t have been upset with him.  But we wouldn’t have had a couple of minutes together enjoying one another, either.

I wonder….

Could it be that we are so busy playing with the “toys” God had given to us that we don’t have time for Him?  Are we so focused on His blessings that we don’t notice Him walking by?  Worse yet, do we notice Him, but would rather play with our “toys” than spend a few minutes with Him?

Even an eight-month-old child knows better.

So we have a decision to make.  If we want to spend time with Jesus, we simply need to put down our “toys” and ask for His attention.

The “toys” will still be there after He has gone.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Coming to God as a Child (Part 1): Pure Motives

By David Ryser

The look on my young daughter’s face pierced my heart.  She stood there looking at the coin in her hand.  Then she looked up at me.  The look on her face was one of sadness and disappointment.  She was insulted!

I had not intended to insult her.  My intention had been to bless her.  What had gone wrong?

When our children were small, my wife and I would give them age-appropriate chores to do.  These consisted mainly of picking up their toys and their clothes.  As a reward for doing their assigned tasks, we would pay them a small allowance each week.  They were required to save half of their allowance.  The other half was theirs to spend as they wished.  As their money would accumulate to a certain amount, we would go to the bank and the toy store.

It seemed like a good plan for teaching our children about responsibility, saving money, and the rewards of work.  And the plan worked…most of the time.

On this particular day, our daughter had done some extra work on her own that was in addition to her regular chores.  And she was so proud!  She excitedly came to me wanting to show me what she had done.  As I surveyed the results of her work, I wanted her to know how pleased I was.

So I decided to reward her.

I reached into my pants pocket, fished out a quarter, and handed it to her.  As she took the coin, her face fell.  Her smile disappeared.  She looked as though I had just slapped her.  I thought she was going to cry.

And God spoke to me.

In Luke 18:15-17 (see also Mark 10:13-16), Jesus was busy teaching concerning the Kingdom of God.  As He was teaching, people brought infants and children to Him in order for Him to touch them.  When His disciples objected, Jesus rebuked them.  He told them to allow the children to come to Him.

Then Jesus said something unexpected.

He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Luke 18:17; Mark 10:15).  That’s Bible-talk for, “Listen up!  I’m not kidding!  If you don’t receive the kingdom of God like a small child, it will be impossible for you to enter it!”

Look it up for yourself.  It’s right there…in plain Greek.

What does it mean to receive the Kingdom of God like a small child?  As a parent--and now as a grandparent--I’ve had ample opportunity to observe little children.  One thing I’ve noticed about them is that their motives are purer than the motives of adults.

When small children do something to please you, they don’t do it for pay.

When my daughter showed me her handiwork, all she wanted was my attention.  She wanted me to be excited about what she had done.  She wanted me to praise her.  She wanted me to express my approval of her.

She didn’t want a stupid quarter.

I realized my mistake immediately, but it was too late.  I showered my praise and approval on her.  But the moment was lost.  I had ruined it.

I would give anything to have that moment back.

Small children don’t want your stuff nearly as much as they want you.  They want your time.  They want your attention.  They want just to be with you.  The greatest gift you can give to a small child is the gift of yourself.

So how does this correspond to our relationship with God?

Too many times we serve God for the wrong reasons.  We pray only when we want something.  We give because we’ve been told that God will give back to us a hundred-fold.  We live the Christian life because we want to go to heaven when we die.

And then we wonder….

We wonder why God seems to be so far away.  Why we so rarely experience His presence.  Why we are never intimate with Him.  Why we feel so empty when we have everything we need in abundance.

Perhaps we should examine our motives.

Do we love God, or do we love the things He gives to us?  Do we serve God just to get His blessings?  Is hearing His approving “Well done!” our greatest joy in life?  Are our motives for loving and serving God as pure as those of a small child?

They had better be.

If we do not receive the Kingdom of God as a small child, we will not enter it.  We will not know the fullness of Kingdom living.  We won’t experience the delight of being in the presence of our heavenly Father and simply enjoying Him.  Can’t we forget about the things God has given to us long enough just to be with Him?

So what do we want?  Do we want God and His Kingdom?  Or will we settle for a quarter?

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Visitation vs. Habitation: Is Jesus Your Guest?

By David Ryser

The traveling preacher was driving down the road going to his next scheduled church.  He redeemed the time by praying about the upcoming services.  He prayed, “Lord, I don’t want to preach some canned sermons in these meetings.  I’d like to preach something that would speak to this group of people.  I need to hear from you.  Would you please tell me what this church is like?”

