You Are a Theologian!
A true Christian must know the truth of Christianity and be able to state and defend a creed in order to have saving faith.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that to be a true Christian, one must be a theologian, understanding the core truths of Christianity as revealed in Scripture. He argues that faith in Jesus Christ is not enough without a clear understanding of who He is, including His divinity and the significance of His resurrection. Tozer critiques the notion that one can follow Christ without acknowledging the essential doctrines about His nature and identity, asserting that such beliefs are crucial for salvation. He highlights that Jesus' claims about His divinity were central to His conflict with the Pharisees, reinforcing that true faith must encompass the right beliefs about Christ. Ultimately, Tozer insists that understanding and defending these truths is vital for a genuine Christian life.
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The effort to be practicing Christians without knowing what Christianity is about must always fail. The true Christian should be, indeed must be, a theologian. He must know at least something of the wealth of truth revealed in the Holy Scriptures. And he must know it with sufficient clarity to state it and defend his statement. And what can be stated and defended is a creed. Because the heart of the Christian life is admittedly faith in a person, Jesus Christ the Lord, it has been relatively easy for some to press this truth out of all proportion and teach that faith in the Person of Christ is all that matters.
Who Jesus is matters not, who His Father was, whether Jesus is God or man or both, whether or not He accepted the superstitions and errors of His time as true, whether He actually rose again after His passion or was only thought to have done so by His devoted followers--these things are not important, say the no-creed advocates. What is vital is that we believe on Him and try to follow His teachings. What is overlooked here is that the conflict of Christ with the Pharisees was over the question of who He was.
His claim to be God stirred the Pharisees to fury. He could have cooled the fire of their anger by backing away from His claim to equality with God, but He refused to do it. And He further taught that faith in Him embraced a belief that He is very God, and that apart from this there could be no salvation for anyone. "He said unto them, 'Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.'" To believe on Christ savingly means to believe the right things about Christ. There is no escaping this.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Being a Theologian
- The Misconception of Faith in Christ
- The Conflict Over Christ's Identity
- Christ's claim to be God sparked conflict with the Pharisees
- He refused to back down from this claim
Key Quotes
“To believe on Christ savingly means to believe the right things about Christ.” — A.W. Tozer
“He said unto them, 'Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.'” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- As a Christian, it is essential to know the truth of Christianity and be able to state and defend a creed.
- Believing the right things about Christ is necessary for saving faith.
- Faith in Christ savingly means believing the right things about Christ.