meditatio at the water's edge

For those of you who were interested in reading sermons, here is one I wrote on Judges 4 for this past Sunday. You can read it here.

I want to respond to what Randy wrote yesterday. It is very important we have a right understanding of God. Theology is important. But the eternal kind of life is not just a matter of ideas or propositional statements. It is foremost a matter of character. Now, certainly bad theology can lead to bad character (for instance, if I believe God is the kind of deity who wants me to kill my enemies, then I will relate to my enemies very differently than if I believe God is the kind of deity who wants me to love them).

I think what Randy was getting at is the idea that the ONLY thing that matters is whether or not we share a common cognitive assent (mental agreement) to certain theories about God. If our character is not shaped into the likeness of God, it matters little what we know about God.

Thomas a Kempis wrote, "What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone."