Doctrine of God
i i i i i i i i i i As I was reading, I was struck by a sentence that seemed to focus the necessity
of this course and the pursuit of theology in general – “. . the heart of all theology is
nothing less than to know God, and to make him known”.[1] Therefore, my primary
theological goal is to know the Triune God.
i i i i i i i i i i That knowledge is of no benefit – even to me – if it is not shared with others.
That is the essence of Jesus’ Great Commission – “go and make disciples”. We gain
knowledge; then ‘go’; and pass that knowledge on to others ‘making them disciples’ in
the process. As theology – knowing God – changes our lives, so should its natural
result be to communicate that positive change to others so that their lives may be
changed as well.
i i i i i i i i i i Do I seek a specific answer from this course? No, but what has been made clear
by my theological studies to date is that I woefully knew very little about God and His
Word. So, my goal for this course would be to know God – the Father, Jesus the
Christ, and the Holy Spirit – better than when I started. If I am a good student and
come before the throne of God expecting, then the result should be a better
experience in my relationship with God.
Personal Spiritual Growth And Awareness
i i i i i i i i i i For some time now, I have been enamored by Enoch. In Genesis 5:21-24 (NIV)
we read:
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he
became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had
other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked
faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (See also Heb.
5:5,6)
My personal life’s goal spiritually, therefore, is to be found ‘walking faithfully with God’.
i i i i i i i i i i The specific question that naturally arises from Enoch’s story is, what does it
mean to ‘walk faithfully with God’? In Enoch’s example, it certainly means to do so
long term or consistently. One would also have to imagine that this was Enoch’s
consuming thought every moment of his life – How do I please God?; How do I glorify
God?; How can I praise and worship God?; How can I make God known to others?
Enoch’s life belonged solely to God. Was Enoch perfect? No. Enoch’s faithfulness,
however, demonstrated that when he fell short of God’s law he got up; dusted himself
off; and began his faith walk with God anew.
i i i i i i i i i i Given that my long-term goal is to be a minister to men, I would very much like to
share what I learn about Enoch with other men in a book or a teaching series. Can you
imagine the impact of ‘men walking faithfully with God’ within our families, in our
churches, in our communities and around the globe?
i i i i i i i i i i These thoughts remind me of a story out of Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love:
As a pastor, I’m often called upon when life “vanishes like a mist.” One of the most
powerful examples I’ve seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who
was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial service
when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan told the
mourners, “You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment,
there’s nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?” Then Stan sat down, fell over, and
died.[2]
How awesome it would be teaching about Enoch and the idea of walking faithfully
with God at a men’s conference and suddenly . . [mic drop] . . I am gone.
[1] Gerald Bray, The Doctrine of God, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 24.
[2] Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (Colorado Springs, CO:
David C. Cook, 2013), 48. Accessed May 17, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
