“But thanks be to God that, though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed with all your heart the teaching that was delivered to you. Having freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17,18).
Concepts have consequences in our lives, and concepts of God are the most consequential of all. False information about God will mislead us, whereas true information about Him is a “lamp” to our feet and a “light” to our path (Psalm 119:105). Christianity is a powerful transformative force because it involves a profound renewal of our thinking (Romans 12:1,2), especially our thinking about God Himself (John 17:3). Yet long after the time when many of us should have experienced massive improvements in the quality of our lives, we are still struggling to maintain minimal levels of purity and sanctity. We stumble as if we were walking in the dark. Could it be that our outward actions are stemming from inward thinking that is unworthy of God? Are we still being hampered by careless thinking about our Creator?
In Romans 6:17,18, Paul expressed gratitude that his readers “have been set free from sin.” This, he said, was due to their “heartfelt adherence to the doctrine according to which you were entrusted.” Most people think of “theory” as nothing more than religious doctrine, and they spend little time with it because they think it is not very practical. But the principle (meaning “instruction”) is extremely practical. Without right thinking, there can be no right practice, at least not one that can stand the test of time. Satan’s entire work is based on lies (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9), so it should be no surprise that the truth is the means by which God brings that work to an end (John 18:37; Acts 26:18). To know God as He really is, and to base our practical decisions on that truth, is to be “free from sin.” There is no other way to progress. Jesus said it simply: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32).
We should set a goal to carefully improve our thinking about God, little by little, each day. There is no doubt that our lives will be governed by some kind of thinking about God. The only question is what will be the quality of that thinking.
“A thoughtless or ignorant theology holds and directs our lives with as much power as a thoughtful and informed theology” (Dallas Willard).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
