What's your theology?

GraceSeeker · Mar 15, 2012

I'm catholic, orthodox, apostolic and working on holy. (All of those are in lower case, as I'm not a member of any of those denominations by name, just seeking to be filled with that sort of character).

I believe in the total sovereignty of God and the free will of each individual to accept or reject God's reign in his/her own individual life. I believe that God offers an eternal YES to us, but will not prevent us from saying NO to him. There are consequences for that choice, namely we get our wish of a life apart from God.

I believe that we are created to live in fellowship with a God who is both transcendent and immanent, and that we were also created to live in harmony with oneself and mutually with one another. I believe other than Jesus Christ no human being has ever lived the life we were created for, and that such shortcomings are the source of conflict and pain in the world.

I believe that life is lived on more than just the observable physical plane of existence, but that we are also spiritual beings created in the image of a God who is spirit and who breathed (and continues to breathe) his own Spirit within us which gives us life. But I also believe that if we reject God in our lives that our physical death will bring with it a concomitant spiritual death and eternal separation from God.

I believe that, in ways I cannot fully define, Jesus not only shows us the way back to living in a healthy relationship with God, but provides the means by which we may so live. I believe that in Christ's work on the cross that this reconciliation is made available to all. I believe that those who place their faith and trust in Jesus and seek to live empowered by the model of his life made known to us in both the Bible as the revealed "Word" of God and also made known to us through Christ's Spirit that speaks to and resonates with our own spirit are indeed made whole and can live in a restored relationship with God as he originally created us to do. This happens because God claims us, not because we claim God.

Indeed, I believe there are some who may not even know God by name who are still claimed by him and their lives give evidence of his presence apart from any given confession. And I believe there are others who may claim his name, but live lives devoid of any evidence of having a genuine relationship with God. I do not believe it is my place to judge between these, but God's alone. I believe my responsibility is to live life in submission to God's will for me, that such will includes a commissioning to not only love God myself, but to love others as he loves us and to share God's message of love and desire that none should live apart from him to the best of my ability.

I believe that it is only in living this God-given and God-directed life that human life can be full and rich as God intends for it to be. But I do not believe that this should be equated with measurements of happiness, success or prosperity as defined by the world or anyone else other than God. I do not believe he has promised to make us permanently happy, to magically provide for every want, or jump through any other hoop that we might implore him to. But he does promise to always have our genuine best as his will for us, even when we might not understand it to be so. And I believe he promises that as we make room for him, he will to come to give us his peace and life that is filled with abundance in Him.

Forge3 · Mar 15, 2012

Again. I am weary of you. You use too many words. You will not learn from words but only from wisdom.

GraceSeeker · Mar 15, 2012

I've noticed that we often have people who come here asking to know about differences between various denominational theologies. Or they criticize an entire denomination for being too liberal/conservative/charismatic/uncharismatic/fill-in-the-blank in their theology. Well, there is something to be said for awareness of a denominational slant or ethos.

But let us recall that denominations don't practice theology, people do. And we each have our own individual theology be we United Methodist, Free Methodist, Nazarene, Church of God or something else. To others who come here seeking information about a specific denomination we might serve as representatives of those various denominations, but more importantly in our everyday life we serve as representatives of Christ to those we meet and interact with in the world around us.

So, I thought it might be of some value to not just talk about our denominational peculiarities, but to reflect a bit on our own personal understanding of God and what that implies in our lives.

I've gone first and provided a copy of what I shared with someone who told me that they did not believe in God and wanted to know what I believed. It's not the first time I've answered that question, nor I suspect will it be my last. But I find it interesting that you could compare all my various answers and no two times have I ever answered the question the same. Yet, I don't think that my theology has really changed that dramatically. Rather, what I find is that my articulation of it changes depending on to whom I am speaking and the nature of the conversations we've shared with one another.

So, I invite you to share your own thoughts with regard to God. Go ahead and make a complex systematic statement or a simple "Jesus loves me, this I know" statement of faith. We'll let you reserve the right to revise and expand your remarks. But given all the other things we've shared, I just thought it would be nice to compare notes on our central thesis about the theos.

