Theology Without Love is Dead
We all know that “faith without works is dead.” We know that because James 2:26 says so. And yet, it’s so easy for us “gospel centered” folk to talk about the gospel as if works are unimportant. I’ll be honest and confess that I’ve felt like a gospel-centered fraud because I teach topical lessons and try to give students practical applications in my messages. Somewhere along the way, it’s easy for us to overcorrect legalistic tendencies by becoming functional antinomians. But then I remember, “That’s what we’re supposed to be doing! Proclaim the gospel, and help them see what difference it makes in real life.”
In the same way, one of my concerns for Youth Pastor Theologian and for our readers (you!) is that we’d forget theology without love is dead.
Our pastoral calling isn’t to information transfer or to practice Funko Pop Discipleship. No. Our ministry is to proclaim Christ and to fan into flame an affection for God, in order that these students would walk in his light for the remainder of their days. We want to make lifelong disciples.
The goal of Theology isn’t information, but love. Theology that doesn’t lead to love (first, for God; second, for others) is bad theology. I’m tempted to make an argument that such theology isn’t true theology at all - perhaps it’s better called pseudo-theology. It wants to be knowledge about God, and it affirms statements that are factually true about him. But it doesn’t “know” God, in the biblical sense. It’s a knowledge of God like the way I know Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Queen Elizabeth II.
Fellow youth pastor theologians - teach theology to your students. But make sure it’s living theology. Ensure that it’s something that’s breathing and alive with the heartbeat of God, rather that mere information about his incommunicable attributes and ineffable majesty. In our desire to practice theology in youth ministry, let’s beware of the temptation to act like seminary professors in the youth room (no disrespect to seminary professors intended).
You are a youth pastor. Not a theology professor. Your role is different from even that of a Christian school Bible Teacher. Students need something different from you. They need a youth pastor who will disciple them alongside their parents - someone who will teach and instruct and guide them to behold the beauty and love of God that’s directed towards them through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Love your students enough to say it simple and to teach short enough to fill their cup.
Set an example of the ways good theology makes Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit. Let them see evidence of your joy in Christ. Be generous in patience and compassion. Forgive them when they sin against you. Pastors who can exegete the Fruit of the Spirit in Greek, but who do not embody them are poor theologians with nothing truly worthwhile to teach students about Galatians 5:22-23.
These are Christians (youth workers, even!) who need to remember Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”
In our efforts to teach theology may we be men and women to teach true theology, not pseudo-theology, because we are helping our students grow into everything it means to truly know God.
