When is Enough enough?
Its been a while hasn't it? The summer has gone so quickly and I seem to have filled up my time by doing... not a lot. Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about this question; in terms of our Christian Faith, when is enough enough?
I guess I'm asking this for a number of reasons. First of all I recently attended the banner of truth conference in Leicester. It was awesome. I learnt a lot and had a really good weekend. However I think its fair to say that for a lot of the time I felt out of my depth, by a long way. I was surrounded by academics who knew way more that me about everything Christianity related. This got me to tihnking that even if I devoted my whole life to the study of scripture I would probably never know or be as wise as these men. Is that OK? Should I want to? Should I just be content to not really get stuff but to understand what I need to for salvationa and try to live it out as best I can? To be a shining light to the world serving people but not really being bothered about heavy, academic theology or should we all be striving to be the next John MacArthur or Sinclair. B. Ferguson?
Secondly what exactly is required for salvation? Ye its sems a simple question doesn't it. A belief in a bibical gospel. That Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth to die for us and to take the punishment we deserve for our sin so that our relationship with God can be restored. Grace. (OK so that VERY simple but you get the idea). BUT what about things like limited atonement or the sovereignty of God? Christians believe vastly different things about these issues... for instance my views are quite different to my Dads but I don't doubt his Christianity for one second. Whats that about? What is it ESSENTIAL to believe for salvation and what are the issues that we can put to one side and say are secondary?
I'm a simple man. I like simple things. But, when it comes to my faith is it OK to be... simple? Thoughts anyone?
5 comments:
I'm not sure that the question of "what is essential to believe for salvation?" is a particularly helpful question to ask. It's basically asking "what's the minimum possible doctrinal content I can get away with believing while still being saved?", which is like asking "how far is too far?" about, say, purity, which shows that you're coming at it from the completely wrong angle. And since salvation is a matter of a right relationship, which involves right belief but is also more than that, there's not going to be a simple answer.
I've just been reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, which is quite interesting and raises a lot of good questions. He compares the Christian faith to a trampoline, and doctrines are the springs. The point is not just to study or have an intellectual knowledge of the springs, but to jump on the trampoline. Right knowledge is a means to the end of glorifying and enjoying God.
So I think enough is enough when your knowledge is sufficient to live rightly in following and enjoying God. If it's not helping you to love God, obey him and love others, then what's the point exactly? Also, knowledge is a matter for the community, not just for the individual. We don't need to know everything about everything as individuals, as long as the community of believers to which we belong knows enough about everything to look after everyone in following God.
So basically I reckon we should want to understand as much as possible about God and the Christian faith in order to be able to love him more deeply and serve him more truly, but we need to be careful to remember that knowledge about God can become an idol if it becomes more important than God himself, and we need to treat knowledge as a community enterprise, not just an individual one. What do you think?
Think maybe I expained myself badly. I wasn't trying to say whats the minimum I can get away with. Obviously I want to live wholely for God and serve him as best I can, grow deeper in love for and knowledge of, him.
What I'm trying to understand I think is on what level (again not quite sure how to explain tbh) this should be. I guess I'm thinking of my home church where the teaching is pretty shallow and surface level, and wouldn't all be as I believe is scriptural having been exposed to 'reformed' doctrine ay uni.
Basically I want to know should I be telling the people at my church they need to read up, trying to correct them and deepen their knowledge of scripture and lovce for God?
I think if I did I'd get a lot of responses along the lines of 'Well having an ''academic'' (or whatever) knowledge of theology is OK for you but we're happy this way''. And tbh I wouldn't know what to say. I feel the church would really benefit from some good in depth expository teaching, but they feel the shallow teaching (as I see it) is ok. Who's right? Is this just me trying to push my doctrinal views and favoured teaching styles on them or... should everyone be recieving this kind of teaching? Is it enough for them to carry on doing what they're doing? When is enough enough?!
Thanks for the comment btw, just trying to learn/understand more than I do so your contribution was much apprecited!
I think that as the boys on ProGnosis would suggest by way of their title, the Christian walk is a life of progressive knowledge and we should neve be satisfied, whilst at the same time fully aware that we do not have the capacity to know the mind of God! In terms of your church, if there is shallow preaching then I do believe that they need to be encouraged into a deeper Christianity because Satan has a much easier job attacking a weak church! However I would suggest that the best way that you can encourage that is by lovingly(!!) challenging your parents at home in matters of doctrine, so that they might then relise the needs of the church. Also we do not need to be 'Academic' Christians to have a thirst for the knowledge of God!!
Tom, I appreciate this post, and the thoughts that are working through your mind! After reading it, and the comments here, the phrase from my ESV translation kept coming to my mind was, "more and more." In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul writes, "Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." The Thessalonians received some knowledge and were acting on it, but the goal is still "more and more."
Then, I was reminded of Philippians 1:9, where Paul writes, "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Paul's prayer was for a love that is always more than what currently exists, and specifically a love that is based on and with knowledge ... more and more knowledge. Notice another image that Paul repeatedly uses that I think also has relevance here, the image of "becoming filled." You know, Tom, even a John MacArthur or Sinclair Ferguson have not a totally full knowledge of or love for God; they and we are still called to press on. This concept is in Paul's prayer for the Colossians, also, "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Did you see that? I am to press on to being "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding," because that will lead me to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit..., etc.," ever "increasing in the knowledge of God." I think there is a saying that is appropriate here. When asked, "How much money is enough for a rich man?" The answer is, "always a little bit more." How much knowledge of my God is enough for me to have? "Always a little bit more!"
Thank you for this, Tom, Press on, brother. And I pray that the Lord might arrange for us to meet one another some day on this side of eternity!
Steve B.
Do either of you have the little paperback by Sinclair Ferguson titled, "Heart for God"? Read the first chapter, Tom, in light of this discussion. I happened to read it this afternoon and couldn't help but think of this.
Steve
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