Amisk · Mar 15, 2012

GraceSeeker said:
I've noticed that we often have people who come here asking to know about differences between various denominational theologies. Or they criticize an entire denomination for being too liberal/conservative/charismatic/uncharismatic/fill-in-the-blank in their theology. Well, there is something to be said for awareness of a denominational slant or ethos.

But let us recall that denominations don't practice theology, people do. And we each have our own individual theology be we United Methodist, Free Methodist, Nazarene, Church of God or something else. To others who come here seeking information about a specific denomination we might serve as representatives of those various denominations, but more importantly in our everyday life we serve as representatives of Christ to those we meet and interact with in the world around us.

So, I thought it might be of some value to not just talk about our denominational peculiarities, but to reflect a bit on our own personal understanding of God and what that implies in our lives.

I've gone first and provided a copy of what I shared with someone who told me that they did not believe in God and wanted to know what I believed. It's not the first time I've answered that question, nor I suspect will it be my last. But I find it interesting that you could compare all my various answers and no two times have I ever answered the question the same. Yet, I don't think that my theology has really changed that dramatically. Rather, what I find is that my articulation of it changes depending on to whom I am speaking and the nature of the conversations we've shared with one another.

So, I invite you to share your own thoughts with regard to God. Go ahead and make a complex systematic statement or a simple "Jesus loves me, this I know" statement of faith. We'll let you reserve the right to revise and expand your remarks. But given all the other things we've shared, I just thought it would be nice to compare notes on our central thesis about the theos.

As I understand your comments and your statement of Theology, I have to say that I agree with you.

One's theology must agree with that of the church that he or she attends, otherwise he or she is in the wrong church.

Secondly, one must be able to back their theology from the scriptures. That is a MAJOR POINT! Much theology in many denominations (these days) is not scriptural based, Thus it becomes man's interpretation, which often leads to a theology which justify the life they are living, whether it is God ordain or not.

Dominational theology easily leads men and women astray, as one must note in the vast variations of the changes through the years of Methodism. Or we can see in the Roman Catholic Church with its wandering from Peter and Paul to the present day.

If one's theology is solely based of the denomination that he or she attends they can easily find themselves depending on the denomination for salvation of their soul and miss the whole the teaching of the scriptures that Christ alone is our salvation.

Many pastors of many denominations are begining to realize that because they no longer have placed a heavy emphases on being born-again, they are pastoring churches where one wonders how many members are truly born again. Still they stumble on in the path which many have followed over the last 100 years or so, preaching from recent articles in Reader's Digest to other issues that bring little to no guilt to the souls of mankind. Methodist like all branches of Christianity needs a Revival which carries their pastors and the man in the pew back to the gospels and salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Hell is going to be full of church members who look to the denomination for salvation and pastors who wish they had been more precise in their preaching.

jacks · Mar 15, 2012

I believe:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength;
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Nothing else I can say adds to this.

JCFantasy23 · Mar 15, 2012

GraceSeeker said:
I've noticed that we often have people who come here asking to know about differences between various denominational theologies. Or they criticize an entire denomination for being too liberal/conservative/charismatic/uncharismatic/fill-in-the-blank in their theology. Well, there is something to be said for awareness of a denominational slant or ethos.

I completely agree with this. Most people set in a denomination do not believe with every single aspect the denomination teaches, they're there because their beliefs align with the major ones, they were raised in the denomination, or other subtle factors. I wish I could contribute more to this discussion, but I shy away from labels for myself. I am a mixture of many things. Example being, wouldn't call myself conservative or liberal, I'm so much of a blend I guess I would be considered "moderate"

Lee52 · Mar 16, 2012

Wow GraceSeeker Wow.
You accurately summed up my own theology, which is not of great surprise since I too am from Illinois, which does affect our lives, and I grew up in the Methodist Church on School Street in Normal, IL., and attended and graduated from a Wesleyan-Holiness doctrine University in Central Indiana. And, I am a conglomerate of congregations and education beyond Anderson and the Church of God of North America. In my searching days I was an atheist, a pentecostal, a charismatic, and an agnostic. I have worship the same GOD in baptist congregations, UMC congregations, Roman Catholic congregations, Episcopal congregations, Church of Christ-Christian congregations, Free Methodist congregations, Nazarene congregations, Assemblies of God congregations, and generic military chapel services, though I have returned to the Church of God of North America. In all of my Christian experience and worship in these various congregations, I worship the same Jesus, the same GOD, the same Trinity as always. The only thing that changed was the method of order of worship service. The only congregations that ever denied me communion ordinances were RCC congregations. All those other congregations had open communion to believers in Christ Jesus.

