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Heard a lovely man say, “before you go out the door, remember to hang you theology and doctrine on a hook and pick up your love.” I sure liked that analogy. We hang our doctrine and theology up because it is precious, because it has worth and value. If we didn’t respect it, we’d just kick it off and throw it in a pile on the floor, like my kids used to do with some of their things.
No one is suggesting we throw it out or kick it under the bed, never to be seen again. You hang it up carefully on a hook where you can easily find it.
The thing is, you can’t really go out the door carrying a big load of doctrine and a big load of love at the same time. You just look like a mix between a one man band and a bag lady, clanging symbols and all.
I simply must poke some fun here, being on the internet and bumping into other Christians can be an eye-opening experience, one that sometimes reminds me that ignorance is bliss. Speaking of hanging things on a hook, I feel like there are simply some people who could really benefit from being stuffed in a locker with a giant wedgie.
Take for instance these Paleo-Calvanists. That’s what I call them anyway, because they really just need to go slay a mammoth, fire up the coals, and roast some meat.
Than we have the Super-Duper reformed. Reformed is a good word, it reminds me of reform school. These people are like juvenile delinquents who had to go boot camp to get scared straight. They don’t seem to understand that some us are not about to go out and rob a liquor store.
The Wretched Crowd is just a ball of fun, too. These people are like, terrified someone might actually forget they are really just a wretched sinner. A worm. You actually can’t get small enough for them.
The Katy-crowd is another favorite of mine. Katy is simply a poor unfortunate soul I once met who declared her job was to demonstate why people might need the grace of God. Then a she proceeded to do just that. “Hello my name is Katy, I feel it is my job to personally demonstrate for you all why Jesus’ mercy and grace is so needed.” The Katy crowd usually have a beatiful ministry of backstabbing and gossip going on.
TULIP trippers can be interesting. They like to go trip the light fantastic out in the cosmos somewhere, always trying to mess with your mind about predestination and the elect. Total depravity, man. Chilax man, it’s all just predetermined.
The Spanish Inquisition can be a downright terrifying gang. Those guys are often to be found screaming “heretic” at you, declaring their fondness for the virtues of pain, and running off to get a torch. Throw chocolate at them. And cat pictures. Then hide your IP and change your avatar.
If the Spanish Inquisition doesn’t scare you, we also got the So-Open-Minded -Our-Brains-Done-Fell-Out crowd. They’re so tolerant, they’ve now come full circle. “There are many paths to the Father,” they like to say, with some zen-like acceptance, right before they scream, “EXCEPT YOURS, you horrible oppressive-regressive!”
Kind of funny, I’m an unapologetic Christian, not an apologist for Christians. Most of us are simply without excuse and our flaws tend to really come to light on the internet. There are aspects of me in all those characters too, some shared beliefs, some shared doctrines and theology. Just the same, hang it on a hook and let Christ shine through.
Today a tiny kid pointed to our pastor and said, “That’s Jesus.” Now that’s what I’m talking about! Amen. That’s what people should see when they look at us, Jesus Christ. Not our team colors, not our denominations, not our doctrine, not our personal opinions. They should see the love of Christ.
We should be able to look at Christian people with all the wonder and innocence of a child and the first thing we think of is Jesus. That person just seems to remind me of Jesus. That’s the place we’re all trying to get to, even though the roads aren’t paved and some of us are driving on 3 tires and a rim.
John 13:34-35 tells us, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
So, if doctrine, theology, and personal opinion is all people can see of you, hang it on a hook when you go out the door and pick up your love.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
Amen, sistah!
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You are so wise and so right. We need to hang it up and leave it on a hook when we go out among other people – whatever the “IT” is that takes the focus off Jesus and puts it on something negative. Thank you.
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Excellent post, IB!! This needs to be said and read over and over again! Love to you, my wise friend!
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Well OK . . . good points. But —
I believe Calvinism and Reformed thought in general not only brought us, directly and indirectly, many of the institutions that promote and guarantee Liberty in the Western democratic world (although they are being eroded quickly in our days) but Reformed theology ALSO serves as an antidote and solid Christian stance against all sorts of wishy-washy experience-based hype, charismania, and Pentecostal insanity. That being said, the perspectives you mentioned and their validity or lack thereof is an “in-house debate” among family (ie Christian brothers & sisters); so I agree it is stupid to get bogged down in these things when trying to be Christian among unbelievers.
