More than Just Truth
In the last post, we suggested that it’s indeed possible to have both sound doctrine and true heart-felt passion in our faith. We also suggested that what makes that possible is a changed heart guided by the Holy Spirit. In this follow-up post, we will consider how segments of the church can move from what many see as “dead orthodoxy” to a living faith.
We must agree, of course, that sound doctrine is extremely important. The Bible plainly teaches that believing “something” is not good enough. The right thing must be believed. Is it necessary to believe that Jesus was God-in-the-flesh? Consider this: Jesus accepted worship while in the flesh (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38). If He was not God at the time, if He were able to give up that identity, then He had no right to accept worship. He was only a man. He also, as a man, claimed to be God-in-the-flesh by taking the sacred name of God (John 8:58). It’s clear that the Jewish leaders knew what He intended by their reaction (a reaction that would have been righteous if Jesus were not in fact God at the time). Is it necessary to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead as a point of history? Paul seems to think so in 1 Corinthians 15.
Doctrine is important. There are core beliefs that define what it is to be Christian. The most central of these, however, is the one that is often the most overlooked. When Jesus saved me, He changed me. Under the New Covenant, I am not the same as I was before (2 Corinthians 5:17). He saved me from a fate worse than physical death. How does one who truly understands the reality of that NOT feel it in his very soul and wish to broadcast it? Of course, our feelings have nothing to do with whether we are saved. But there must be more than correct doctrine. The Lord did call us to love Him with all our heart and soul, in addition to the mind and strength.
How do we develop that heart-faith? By engaging with the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Our times in Scripture must be the springboard by which we ask the Lord to speak to our hearts and change us into His image. From there, it’s okay to let the change in our hearts show forth in worship, in engagement in others, in our whole lives. Our engagement, of course, must be directed by the Holy Spirit, but it can also be informed by forms of worship that are different from our own, such as dramas, worship/interpretive dance, and worship music that focuses on what God has done in our hearts. We must not be afraid to engage our heart and emotions in worship (and by this we don’t mean just yelling for yelling’s sake). What we are seeking is biblically and spiritually informed passion. Doing this will move us closer to that time where we are truly one with our more expressive brothers and sisters.
