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In my last blog, I made the proposal that a fully informed theology is vital for robust Christian living. I want to take the opportunity to expand on that notion. C.J. Mahaney in a recent interview on the topic raising up godly men notes that if we don't have an informed theology then we will be conformed by sin. The primary issue is not that people don't have a theology it is that most don't have a good one. David Wells wrote rightly "Let us not think that we really have a choice between having a theology and not having one. We all have our theologies, for we all have a way fo putting things together in our mown minds that has a shape that arises from our knowledge of God and his Word...the question at issue, then is not whether we will have a theology but whether it will be a good or bad one...whether we will learn to bring all of our thoughts into obedience to Christ or not."

See, many of us have this notion that theology is for the "learned." It is a discipline left to the people working in universities and seminaries. Sadly, this idea demonstrates how far we have been driven from the heart of Christ revealed in Scripture over the past two hunderd years. Theology is for the Church...the people of God! The heart of the church today seems to want to reduce Scripture down to a manual for successful living. Unfortunately, use of Scripture divorced from its unifying themes of redemption and grace is of no use at all! David Wells again notes that "theology is a knowledge that belongs first and foremost to the people of God and the proper and primary audience for theology is therefore the Church." Any desire to dismiss this notion only serves to show the depths of sin in our hearts.

So what does this have to do with the average family out there? The short answer is everything! Theology is intensely practical. It is not left to the "learned guild." There is no shortage of people in our church who wouldn't readily affirm the authority of Scripture. That seems to be where we draw the line. Our belief in the authority of the Bible must lead to a desire to properly understand it. This is theology! Moms and dads have the dutiful privilege to teach their kids theology.

Let me say briefly that theology impacts true spiritualty and does battle against legalism. As we understand properly the Scriptures, we will properly systematize its precepts which will lead to a robust pastoral theology. In other words, pastoral theology is the outworkings of our theology in everyday life. When we become who Christ wishes us to be, we will flea the trap of legalism.