Theology and Experience

Some people have little regard for Theology. They don’t want to know Theology, they just want to know how to live well and experience God. They are primarily interested in knowing how they can use the teachings of God to make my life better and be successful according to their own definitions of success.

However, just reading the gospel of John, which emphasizes the Deity of Christ, leads to theological discussion on the incarnation of Christ and how it all fits together with the rest of the Bible and how it is to be understood and applied to the whole of truth and to life.

People want to keep it simple. The gospel is so simple that a child could understand it; however, we are not children, and we don’t need to be treated as children. If we had a child and they remained in their understanding of life and living as a child, we would think something was wrong. We want them to develop into adults, handle life well and grow in their understanding. This is what the Bible says about this: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are [of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Of course, Theology without an experience of God can be very dry. We experience God in a love relationship, and that is most enhanced in prayer. However, theology and prayer can be integrated. As Leonard Boase stated in his book, The Prayer of Faith, “There is no other living water which can quench this thirst. And prayer is the pitcher that is to be lowered into the well.” We need to be people of prayer as well, but Theology will also assist us in prayer. It is not either, or it is both, and. Theology will also assist us in prayer, for we learn to lovingly relate of God in truth while in prayer.

Some religions, like Mormons, which are not classified as a Christian denomination, had a leader who had many visions. Joseph Smith had many visions and thereby wrote the Book of Mormon. However, those visions and teachings are contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Those visions didn’t come from God, but from the devil or were made up by a very immoral man. The same could be said of Mohammad and the Islamic religion. Some Catholics, largely in the 3rd century, had visions of Mary and built a doctrine around those visions.

Experience can be led astray as well as Theology. Satan uses these and twists scripture to lead to many distortions. Experience needs to submit to the word of God, and the Word of God does lead to experience. If you don’t know the Word of God well with grace, you are likely be led astray by the world, the flesh and the devil, as the Apostle John states in 1 John 2:15-17.

During the Revival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1971, a man had a vision of what appeared to be Jesus, and the man asked of the apparition to see the nail prints in his hands and feet, and Jesus in this vision disappeared. If he didn’t know the Bible, he would have been led astray. (John 20:25,27; Revelation 5:6) Visions and dreams can occur from God, the self or the devil. We need Theology to have good discernment. Some people build their theology on experience rather than upon God’s Word. Eve in the Genesis temptation saw that the fruit was a delight to the eyes and believed it could make her wise. (Genesis 3:6) She based her decision to act upon her experience rather than what God had said.

By the way, it would seem like the Evangelical church, in particular, in Kelowna, B.C. Canada is not prepared for a revival. If it occurred, it would be chaos because there is not a strong Theological foundation held in grace, and the Christians in the city are weak on prayer and about getting people together to learn the Word of God in depth. It is largely based on experience. However, God does some unusual things without consulting me.

As some say, I don’t like Theology because there are so many different views, and it is really difficult. The Lord did say we were to love him with all our minds. (Matthew 22:37) In the Evangelical world, there are basically three systematic theological understandings of the Scriptures. This is a very general classification. There is the Calvinist view—some called it the hyper-Calvinist view, the Arminian view and the third is a combination of these views, often called the modified Calvinist view, or the Whosoever view. There is also the Provincialist view, which is close to the last view mentioned. If you want to know the right view, just ask me. This last statement by me has a great deal of tongue-in-cheek in it. However, you may have a view that you just adopted without knowing and that influences you without knowing the foundation of that view. We don’t want to live in contradictions.

At all times in differences, we should have grace and not try to force our views on others or get angry when discussing them. “In Essential unity, in non-essentials diversity and in all things love.” The churches and Christians are dispensers of truth and grace—salt and light. We not only receive grace, but we dispense it in God’s name to one another and to others.

Just as we don’t separate truth and grace, we don’t separate Theology and experience. As Jesus said, “You must be born again to enter the Kingdom of heaven” (John 3:3). This is experiential. We know because he changes us. Once we enter the Kingdom, we must go on to maturity and learn to live in the Kingdom of God. Jesus wants us to be primarily people of prayer. (Matthew 21:13)

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8). This is experiential. The tasting has to do with knowing God, and experiencing him in prayer. This experience is theological and experiential, and it is about having confidence in God’s goodness. We not only need to rightly understand “justification by faith alone,” but also the Biblical view of “sanctification” and how to participate in it with God.

We need to understand the Word of God in context and in the context of the whole. The principles of interpretation are essential to rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) Above all, live in grace and give it to yourself and others, not just to yourself.

Theology and experience, which includes prayer, must not be separated. They must be held together in an integrative whole and with grace. A lot of grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10). We are saved by grace and are called to live in grace and supernatural ability that is beyond our natural selves.

As Augustine said, “Love God and do as you please.” Learn from him until his desires and yours align, and your personality is fully found and developed in him. Love is seeking the good of another. Do we seek the good of God? If so, we will learn of him not just slightly but with all of our being. This is all wrapped up in what Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).