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and enjoying God himselfcan be a soothing, subtle, superficially spiritual god. Both are deadly, but
one lulls us into a proud, intellectual, and purely cosmetic confidence and rest before God. Theology
will kill you if it does not kindle a deep and abiding love for the God of the Bible and if it does not
inspire a desire for his glory, and not ultimately our own.
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The Pharisees fought Jesus at every turn. They doubted and even hated much of what he said and did,
and tried again and again to trap him in a lie or inconsistency. They had read Gods word over and
over again. They knew this book really wellor so it seemedand yet they did not know the Word
living, breathing and speaking in front of themthe Word through whom all things were made and
without whom nothing was made that was made (John 1:3), the Word who became flesh and walked
the earth (John 1:14), the Word who is the perfect picture of God and who upholds the universe with
the words of his mouth (Hebrews 1:3).
Mark recounts one of these confrontations between Jesus and the so-called spiritual experts of his day.
The Pharisees and the scribes asked [Jesus], Why do your disciples not walk according to the
tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? (Mark 7:5). We know this was not Pharisaical
humility and genuine curiosity (Matthew 12:14; 22:15). This was defiancean attempt to undermine
and shame the Son of God.
They were so confident in their theology that they confronted the Christ himself. They tried to pin him
down under the feather-weight and wading-pool-depth of their theologythe One who was the
fulfillment and pinnacle of all the pages they had read. They challenged Gods own understanding of
God. Their education and pridetheir knowledge and confidence in their own systemhad blinded
them to the very image and voice of God. They knew so much about God, and yet knew him so little.
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Pharisees would have been thought of as clearly obedientbut about disillusionment with the God of
the Bible. You can know him and not know him. And that might be the most dangerous place in all the
worldhowever comfortable, safe and informed it may feel.
Jesus goes on to say, You leave the commandment of Godan awful, terrifying condemnationand
hold to the tradition of men (Mark 7:8). You have traded the truth about God for images of the truth,
manufactured by your own mind. Youve loved what youve learned about God more than God himself.
Youve trusted your knowledge and obedience more than the mouth of God. For the sake of your
tradition, you have made void the word of God (Matthew 15:6).
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Stop, and pray Gods words about God back to him. Journal as a way of stimulating your heart over
the things your mind is beginning to understand. Put the truths youre learning on your lips for others
to hear and loveshare them with someone. The psalmist responded this way to knowing God and his
love more deeply in Psalm 63: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips
(Psalm 63:3, 5).
We will never be truly satisfied by knowing about God. We need to know him. If that dichotomy
doesnt make sense to you, beware. Facts about God without feelings for him and fellowship with
himwithout a sense that you are Gods chosen, redeemed and known son or daughterwill give you
a false sense of Gods love and security. But facts about God can also draw you closer to him.
You cannot serve both God and theology, but you can serve and love and treasure God with good
theology.
We need our theology to be not only true, but Spirit-filled and fruitful.
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Marshall Segal (@MarshallSegal) is executive assistant to John Piper, a recent graduate of Bethlehem
Seminary in Minneapolis, and author of Single, Satisfied, and Sent: Mission for the Not-Yet Married.
More from Marshall Segal or visit Marshall at http://twitter.com/marshallsegal
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