Doctrine and Experience
Truth and Love
It seems like in the modern church people assume one of these roles. We either drastically hold to truth and doctrine or the opposite: love and experience. The thing that God has been showing me lately is we need both.
I have seen both extremes in churches. One all about emotion, feeling and Holy Spirit power. These things can be good and so moving, exciting and powerful. The other extreme is diving into a book or chapter of the Bible and taking in the context, but loosing the activation and the practice in our own lives. We need Scripture and all the truth that is with in it, but we need to practice and see the power of it in our lives.
Many people don’t understand hearing the voice of God, but we have literally been given his words through scripture. I think the phrase “hearing God’s voice” or “God told me” are frowned upon in some churches and misunderstood. Some don’t think they can hear God’s voice (which is a straight lie from hell, because everyone has the ability to hear their Father’s voice) and some think it is over used. Every time we open the Bible, we get to hear God speaking to us. Why would we want to miss out on that? In my head I have defamed the Bible to be a boring, long and unexciting book. But every time I choose to spend the time reading God’s word, I am blown away by the reverence and power. We need both.
I have seen the effects of the two drastic choices here in my squad. With so many people and so many church and family backgrounds, there are some kids who grew up in uber conservative churches and had never heard of the Holy Spirit and the gifts he gives us. We are also learning the power scripture and the idea that we need it in everything. This is being shown and displayed in the life of our leadership really well. I have learned our dire need for time with the Lord and time in His word from them.
Going out into ministry everyday we need to have the truth of the Bible. I could have easily gone to the school I was serving at this last month and played with the kids and colored with them with my own strength. But my strength would only last for an hour and what is the point of that. I could go out into the streets of Cambodia and evangelize, telling people about the miracles of God but not sharing with them the truth of scripture. This would leave them missing something. When it comes to evangelism we can’t just tell people the experiences we have had because that can portray God as a vending machine; the nice guy in the sky who gives you all your hopes and dreams. In ministry and evangelism we need the Bible to be full and pour out of that and to also leave people with truth of who God actually is.
We need the Bible just as much as we need experience. We have to stop leaving one behind. They go hand and hand.
Truth and Love
Doctrine and Experience