But I am thankful for Reformed Theology when I behold the frothing madness of the Papists on one hand, and the anti-intellectual hysteria of (some, not all) Charismaniacs at the other extreme, not to mention the scripture-twisting buffoons of the “Name It & Claim It”/Prosperity crowd. Good theology is an anchor for the soul and a defense against religiosity, false gospels, and emotional frenzy. Just my two cents on a great post, I.B.
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“Good theology is an anchor for the soul and a defense against religiosity, false gospels, and emotional frenzy…”
Amen. I think I’m in total agreement with you there. If you can build a good foundation under your house, nothing can shake you off. I believe Jesus said that very thing, the importance of building your house on rock and not sand.
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Desdi, thanks for putting me in my place.
Blessings to you. God is in a good mood.
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I hope you mean it in a good way (?) I was trying not to rail but to clearly state what I have lived and seen in my Christian life. Hope God stays in a good mood . . .
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Serious, but also funny. Best line, I think.
I don’t suppose it’s original, but that certainly needs to be said.
As Peter observed, we need sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks the reason for the hope that is in us. We need to give that defense with meekness and fear, but we don’t need to apologize for either that reason or our hope. Our Father in Heaven is Holy and Almighty.
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“That’s what people should see when they look at us, Jesus Christ. Not our team colors, not our denominations, not our doctrine, not our personal opinions. They should see the love of Christ.”
That’s exactly it, IB. Amen and amen. To the degree that our doctrines make us look and act like Jesus, they are good and helpful. To the degree they don’t, we just become pharisaical. It might be time to take a fresh look at what we think the Bible is saying. 🙂
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I agree with your statement that Mel Wild quoted, IB. If non believers and believers alike, don’t see Jesus in us, it may be time to go read the Words in red again.
Also, thank you for the chuckle this early morning with your various descriptions.
God Bless,
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Great post- in truth, everyone’s got their own perspective, and it changes from every experience, every memory, every filter we create with our minds over time. Since God exists outside of time, He is unchanging and constant.
Pretty cool, right? 🤙
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You forgot the “Misery” Synod (aka the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church, the Tribe to which I belong). Apparently we love misery!
All joking aside, I have to disagree a little – my doctrine and theology come EVERYWHERE with me because it is doctrine and theology that inform what shape my love should take. This is not an “either/or” situation, as if doctrine and love are in conflict with one another. Doctrine – truths drawn from the study of God (aka theology) – is what teaches us to not just love one another, but also how to love RIGHTLY. Separated from its doctrinal underpinnings, my “love” falls back into what comes naturally to all of us – love for self. Doctrine, teachings, truth, insists that my love ought to be other-focussed and teaches me what that love ought to look like. Without sound doctrine, it is impossible for me to even attempt to love others rightly.
A coat left hanging on a hook doesn’t do anyone any good when the rains come. You won’t be able to cover yourself, much less your neighbour.
So it is with love and doctrine. There should be no dichotomy here. Doctrine is not meant to be used as a club against our neighbour, unbelieving or otherwise, but it is useful for reproof and correction when that is called for. Clearly God Himself intended it as such, otherwise He would not exhort us to continually meditate upon His word. There are going to be times when speaking doctrine IS the loving thing to do.
You are absolutely right thought, to point out that doctrine is no substitute for love. Doctrine sits overtop love in the sense that it informs, guides and gives shape to what form our love ought to take. If it’s being wielded as a trump card, it’s being misused and is of no use to anyone. Such a use demonstrates descent into self-love – “I’m right and you’re wrong” – which is no love at all.
As with all things, “doctrine” is not the problem here. Doctrine is a good gift from God, one He wants us to grab hold of and cling to because it contains the Word of Life for all. Doctrine is precious because it SERVES love, and not the other way around. The problem lies with those of us (and I include myself) who would misuse it to gratify self-love instead of allowing it to remain the servant of love as it ought to be.
I thank you for bringing this up. It’s good for Christians to wrestle with the proper place of doctrine in the Christian life and in love for neighbour. Doctrine is NOT love…but sound doctrine REVEALS love, because it reveals God, Who is love.
It’s okay to love doctrine, so long as it is in its proper place. It’s when we elevate it above love for God and neighbour that it becomes a problem.
Tricky stuff, indeed…
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