God’s answer startled him:  “I don’t know.  I’ve never been there.”

The little boy had to stay home from church one Sunday morning because he was recovering from a minor illness.  When his family returned, his parents and siblings were carrying palm fronds.  He asked what the palms were about.  His parents explained that this was Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday was when Jesus rode into town, and the people cut palm branches from the trees and laid them in His path.  The palm branches they’d brought home were a reminder of the occasion.

The boy had a look of disgust on his face.  He said, “Wouldn't’t you know it?  I miss church one time and Jesus shows up!”

When I heard these stories, my first reaction was to laugh.  Then I sighed.  Then I thought for awhile.  Then I cried.

There is some discussion in Christian circles these days about visitation and habitation.  Visitation is when God shows up among His people and churches, and He demonstrates His presence and power in remarkable ways.  Habitation is when God takes up residence among His people and churches, and He abides with them.  The whole discussion strikes me as somewhat moot, because the sad fact is that most of God’s people and churches are experiencing neither.

And it’s not God’s fault.

Tommy Tenney tells a wonderful story that illustrates the difference between visitation and habitation.  A man he knows is the pastor of a church.  This pastor loves the people in the church, and they love him.  The pastor, because of a genetic abnormality, has always been grossly overweight.  As a twelve-year-old child, he weighed 300 pounds (about 140 kg.).  Now he weighs 550 pounds (250 kg.).  His duties as a pastor often require him to go to the homes of church members, perhaps to drop off some Sunday School material or some such thing.

The people are always delighted to see him.

After completing his business at the door of the home, the pastor often will spend time just standing at the door and enjoying the company of the people he is visiting.  As he makes as if to leave, the people regularly ask him into the house to stay for awhile longer.  When this happens, the pastor will take a quick glance into the home.  He is looking to see if anything has changed since the last time he was there.

He is looking for a place to sit.

All of his life he has been embarrassed by getting stuck in a chair that is too small for him.  Or, worse yet, the chair might break because of his weight.  If he doesn't see a place where he can sit, the pastor will make some excuse about needing to go on his way.  He wants very much to stay and fellowship with the people he loves, but he can’t.

So he leaves.

Through reading the Bible, and from personal experience, I have discovered that God is very much like this pastor.  He comes everywhere He is wanted.  But He only stays where He is accommodated.

There is no way to transition from visitation to habitation without accommodation.

People and churches all over the world are praying for a visitation from God.  What will happen when He comes?  And what if He wants to stay for awhile?  There is a difference between a visitation and a habitation.  Jesus will visit us if we want Him.  But He will dwell with us only if we accommodate Him.

We say we want Jesus to inhabit our lives and our churches.  Do we really?  I’m not so sure.

When we have visitors in our home, they are expected to be good guests.  We expect them to respect our home and not disrupt it.  They do not have the right to rearrange the furniture or redecorate the house.

Inhabitants are different.

When Jesus comes to stay in a life or a church, He makes a mess!  (Read the gospels and the Book of Acts.)  He begins to rearrange the furniture.  He begins to redecorate.  He begins to remodel the place.  He even begins to change the rules!  Change, change, change!

How rude!

You see, we want Jesus to come and abide in our lives and our churches.   But we want it on our own terms.  We want things to be neat and tidy.  We want Jesus to abide as a guest.

It doesn't work that way.

If Jesus comes to stay in our lives and churches, He comes as a King.  He is no longer simply a guest in the house.  He is the Master of the house.  That’s the price we pay for having Him abide with us.

If we want Jesus to live with us, we should be prepared to embrace change.  Jesus lives where He is comfortable.  Our comfort is of relatively little importance.  If Jesus is not accommodated, He won’t stay.  If He stays, things will change.

And not everyone will appreciate it.

“But if Jesus comes, everything will be peaceful and wonderful!”  What Bible have you been reading?  Mine includes the New Testament.  When Jesus came on the scene, He upended the religious system.  And a lot of people got upset.  Upset enough to kill Him.  The same was true for the early Church.  My friend Tim describes the Book of Acts as “Holy Ghost chaos.”

And he’s right.

