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to Systematic Theology > Part V: How Should
We Study Systematic Theology: Practical and Personal Considerations
Part V: How Should We Study Systematic Theology: Practical and
Personal Considerations
I. We should be Saved in Christ if we want to understand
a. Only those who have the Spirit (saved in Christ) can understand
spiritual truths
i. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the
things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
discerned." (1Corinthians 2:14)
b. Application: Do you trust that by God's grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone as your way to God and Heaven?
II. We should put a high value in the study of Theological truths
a. "Buy the truth and do not sell it' get wisdom, discipline
and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23)
b. "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though
it cost all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)
c. What is the value of the doctrine of Incarnation, Christ
deity and humanity, etc?
i. Put another way, is there value in knowing Christ? Of course!
ii. According to Paul: "What is more, I consider everything
a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider
them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians
3:8)
1. Knowing Christ Jesus is greater than everything else
d. Application: Between you and God, what is the cost
(monetary, time or otherwise) you are willing to give up or go
through in acquiring theological resources in strengthening your
knowledge of Christ?
III. We should be in prayer
a. We should pray for wisdom
i. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault. And it will
be given to him." (James 1:5)
b. We should pray to God that we and others may know God better
i. The Apostle Paul: "I keep asking that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
(Ephesians 1: 17)
c. We should pray to God that we are enlighten with great theological
truths
i. Paul: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which
he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
(Ephesians 1:18-19a)
1. Note that Paul prayed the Ephesians would be enlightened
about the following theological truths:
a. God's calling
i. In which we have hope!
b. The believer's inheritance
i. Which is described as rich and glorious!
c. God's great power
i. For those who believe!
NOTE: All theological truths ought to change our
attitude, views or behaviors!
d. Application: Do you pray in your theological studies
for wisdom, God's enlightenment and to know God better through
it?
IV. We should study the foundation of the faith and also the
more deeper truths
a. "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings
about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation
of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection
of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will
do so." (Hebrew 6:1-3)
i. The foundational truths are important, yet there are other
teachings needed in order to go on to maturity
b. Application: Do you desire to be grounded in the
foundation and also teachable to deeper theological truths?
V. We should study with humility
a. From the above, with more theological truths and deeper
knowledge comes the risk of the sin of pride; yet we ought to
be humble.
b. Humility and wisdom ought to be related
i. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him
show it by his good life, by deed done in the humility that
comes from wisdom." (James 3:13)
1. Notice from this verse that:
a. If one is wise they ought to be humble
b. Yet humility comes from true wisdom
c. To have wisdom requires humility
i. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with
humility comes wisdom."(Proverbs 11:3)
d. Pride can only lead to destruction
i. "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward
one another, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to
the humble'." (1Peter 5:5)
e. Application: Is there the pride of sin that you need
to repent about? Will you bend your ego under the submission of
Christ?
VI. We should study with the available teachers God provides
a. God has given the church teachers
i. "And in the church God has appointed first of all
apostles, second prophets, third teachers…" (1 Corinthians
12:28)
b. Utilize God's gift of teachers!
i. "We should allow those with gifts of teaching to help
us understand Scripture. This means that we should make use
of systematic theologies and other books that have been written
by some of the teachers that God has given to the church over
the course of its history." (Endnote 1)
c. Application: Have you considered using the resources
God has provided through commentaries, preachers, theologians,
lexicons, study notes, etc?
VII. We should study so that we can glorify God
a. Everything we do should glorify God
i. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God." (1Corinthians 10:31)
ii. Everything means Systematic Theology also!
b. Yet, how do we glorify God with Systematic theology?
i. Giving thanks to God!
1. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
2. Have you thank God for Him revealing, teaching and allowing
you to believe in the truths you received?
3. Do you thank God for granting you by His mercy, understanding?
ii. Speaking about it as if it was the very word of God!
1. "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking
the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with
the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be
praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the
power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:11)
a. Notice how the first sentence stated that when we speak
as if our words were God, God may be praised through it.
b. Our speech about systematic theology must therefore:
i. Be truthful, because God's Word is truth (see John
17:17)
ii. Be clear, because God's Word is clear.
iii. Be logical, because God's Word is logical.
iii. If we are to serve others by teaching or discussing
systematic theology, we must all of our strengths that God provides
into it!
1. "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking
the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with
the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be
praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the
power for ever and ever. Amen." (1Peter 4:11)
a. Notice the second sentence above stated that serving
with the strength of God would allow Him to be praised.
b. Therefore, to praise God in serving God with systematic
theology one must:
i. Pour out all his energy into learning about systematic
theology
ii. Put a lot of effort in preparation of the presentation
of systematic theology
iii. Give all of God's strength in the presentation
of systematic theology
iv. Praise God!
1. Our songs = our systematic theology
2. Many places Scripture tells us to sing (James 5:13,
Colossians 3:16, etc)
3. Yet, what is the content of our music?
a. It ought to be dictated by the Word of Christ (which
effects our theology!)
b. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and
as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude
in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16)
4. Worship music is a way to apply what we know in systematically
theology
a. People might ask what does systematic theology have
to do with their worship
b. Yet, for a teenage unschooled girl in Palestine centuries
before Grudem or Berkhof, what does systematic theology
has to do with her worship?
i. See Luke 1:46-55
ii. Notice the theological richness of Mary's worship.
c. Application: Will you give your thanks, joy, praise,
honor, reverence, with all your strength and your speech, to glorify
God and enjoy Him through Systematic Theology?
Endnotes
- Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction
To Biblical Doctrine, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 35.
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