Theology
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3
Post-modern “Christianity” seems to have moved beyond historic doctrine, thinking that it is irrelevant, dusty, and outdated. It is popular to say, “Let’s not talk about our disagreements. Doctrine divides, love unites.” But Scripture does not pit doctrine against love. Jude calls upon those loved by God (verse 2) to earnestly contend for doctrine (v. 3). Indeed, doctrine defines love, and love characterizes Biblical doctrine. You cannot divide between the two like so many post-moderns have (2Tim. 3:10).
Nor is doctrine irrelevant. Many books have been written showing the profound ways in which Christian theology shaped Western civilization and its views on civics, economics, history, family, business, etc. One of the seminal works that I highly recommend is R. J. Rushdoony’s book, Foundations of Social Order, a fascinating analysis on how the early Christian Creeds powerfully changed the culture of the West. Another book that I recommend is Douglas Kelly’s The Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World. While weak in some areas, this book demonstrates how Calvinism brought liberty to five Reformed communities: Calvin's Geneva, Huguenot France, Scotland, Puritan England, and America. Doctrine is enormously practical when properly taught.
Part of the reason that theology has gotten a reputation for being impractical is that systematic theology tends to take proof-texts out of context and ignore the way this theology answered a practical need of the moment. For example, when you study the doctrine of the Trinity in the Gospel of John, you will see various facets of this doctrine being used by Jesus to answer questions about sacrificial leadership, godly treatment of those who are under authority, humility, marriage, relationships between believers, and many other practical issues.
Think of how the doctrine of the Trinity helped to frame much of Western Civilization’s views of love. If the Muslims are correct and God is only one Person, not three Persons, how did God’s love express itself before there were angels or men to love? It would be a selfish love, because there would be no one but Himself to love. In contrast, the Bible presents God as a Trinity in which the Father loved the Son and Spirit, and the Son loved the Father and Spirit, and the Spirit loved the Son and Father. There is no self-love in God. Instead, there was a constant outflow of love to others. God’s love is a self-giving love and a sacrificial love. God so loved the world that He gave. This is agape love. And God’s model of love becomes the Christian call for agape love.
It is inevitable that such a doctrine will transform not only the love of Christians, but have many other facets of culture transforming power. At Biblical Blueprints we seek to model a life-changing approach to teaching every doctrine in systematic theology.