And throughout Church history, God has visited and dwelt among His people for a time.  Inevitably He leaves when His people go back the way they came…back into dead religion.  The reasons for going back are legion.  Some were tired of the opposition to what God was doing and wanted to be accepted by the religious system.  Some contended so vigorously for what God was doing, that they fell in love with what He was doing and lost Him.  Some fell victim to theology and touted the move of God as evidence of the end times rather than an attempt by God to restore His Church to health.  And others merchandised the move of God.

Whatever the reason, they ceased to accommodate God…and He left.

But God never gives up.  He continues to visit His people when they want Him.  He continues to dwell with them when they accommodate Him.  And sometime before Jesus returns, the people of God will turn to Him with pure hearts, seek Him with all of their strength, and will do whatever it takes to have the One they love remain among them.

Why not you?  Why not now?

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Vessels of Gold: Refined in the Fire

By David Ryser

My personal “dark night of the soul” began with an unthinking moment of religious fervor.

I had just left the church I had attended for a number of years.  Leaving was painful for me.  I had departed under less than ideal circumstances.  I was disappointed, hurt, and angry.

And self-righteous.

Over the next few weeks, I began to sort through the rubble of the situation in an attempt to process and resolve what had happened.  I felt that I had been unfairly treated.  I felt abused.  I wanted vindication.

So I did what anyone else in my position would do…I prayed.

I prayed, “Father, this was wrong.  I pray that you would reveal the hearts of all those involved.”  Then, in a moment of religious zeal, I added, “including mine.”

Oops!

Why does God answer some prayers so quickly when other prayers seem to go unanswered?  I suspect, in this case, it was because He had waited so long for me to pray this prayer the first time.  He didn’t want to wait for me to pray it again.  He had wanted to show me my heart for a long time.

And now He had my permission.

Over the next few weeks, months, and years God revealed my heart to me.  And I didn’t like what I saw.  He not only revealed my unrighteous actions and attitudes, but He revealed my motives as well.  He revealed my motives by doing something He very rarely does.

God allowed me to see the motives of others.

For the next 6 months or so, I could not only see the actions of other people, I could also see their motives.  I would observe someone’s actions, and God would say, “Did you see that?”  I would answer, “Yes.”  Then He would ask, “Do you know why they did that?”  Again I would answer, “Yes.”  And He would say, “Good.  Now let Me show you how this works in you.”

And He did.  And it hurt.

I’m not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but it took only a couple of times for me to figure out what was happening.  So I was ready the next time God asked me, “Did you see that?”  I answered, “No!”  He said, “Well, if you had seen that, here’s what you would have seen.  And here’s how this works in you.”

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool God.

In 2 Timothy 2:20, 21, Paul tells us that there are a variety of vessels in a house.  And the master of the house uses them all.  But some vessels are more useful than others.  A wooden bowl is useful for common household purposes.  You can use it to serve snacks while watching football with your buddies.  A silver bowl is used for formal dining occasions with family and friends.  A gold bowl is used when entertaining esteemed guests or royalty.

“I want to be a gold bowl!”  Don’t we all?  But are we willing to pay the price?

A wood bowl is made without heat.  Fire would destroy this bowl.  A plastic bowl is molded using a low level of heat.  A stainless steel vessel is forged in the fire…but it might come out as a chamber pot.  Vessels of silver and gold are refined in fire until there is no impurity left in them.  Then they are carefully crafted.  When this process is complete they are valuable, prized, and utilized for honorable purposes.

Do you still want to be a gold bowl?

All of these “bowls” are in God’s house.  They are all a part of His Kingdom.  God accepts all of them.  He uses all of them.

You don’t have to go through the fire.

You don’t have to experience the pain of refining if you don’t want to.  God will still love you.  He will still use you.  You will go to heaven when you die.

That’s good news…if the Kingdom of God is all about you.  And not about Him.

If you want to be a vessel of gold, you will go through God’s refining fire.  You will not be allowed to live like other people…even like other Christians.  You will not get away with attitudes and behaviors that others seem to get away with.  The refining process won’t be very much fun.  There will be pain.

Do you still want to be a gold bowl?  How badly do you want it?

You will be misunderstood.  People will accuse you of being a spiritual snob.  They will criticize you for your “holier than thou” attitude, even though you don’t feel this way at all.  You will feel like the greatest of sinners as God continues to reveal your heart to you and burns out the impurities with His fire (Matthew 3:11, 12).  People will attack you to cover up their jealousy and feelings of conviction.

What a great way to live!  Really!

