"Belief is Not the Whole of Christianity"

I recently had to write a brief explanation for my Theological Seminar class on why theology is important and how I plan to approach theological study. I thought I would share two excerpts from my writing:

In an age and culture that demands instant access and immediate results, theology seems to be an ancient practice and a lost art. Even though we all make theological assumptions - simply meaning that we all have our own opinions about God and express those opinions in a variety of ways - many of these assumptions are not made as a result of careful study and examination of what the Bible has to say about God. For example, we have heard it been said that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). Therefore, we conclude that if we believe in God and his Son then we will gain eternal life. The problem here is that “belief is not the whole of Christianity.” Charles C. Ryrie says it well, “There is nothing wrong with being an amateur theologian or a professional theologian, but there is everything wrong about being an ignorant or a sloppy theologian.”.....

.....In his final commission to his disciples, Jesus instructs them to go and make more disciples and to teach them to observe all that he had commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). This final order was not to simply make believers but rather to make disciples. A true disciple is someone who respects, studies, and conforms to the teachings of his particular leader. How can we consider ourselves a true disciple of Jesus if we do not make a commitment to know more about him and study his teachings? How can we make an effort to observe all that he commanded if we do not know or understand his commands? James Orr explains, “He who with his whole heart believes in Jesus as the Son of God is thereby committed to much else besides. He is committed to a view of God, to a view of man, to a view of sin, to a view of Redemption, to a view of the purpose of God in creation and history, to a view of human destiny found only in Christianity.” Simply believing in God, Jesus, or facts about Jesus does not necessarily make you a disciple of Jesus (James 2:19-20). Christianity is not simply a belief. “It is a way of life, a kind of behavior, a style of living.” The apostle Peter encourages us to make every effort to supplement our faith with knowledge so that we might be effective and fruitful. He warns that whoever lacks knowledge is blind and will constantly stumble (2 Peter 1:5-11). Jesus commanded us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 ESV). May we embrace this call by making a commitment to the study of God and his teachings.

With Peace, 

Terry