God Loves… Himself

[Note: This post is the first in a new series called “Historical Reformed Theology.” To view all the posts in this series, you can use the links on the right under the Categories heading.]

The last few posts have been on how theology must be God-centered. This is the missing element in modern theology and biblical studies. It is the missing element of preaching and the function of the local church. It is the missing element in all that goes on. It is somewhat understandable to note the missing element of God-centeredness in society due to the fallen nature of man, but it is surprising to see the depths that the professing Church has fallen into man-centeredness as well. This is true of both Arminian and Reformed theology in our day. After all, the very word “theology” starts off with “theo” which is “theos” the Greek word for God. Theology is the study of God. It does not matter the branch of theology that is being studied, God is to be the center of that study. Indeed the old phrase of “the proper study of man is man” seems to have taken over in the modern professing Church. Instead of looking at man from God-centered studies, we look at God through man-centered studies. Instead of judging man by the truth of who God is, we try to study God through the lies about who man is. Without starting with God-centeredness in all things we end up with man-centeredness in all things.

For a while on this blog I have been trying to look at what people in history have said about Arminian theology. In the modern day Reformed theology has been so weakened that there does not appear to be much of a difference. That means that I had to go back in history to find out what people in centuries past thought of it. Now I would like to look at Reformed theology in light of its lack of God-centeredness. I will make a provocative assertion at this point. Reformed theology and Arminian theology can only meet at the point where and when both are man-centered. When Reformed theology is truly focused on God and is centered upon Him rather than man, the divide between the two cannot be surmounted. When Arminianism becomes God-centered, it is not longer Arminianism. Arminian theology cannot be maintained from a God-centered and God-oriented perspective. Reformed theology as set out, loved and practiced in the past was God-centered in all that it thought and did. These statements will be argued against quite strenuously, but it is something that is relatively self-evident. If a person, no matter how much s/he uses the name of God to buttress his or her argument, starts with man and argues about who God is in light of who man is, that person is a man-centered individual. Any person who holds to the creeds of Reformed theology and yet down deep is man-centered is truly Arminian if not Pelagian at heart. In our day external and creedal Reformed theology is being used to cover over Pelagian hearts. That is being said as one who thinks that creeds are important and should be used.

Another issue at hand is that we can speak much of God and of theology and yet have a central focus on man in what we are doing. Another way to state that is to say that we can use God’s name a lot and still be focused on man in the way we are speaking of God. The way we speak to human beings and the way we treat human beings can also reflect our true focus. No pastor, theologian or biblical scholar wants to admit being man-centered and so most if not virtually all will deny that s/he is that. The biblical scholar approaching the Bible from a scholarly position and wanting to determine what the text means according to scholarship is different than approaching the text as the Word of God and determining what it means in light of Scripture being the revelation of God. Even when a scholar says that s/he believes highly in the text that does not mean that the text is being dealt with as the very words of God and as the revelation of God Himself. The text must always be approached as God’s Word and as a revelation of God Himself and not just as being about a subject matter.

When a theologian or pastor is looking to write or preach, what is the core thing that s/he is looking for? Is it something to help people? Why does that person want to help people and what is it that will help people? Helping people can be idolatry too. If we approach the issue as if God is concerned about man as a man is concerned about man, we have just committed idolatry. Our hearts must be changed to where we want to help people out of love for and from God. We must have our mindsets and hearts changed to where we know that only if we are focused on the glory of God can we then truly help people to focus on the glory of God, which is true help. We can use Scripture God’s name in man-centered ways and commit idolatry in our conservative and gracious approach. For theology to be biblical and centered upon God it must realize that God is God-centered and all that is dealt with must be dealt with in that regard and with that in mind. Reformed theology can be nothing more than an intellectual way of approaching theology in man-centeredness without the God-centeredness of God in all things taken into account. Reformed theology can be using the name of God to hide our deceitful man-centered hearts from us. Without the God-centeredness of God as in the older Reformed theology, Pelagianism hides itself in deceitful hearts that focus on self in the guise of truth and Reformed theology. This is a horrible judgment of God.

Boiled down, we can put it this way: we can talk about God a lot and we can speak of Reformed theology in an intellectual way and even with much feeling without being truly God-centered in our approach. We can speak with great feelings of Christ and the Gospel in accordance with Reformed doctrine and creeds, and yet our hearts can be focused on man instead of God. We can speak glowingly of God according to accepted theology and still be focused on man in our hearts. After all, Scripture does tell us that we love those who love us. If we are deceived into thinking that God savingly loves us when He does not, we will have what we call love toward Him. Out of that mistaken love for God, which is nothing but a virulent form of self-love and idolatry, we can pursue a theology that is Reformed in its externals and yet be built on nothing but self. God-centeredness is not just another option in the modern buffet line of theology, it is life itself.

This entry was posted on May 9, 2008 at 7:03 am and is filed under Historical Reformed Theology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.