MS708: World Religions How do you define the term “theology of religion?” What are the issues/questions we need to discuss under the rubric of the theology of religion? How your theology of religion is related to the method/approach that you have chosen to study religion [for most of you it is empathetic approach]? My Prayerful Response: This world is not our home, for “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). Yea, I say unto you, beloved, that we must become spiritual pilgrims, who are “strangers and foreigners on the earth,” a people who “are seeking a homeland”—a holy priesthood, sanctified by the precious blood of the Risen King, who “desire[s] a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:13-16). Yes, I declare unto you, classmates, scholars, brothers and sisters in the Lord, that “[t]hose who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). But why do I say all this when the question at hand is defining the term “theology of religion”? I say all of this because we must reconnect back to our primitive roots before we can answer this question, for the core theology behind the very study of religion is a theology of ‘staying’ instead of a theology of ‘going,’ an over-identification with the Old Testament dispensation and a complete disregard for the New Testament reality proclaimed by Scripture—and even our Lord Himself. Nevertheless, let’s consider this question head on. Based on my understanding of the New Testament as the greater light of revelation and the Old Testament as the lesser light of revelation, this term seems to refer to how to make sense of the ubiquitous phenomenon of religion in light of the Lord’s resurrection and anticipated return. The Apostle Paul provides an explanation for this phenomenon in the context of talking about food offered up to idols: “[T]he sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God…” (1 Cor. 10:20). Therefore, the theology of religion I hold to is that the cause for various religions emerging is the interaction between humanity’s longing for the One True God and demons answering that longing. It is my loving stance that we must study religions from the standpoint of spiritual warfare. I was disappointed that our text did not take the reality of spiritual warfare into account. One key question we must always consider is “how do we show our brothers and sisters who do not yet believe in Christ the love of the Lord while being sure to remain steadfast witnesses?” Based on my experience with interacting with Muslims and a Hindu co-worker, I wholeheartedly believe the key is to only do what the Holy Spirit bids us and only say what He tells us to say. Other than that, we must keep our silence, show them the love of Christ, and pray for them. However, if the Holy Spirit leads you to speak and persecution is the outcome, you must lovingly endure it for the sake of Christ! Why? Because Scripture says, [A]ll who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). And again, in another place, “[O]ur struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Yea, the way we interact with non-Christ followers must not be “with [the] plausible words of…human wisdom,” but it must be “with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4). People don’t come to the Lord and become true Christ followers because of convincing theological sophistry or because we were really, really nice to them; they come to the Lord because His prevenient grace allows them to see that Christ is the Truth and that there is power in the blood and name of Jesus Christ! Brothers and sisters, when are we truly going to act and live according to the Word of God? I’m going to continue praying about this, but I adamantly believe that the confessional approach is the best approach for engaging in spiritual warfare. If the goal of missiology is to make disciples, we aren’t going to do so successfully if we refuse to embrace the reality of spiritual warfare--and thereby reject the very Word of God. Don’t believe me? Consider this. Most, if not all, of the major denominations in America are dying. Why? Because we do not have the boldness necessary to lovingly declare before our neighbors, co-workers, and non-Christian friends: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Phil. 1:21). We don’t practice intercessory prayer and spiritual warfare; in fact, most of us dont even believe in the reality of demons and evil spirits manipulating and controlling our fellow citizens who refuse to live according to the loving will of God. We don’t fast like we need to to keep our spirits strong and our flesh and soul powerless over us. Yea, in America, we love ourselves more than Christ Jesus, who suffered bitterly and died sorrowfully for us. We do not stand for the Lord when tested by the enemy, declaring, ‘If I must suffer for the truth, so be it; for Christ I live, and for Christ I die.’ Altogether we have been intimidated by the devil and his minions into cowardly silence and forced into spiritually unhealthy conformity. Oh, absurdity of absurdities has overtaken us—that the strong man bound has bound us! When will we remember that we are the servants of the King of kings and Lord of lords? Yea, beloved, in America, we do not truly believe the gospel, and our very lives testify against us—that we are not His courageous and faithful witnesses in this our great nation! Hence, if religions emerge due to the reality of spiritual warfare, then the only approach appropriate—based on the very Word of God—is the confessional one. This said, I leave you with the words of C.S. Lewis himself, one of the most esteemed and widely read authors of the twentieth century: I freely admit that real Christianity…goes much nearer to Dualism than people think…The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Brothers and sisters, how long will we let “the rebel” rule uncontested?
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:51:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015