Theology and Practice 

What you believe about God is evident in the way you live your life. Your beliefs are spoken through how you spend your time, how you spend your money, how you parent your children, how you treat your spouse, and how you relate to the people around you. Your theology dictates your practice.  If we truly believe the message of the Gospel, who Jesus is and what he has done, it is going to permeate every area of our lives. The Apostle Paul expresses this reality in his letter to the Ephesian Church. In his letter, Paul spends the first three chapters reminding the believers of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. In chapter 4 he transitions into how that theology should impact their lives. In Ephesians 4:1 he says, “I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” The “therefore” links everything that he said in chapters 1-3 to his exhortation for them to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. Their calling is their new life in Christ and for the next three chapters, he tells them how they should walk. Based on what God’s Word teaches, we must examine our own lives carefully. What characterizes your life? Is it selfishness, materialism, jealousy, immorality? Or is your life characterized by the love of Christ? Based on how you are living your life, does your practice demonstrate what you say you believe about God? We are all broken people in need of grace. Receive God’s grace, repent of your sin, and delight in the fullness found in Jesus Christ.