I’m writing this in the wake of my last sermon — “For Sake of the Gospel” (2/25).
The sermon text began with Peter rebuking Jesus, whom he had just proclaimed as Messiah. Jesus responded: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”
We naturally think human thoughts because we’re, well, human. But, as followers of Jesus, we must also stay in tune with God — to think God’s thoughts.
We must stay humble, and that includes our theology. In the past, Christians have struggled — and sometimes fallen on the wrong side — with issues like Jewish Christians welcoming Gentile Christians (Acts 15), slavery, and the role of women in the church, to name a few.
Staying humble matters because there are, and will continue to be, other issues, and we must make every effort to think God’s thoughts. We won’t always get it right, so it matters how we treat people in the process.
As I write, I remember saying years ago, during a time when the three congregations I was serving were considering merging: “It matters what we decide, but not as much as how we decide!”
Once again, I appreciate this statement from Stephen Bryce …
“I am utterly convinced that God will have all kinds of grace if we got the theology wrong. I'm not entirely sure about how God will take it if we got the loving other people, seeking justice, and choosing mercy part of life wrong.”
Theology matters. But we can’t get the other parts wrong!
The sermon text began with Peter rebuking Jesus, whom he had just proclaimed as Messiah. Jesus responded: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”
We naturally think human thoughts because we’re, well, human. But, as followers of Jesus, we must also stay in tune with God — to think God’s thoughts.
We must stay humble, and that includes our theology. In the past, Christians have struggled — and sometimes fallen on the wrong side — with issues like Jewish Christians welcoming Gentile Christians (Acts 15), slavery, and the role of women in the church, to name a few.
Staying humble matters because there are, and will continue to be, other issues, and we must make every effort to think God’s thoughts. We won’t always get it right, so it matters how we treat people in the process.
As I write, I remember saying years ago, during a time when the three congregations I was serving were considering merging: “It matters what we decide, but not as much as how we decide!”
Once again, I appreciate this statement from Stephen Bryce …
“I am utterly convinced that God will have all kinds of grace if we got the theology wrong. I'm not entirely sure about how God will take it if we got the loving other people, seeking justice, and choosing mercy part of life wrong.”
Theology matters. But we can’t get the other parts wrong!
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