After being invited to stand before the men on Mars Hill, Paul opened his mouth to demonstrate that their groping for truth could end that day if they would only be willing to accept the revelation found in Jesus Christ. Paul said, “…Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you” (Ac 17:22–23).

“What you worship in ignorance…” It’s not hard to imagine that anyone would worship what they don’t understand. It happens in every religion on earth—people praying to gods and accepting doctrines that they neither know nor understand. I wish that Christianity was the exception to this, but sadly it isn’t. As a matter of fact, I have met Christians that truly believe that ignorance of Scripture is more spiritual than knowledge of it—even to the point that some even discourage Bible study and formal Bible training because it will “quench the Spirit” and cause one to have an intellectual faith, versus a “spiritual” one. This attitude can be heard when someone says that “doctrine divides” and all we need to do is “love Jesus.”

The problem with this notion is that everything is theological. Even the simple statement to “love Jesus” requires that we know what “love” is, and who “Jesus” is! To answer these two questions, we must think theologically and biblically. Those who reject the need to understand the faith with the mind and the heart will find that their faith is not only anemic and shallow but that they lack discernment and are open to the influences of false doctrines and their teachers.

No religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. I love what A. W. Tozer said about our need to know God if we are going to worship and live for Him: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. … Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason, the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right, while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. No religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base — as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God…. Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man… A right conception of God is basic not only to correct theology, but to practical Christian living as well. There is scarcely an error in doctrine, or a failure in applying Christian ethics — that cannot be traced finally to false and ignoble thoughts about God.”[1]

I have been married to my wife for over thirty-two years. When we were engaged and in our early years of marriage, I never would have imagined that I could love my wife more than I did then. But as the years have marched forward and as we have experienced many times of great joy, sorrows, trials, pains, laughter, and tears we have learned much more about one another— and our love for one another, along with our respect, care, and understanding, have grown in ways we could never have imagined thirty-two years ago.

I bring up my marriage because it mirrors our relationship with God in some ways. Just as I have grown to know and understand my wife in various circumstances and situations, my love and appreciation have grown as well. It would be foolish to counsel a young married couple to keep their relationship shallow so they could love each other better. Yet, too many Christians act as if a shallow love for God is better than a deep love. But to feel deeply, we must think deeply.

Going back many centuries, theologians have seen the value of taking the different passages from the Bible that refer to the character and attributes of God and putting them together in a systematic way that allows us to see all that the Bible teaches about the God we worship. Through the lives of those in the Bible and the teachings found within, we learn about who our God is and what we can expect from Him in different circumstances, and we can know what He is like because He has chosen to reveal Himself in the pages of His Word.

Like a Master Artist, our God has painted a masterpiece of Himself that helps us to know Him better, understand why and how He responds, gives us glimpses into His majestic plans, and distinguishes Him from the false gods of this world. As we study His work in His Word we will come to know Him better and grow in our love for Him as He is, and this deeper knowledge will result in deeper feelings and deeper worship.

I pray that this issue of the Voice both feeds your mind and your heart as you see our God more clearly as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

END NOTES

[1] A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, (New York: HarperCollins, 1978), 1.