Because eventually the life of Christ will shine through the ashes of your life.  You will come out of the refiner’s fire.  And your life will shine with the reflection of His glory.  You will no longer hear the unkind words of others.  Your ears will be attuned only to your Master’s “Well done.”

You will be a vessel of gold.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com

Theology: Inescapable and Limited

By David Ryser

Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. (Soren Kierkegaard)

“I don’t care about theology.  I only care about what the Bible says.”

These words were uttered by a young Christian woman.  We had been talking; and in the course of our conversation, I mentioned that I was a theology student.  She was obviously not a big fan of theological studies.  (She referred to seminary as “cemetery”)  After our visit had concluded, I thought about her words for a couple of days.

“I don’t care about theology.  I only care about what the Bible says.”

A few days later, I was reading my Bible.  In 1 Samuel 2:25, the Bible says--concerning the sons of Eli--that “God desired to kill them.”  I took my Bible to this young lady and asked her to help me understand this verse.

It was a set-up.

She took my Bible, and read the verse.  She stopped, and then reread the passage more slowly.  Then she put her face close to the page, squinted her eyes, and read the verse again.

Why do we think that if we get really close to a printed page and squint our eyes, the words on the page will change?

Finally she pulled her face out of my Bible, looked up into the air, and sighed.  I waited.  She thought for a moment and said, “It’s a mistranslation.”  “A mistranslation, ”I asked?  “So you’ve studied Hebrew?”  She responded in a tone of voice normally reserved for addressing a dimwitted child, “No, I haven’t studied Hebrew; but it’s a mistranslation.”  Since I’m a curious sort, I asked, “Then how do you know it’s a mistranslation?”

I found her answer to be quite informative…and very helpful.

“Because God doesn’t act like that.”

I thanked her, took back my Bible, and left as quickly as possible.  I badly needed to laugh, and didn’t want to laugh in her face.  That would have been impolite.

“Because God doesn’t act like that.”

This sincere young lady--who disdained theology--when confronted with a Bible verse she didn’t like, declared it to be a mistranslation based upon a theological statement.  So what happened to, “I only care about what the Bible says”?

The fact is, everyone has a theology.

An atheist has a theology.  An atheist states that there is no God.  But to state this belief with certainty, the atheist must know everything and have experienced everything.  Otherwise, God might exist outside of this person’s limited knowledge and experience.

To be an atheist, a person must be God.

The agnostic has a similar problem.  The agnostic states that it is impossible to know if there is a God.  Again, to hold this belief with certainty, the agnostic must know everything and have experienced everything.  Otherwise, God might be knowable outside of this person’s limited knowledge and experience.

To be an agnostic, a person must be God.

Since everyone has a theology, we don’t have the option not to have one.  The issue is not whether we have a theology.  The issue is whether we have a sound, biblical theology.

Did I mention that everyone has a theology?

Even the devil has a theology.  According to James 2:19, the devil and his demons believe in God.  And their theology is accurate.  They could correct our theology.  So why aren’t they Christians?

And now we are brought face-to-face with the limitation of theology.

Theology is a good and useful tool.  The Bible commends the study of God’s written Word, and we are exhorted to rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15).  And we are told what our study of the Bible is useful for:  doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2Timothy 3:16).

But it is only a tool.

Imagine you have a hammer.  A hammer is useful for pounding nails.  It can even be used to pull nails.  But no matter how good the hammer, you cannot use it to tighten a screw.  Why?  Because a hammer is not designed to tighten screws.  What would people think if they saw you cursing your hammer because it wouldn’t tighten a screw?

They would think you were a loon.  And they would be right.

Like a good hammer, a good theology is a useful tool.  But it has its limitations.  It cannot save us.  It cannot make us children of God; otherwise, the devil would be a Christian.

Theology has limitations.

In order to become children of God, we need to go beyond theology.  We must go beyond what we believe about God…to God Himself.  We must put our faith in Him and enter into a personal, intimate relationship with Him

What child relates to their father only by reading about him in a book?

A sound, biblical theology is a good thing.  It aids us in our walk with God.  It keeps us from errors in doctrine and practice that would take us away from Jesus.  It helps us believe God for the promises He has made to us.  We have confidence when we experience God because our experience is in accordance with the Bible’s teachings about God and our relationship with Him.

Theology is a wonderful tool that we can use to build upon the foundation of our faith.  But our foundation is Jesus (1Corinthians 3:11).  Theology must never take the place of Jesus in our lives.

It is, after all, just a hammer.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com