Through all of my experiences and studies into Scripture and studies of books expounding on the study of Scripture, I have come to have a personal theology that is very much a brother to your stated theology.

The ONLY thing I would add is an explanation of GOD's work of sanctification of the believer as we surrender self to GOD. His work, our surrender. But I have explained that rather adnauseum many times on other threads here in the Wesley Parish.

Be blessed my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,
Lee52

Lee52 · Mar 16, 2012

Forge3 said:
Again. I am weary of you. You use too many words. You will not learn from words but only from wisdom.

And your theology???

Do you have any concise words of your theology?

OR

Are you merely one seeking conflict?

Are you one who trolls Christian forums to inject your banter and then leaves, leaving nothing of value in your wake?

Tell you what Forge3, I will begin to pray for you. I will ask GOD to make Himself known to you in very real ways. I will ask that He take you down the paths that He knows will bring you to a crossroad where you must decide to follow Him, or follow Satan, or follow self: your final choice.
I am praying for you right now, that GOD takes you there and that you make the right decision. I am praying for you Forge3.

Be blessed,
Lee52

Mr Dave · Mar 16, 2012

I agree with all of post 1. The only thing I would tweak is where you say, I'm... working on holy.

I would have to say that the Holy Spirit is sanctifying me. It's something where I am the object not the subject.

kelco · Mar 16, 2012

GraceSeeker said:
I'm catholic, orthodox, apostolic and working on holy. (All of those are in lower case, as I'm not a member of any of those denominations by name, just seeking to be filled with that sort of character).

I believe in the total sovereignty of God and the free will of each individual to accept or reject God's reign in his/her own individual life. I believe that God offers an eternal YES to us, but will not prevent us from saying NO to him. There are consequences for that choice, namely we get our wish of a life apart from God.

I believe that we are created to live in fellowship with a God who is both transcendent and immanent, and that we were also created to live in harmony with oneself and mutually with one another. I believe other than Jesus Christ no human being has ever lived the life we were created for, and that such shortcomings are the source of conflict and pain in the world.

I believe that life is lived on more than just the observable physical plane of existence, but that we are also spiritual beings created in the image of a God who is spirit and who breathed (and continues to breathe) his own Spirit within us which gives us life. But I also believe that if we reject God in our lives that our physical death will bring with it a concomitant spiritual death and eternal separation from God.

I believe that, in ways I cannot fully define, Jesus not only shows us the way back to living in a healthy relationship with God, but provides the means by which we may so live. I believe that in Christ's work on the cross that this reconciliation is made available to all. I believe that those who place their faith and trust in Jesus and seek to live empowered by the model of his life made known to us in both the Bible as the revealed "Word" of God and also made known to us through Christ's Spirit that speaks to and resonates with our own spirit are indeed made whole and can live in a restored relationship with God as he originally created us to do. This happens because God claims us, not because we claim God.

Indeed, I believe there are some who may not even know God by name who are still claimed by him and their lives give evidence of his presence apart from any given confession. And I believe there are others who may claim his name, but live lives devoid of any evidence of having a genuine relationship with God. I do not believe it is my place to judge between these, but God's alone. I believe my responsibility is to live life in submission to God's will for me, that such will includes a commissioning to not only love God myself, but to love others as he loves us and to share God's message of love and desire that none should live apart from him to the best of my ability.

I believe that it is only in living this God-given and God-directed life that human life can be full and rich as God intends for it to be. But I do not believe that this should be equated with measurements of happiness, success or prosperity as defined by the world or anyone else other than God. I do not believe he has promised to make us permanently happy, to magically provide for every want, or jump through any other hoop that we might implore him to. But he does promise to always have our genuine best as his will for us, even when we might not understand it to be so. And I believe he promises that as we make room for him, he will to come to give us his peace and life that is filled with abundance in Him.

Amen.

