Finding The Joy of Doing Theology

Some said that doing theology can shake one’s faith, that theology can shift you from your understanding of God which is through your reading of the Bible and personal experience with God to a more complicated in understanding of God, and yes you’ll be amazed on this.

I remember as I first entered Bible School, finding the joy of doing theology is not easy for me, even worse, I even told myself I don’t like theology, saying that faith is what we need, and no one can comprehend God by doing theology. The questions of His existence, His work, redemption and revelation, all the question that my senior asked me, challenge me to go for critical thinking in trying to answering all, and I failed. My foundation of understanding God has been shaken and no longer solid.

But throughout the trimester, God has been faithful to me, He never give up on me, step by step I understand Him deeper, and through all the courses I study, my theology of God is no longer just by my feelings or what I see, but what the Scripture said and theologians that did their part for letting me understand the Scripture wider and safer than my imagination can think of God, what I learned from theology, is that, it discipline my mind of studying about God, God is a God that can never determine by one’s feelings and worldview just because of personal experience with Him.

And I tell myself, I want to know God for who He really is, and not what I think, and that give me the joy of doing theology, I come to a point of realize how important is theology for me and I see is a compulsory to every Christians, one’s thinking of God can really change one’s lifestyle. With a firm understanding of God, our Christian foundation can never be shaken by questions.

Theology may shake my faith, but it never destroys my faith, for God is with me, and yes He will guide me and you in doing theology. Finding the joy of doing theology is simple, and that is the joy of knowing Him, our Father, and through that joy it gives us the responsible and eagerness to study the word of God. We as minister play an important role for God, we are ought to handle His word correctly, as how Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 

Who is God?

To understand the nature of God, to understand His being, is completely indescribable, unimaginable. No human being can describe Him, for we were created by Him. We are only human being living in a world; no man can know what is outside a box unless he is outside the box. No matter how many research he do inside that box with all his materials, he can never find out what is outside the box, for he never see it. But even somehow in miracle we see God face to face; can we know God by seeing Him?

As we read the Bible, we tend to understand the heart of God rather about His nature. I believe that is His intention for His people and even for us. Understand His nature might show us how He exist, but understand His heart, I guess that show us how we exist. Throughout the Bible from Genesis even to the New Testament, there will always have a connection between man and God, a relationship, the reason for covenant and commandments from the Old Testament to New Testament, is that we will never leave Him for other gods, that we may love Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul. Our obedience, our holiness is that we can be close to Him, every intention and motives that God has done or make for His people is that they may have a relationship with Him.

He called us His children, and through experience a relationship with Him we know His heart, a God with unconditional love, gracious, merciful, Holy, quick to forgive and forget, Comforter and Protector, our Provider and even our source of strength, so many that have describe His character in the Bible and from there we know this is God because this is what He want us to know, that whenever we face trials, troubles, suffering or even pain and hurt, He is there for us. The whole point of living with Him is not about understand where He comes from, is about why we were made and what He can be to us, a Father. It is through what He do that we know His identity. 

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Rom 8:15 NIV)