why theology matters

I had a wonderful reminder yesterday why having biblical theology (having an accurate view of God) is so important. I was praying with a man, Terry, from East Valley Bible Church who is having a surgery today to remove his cancer-filled stomach.

Terry's church background is one where it was common for him to hear that God would never want a person sick or suffering. Any belief that God was sovereignly overseeing something like cancer was thought to be something that only faith-less people would embrace.

In the last five years, Terry has seen that God is in charge of the whole universe, including every molecule of cancer in his stomach. This doesn't meant that he has resorted to some kind of cold fatalism, but that he acknowledges that God either causes or allows all things for good, wise reasons. As a result, he has confidence that God will do what is best for him and he prays with confidence knowing that the only person in charge of the situation is God, who can heal either through miracles, through medicine, or through taking him home to Heaven.

If anybody ever tells me that doctrine is unimportant or that believing in God's sovereignty doesn't matter, I'll think of my afternoon with Terry and I'll know that what you believe and know about God will determine how you respond to life's situations.

Pray for Terry. Pray that God will use this surgery and the recovery to rid his body of cancer. And pray that Terry won't waste his cancer.