GraceSeeker · Mar 16, 2012

Mr Dave said:
I agree with all of post 1. The only thing I would tweak is where you say, I'm... working on holy.

I would have to say that the Holy Spirit is sanctifying me. It's something where I am the object not the subject.

Good point, Dave. Maybe I should change it to read....."and the Spirit is working on 'holy'."

Maid Marie · Mar 17, 2012

You shalt love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength;
You shalt love your neighbor as yourself.
As God heals me emotionally, spiritually, and physically, the more I am enabled by his Holy Spirit to love others the way he does.

That's the basics. There's other stuff like creeds and such but the above is what goes through my mind every day.

rturner76 · Mar 17, 2012

Some things will never change. The Lord God is One. The magnitude of God and his plan stupifys me. Another thing that never changes about my Theology and it is at the heart of my theology is the Gospels. Jesus words to us as best as they can be documented is where my heart jumps for joy. Like someone else said, the 2 great commandments are the theology I try to focus on the most. Simply put: Love God, love your neighbor as yourself. I look at the effect following these commandments would have on our world if practiced by mankind. There would be paradise on Earth. No more hunger, no more fighting, no more tears. To me, everything else in scripture and tradition, reason and experience, are but minor details.

I wish I could be more insightful but that's it for now. I may add to it later as the spirit guides.

VolRaider · Mar 17, 2012

Forge3 said:
Again. I am weary of you. You use too many words. You will not learn from words but only from wisdom.[/QUOT

Then go to OBOB instead of here. Stay off our forum if you have nothing nice or of substance to add.

Lovely Lane · Mar 18, 2012

What's your (MY) theology?

I believe in One people of God not Two.

Through out CF I bump into those who hold to dispensationalism theology. Of what I understand is that dispensationalist hold Israel (1948 State of Israel) as one people and the Church as another people of God.

cavell · Mar 19, 2012

What's your theology?

"theology" is of little value. Such matters are important to those dear precious Pastors/Ministers who preach/teach His word, God Bless them, we love them dearly.

But the letter killeth. " Cor. 3:6. If that is all you know.

We all must meet the Master....not in life beyond ....but today.

I ask the question "Have you met Him"?

Lovely Lane · Mar 19, 2012

cavell said:
"theology" is of little value. Such matters are important to those dear precious Pastors/Ministers who preach/teach His word, God Bless them, we love them dearly.

But the letter killeth. " Cor. 3:6. If that is all you know.

We all must meet the Master....not in life beyond ....but today.

I ask the question "Have you met Him"?

Good words from a good friend, I agree cavell, many blessings.

GraceSeeker · Mar 19, 2012

cavell said:
"theology" is of little value. Such matters are important to those dear precious Pastors/Ministers who preach/teach His word, God Bless them, we love them dearly.

But the letter killeth. " Cor. 3:6. If that is all you know.

We all must meet the Master....not in life beyond ....but today.

I ask the question "Have you met Him"?

Cavell, thanks for expressing your understanding of God. I trust you realise that in doing so, whether you intended it or not, you have also expressed your own particular theology.

We each have a theology. There is no escaping it, for even to say that "'theology' is of little value" is to express a theology. And yours appears to be that the most important aspect of one's relationship with/knowledge of God is simply meeting the Master. As usual, you even expressed yourself well on that point. Very well, indeed. Again, thank-you for sharing.

BTW, the answer to THE question is YES.

GraceSeeker · Mar 19, 2012

utmtsumethodist said:
Forge3 said:

Again. I am weary of you. You use too many words. You will not learn from words but only from wisdom.

Click to expand...

Then go to OBOB instead of here. Stay off our forum if you have nothing nice or of substance to add.

utmtsumethodist, I wouldn't worry about Forge3. As best as I can tell, he was just trolling through. I don't recall ever seeing him post in the LW before, nor since, the above comment. It sort of makes his words sadly ironic though, more a commentary on himself than the rest of us. For no one forced him here, he just trolled through, stumbled upon a post, and then comments on his weariness.

Lovely Lane · Mar 20, 2012

Products are sold to the Christian from the pulpit, one being 'theology'. Wrapped in beautiful paper, bound by pretty ribbons with a catch phrase slogan of being original.

These products of distraction, are prone to segregation not congregation.

What's your theology?

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