The Intellectual & The Peacemaker
At some point, we’ve probably all run into that intellectual who has learned a lot of correct theology, but hasn’t yet understood that a true and right understanding of the deep things of God only serves to make us more humble, loving, disarming, and patient. Like with a teacher who enjoys failing people, the information itself isn’t what’s bad. It’s the way a person wields it. The danger in being this way is that it can cause people to equate learning beautiful and rich theology with being puffed up and arrogant.
On the other hand, it’s also likely to run into the peacemaker who has largely ignored Biblical doctrine in the name of unity. Most of the broad stroke essentials may be there, but overall, there is usually a major aversion to seeking out and locking in to any certain view on deeper things, especially if it has debate or disagreement surrounding it. The danger in being this way is that it’s not really submitting to and being conformed by God’s Word, but instead is greatly driven by a fear of man. A fear of conflict. A fear of being seen like our friend in the first paragraph. It can be the desire to have Christ, but finds safety hiding within those things that everybody can agree on. What follows is often times a lack of discernment on things that aren’t biblical or right, which can also provoke the flesh of the intellectual.
We will all have the tendency to drift one way or the other on this stuff. My personal bent is actually toward the peacemaker, if you can believe it. But with study and understanding comes a Spider-Man level of responsibility, and I have also said true, but harmful things out of a lack of love.
The intentions may be right in both instances, but ultimately, the flesh drives the outcomes. In the extremes, one wants to be the smartest guy in the room. He wants to be Robin to God’s Batman, rather than wanting to shepherd people. The other just wants to be liked by everybody rather than risking discomfort for what God may be wanting to do in and through them.
But it’s truth AND love. It HAS to be. One without the other may seem right, but ultimately produces bad fruit. The reason we should love every teaching from scripture rather than just zooming in on the broad strokes is that anything that comes from God is good, beneficial, and true! When we accurately learn, understand, and apply scripture, it changes EVERYTHING. The more our knowledge of God deepens, our worship of God deepens. Our love for Christ grows. Our view of ourselves and our society sharpens into reality. Our actions toward others becomes an act of worship.
But we can’t get it twisted. Sometimes, somebody will say something difficult, but WE just don’t love it. That doesn’t mean that just because it offended people that it’s not loving. Those with understanding shouldn’t stay silent, and not everybody will be able to stomach the truth. I’m attacked ALL the time. It comes with affirming scripture, even in a loving way. The truth is, we need the deep things of God. We need to love others in our boldness and knowledge of the truth. We need to know scripture and how it all connects, otherwise we may miss what is really going on.
Some day soon, society will demand total adherence to and celebration of what God has called sin. Many churches and professing Christians will compromise on scripture and will site unity and gospel proclamation as the reason. They will willingly join with the world and make enemies of those who adhere to scripture. They will actually ignore God’s Word in the Name of God to maintain their comforts. There will be a version of Christianity that will be acceptable. One that rids itself of anything but what doesn’t offend the society. There will be a version of Jesus that affirms all that the world legislates. And the thing they wanted to hang onto all along, the gospel, will be nowhere to be found.
Then, there will be the Biblical, true, real Jesus that promised persecution. Are we in love with the true Jesus? Are we in love with His righteousness as defined by His perfect, sufficient, and authoritative Word? Or do we just love our own comforts, think we know better, and will sacrifice everything to keep our lives as they are? With our mouths we would say “Jesus is Lord”, but with our lives, we would be bending the knee to culture and actually saying “Caesar is Lord.”
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Intellectual, don’t believe Satan’s lies that you’ve gotta fix this broken world with what you know. All knowledge comes from God. Be faithful, be bold, and let everything you say be flavorful. Filled with humility and patience. Be used by God, don’t BE God. Don’t forget that the Spirit does the work of conviction. See others who don’t know the depth of the Word as an opportunity to minister and shepherd, and see your understanding as a gift from God. Keep learning truth. You have great knowledge, but now pray for wisdom.
Peacemaker, don’t believe Satan’s lies that doctrine and theology are bad. Pray continually that the Holy Spirit will teach you what is true, and I promise you that He will. Don’t avoid the hard questions, and instead, seek them out. The Bible IS true. You can stand upon it. Jesus said you will not be ashamed, and you won’t. Don’t fear what people think of you. Fear what God thinks of you. Be ready to abandon your comforts, or even the unbiblical ideals you grew up with, and decide today to adhere to what scripture says, even if you don’t like it - and more importantly - even if culture doesn’t like it.
Scripture. Truth. Patience. Boldness. Love. Knowledge. Humility. Calling. Doctrine. Grace. The Father. Jesus. The Holy Spirit. Reality. The cross. The resurrection. Power. Worship. Forever.
Don’t forget, it all goes together.
