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The Book's Purpose
- Encourage women to explore
theology in order to gain a deeper
knowledge of God
- Help women understand basic
theology and how it impacts
their lives
- Give women knowledge of God’s
character and teach them to walk
in faith based upon that knowledge
The Book's Message
Many women need to grasp a deeper understanding
of theology. They must comprehend
what theology is, learn the attributes of God, and
know how to communicate with the God who
created them and who longs to be in relationship
with them.
What the Bible teaches about God is not only
for men but for women as well. This knowledge
and truth will shape the everyday lives of women
as they allow it to penetrate their minds and hearts.
What is Theology
And Why Should I Care?
Many Christians tend to think that biblical knowledge comes in two
distinct categories: basic, helpful, practical principles that are for everyone,
and then more complex theology~spiritual knowledge reserved for pastors
and seminarians. Some women might think that study of the deeper biblical
truths is just for men because most theological books are written by and
presumably for men. This is hardly a biblical concept, however. Theology,
the knowledge of God, is for every Christian, no matter his or her gender.
“A better understanding of God’s character, that
is, theology, makes me a better wife … when we
ladies grow in our understanding of God’s
character and attributes, it can only be a blessing
for our homes, our marriages, our churches.” |
Theology is most simply, the study of the nature of God. Is theology
practical? Should it be reserved for spiritual leaders alone? Too many Christians
assume that the deep things of the Bible are not practical, even though
Scripture clearly states in Psalm 111:10 that “the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.” Knowledge of God that teaches us to reverence
Him and submit to His purposes is what leads to wisdom in daily life.
“Theology is the root, foundation, and framework for practical living that
reflects wisdom and understanding.”
If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then His Holy
Spirit resides in you. He promises to guide you into all truth. His presence
in your life enables you to grow in your understanding of the deep things
of God.
God is not calling us to be five-minute-daily-devotional Christians. He
calls us and equips us to know Him, understand his character, and live by
His truth. As we begin our journey, we will study God’s character and then
reflect on our own responses to see if our lives actually demonstrate our
faith in God.
What Is Faith?
Sometimes we lose sight of the most fundamental concepts of our faith.
And it is faith that we often do not truly live by. Over the last few years,
God has allowed my family to endure some very difficult times. Job loss,
infertility, financial struggles, serious health issues, and major relocations
all forced us as a couple to learn hard lessons in faith. God refined and
shaped our faith as we responded to the challenges facing us. During these
times, I observed how various Christians in our circle of friends responded
to what was happening. I noticed that there is often a great disparity between
what we say we believe and how we act. We say we trust God and are resting in His presence, but in
difficult times we are often consumed
instead with worry, fear, and
anxiety. “Does it fit with our belief
system when such reactions characterize
those who claim to believe
in Christ and trust in his Word?”
My desire is to help Christian women
remove the disconnect between
what we claim to believe and what
our actions reveal our true beliefs
to be.
The author of Hebrews says
that “Faith is being sure of what
we hope for and certain of what
we do not see … And without faith
it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to him
must believe that he exists and that
he rewards those who earnestly
seek him” (Hebrews 11:1, 6). Too
many of us live as if we are more
convinced of the reality of our
struggles than of the reality of God.
Our problems seem much bigger
to us than the Almighty God of
the Universe.
“God must be big
in our minds. God
needs to be at
the forefront of
our thought processes.
He needs to be
the first consideration
in all of our daily
circumstances, not the
last resort that we consider
after exhausting all other
options. Believing in
His existence~focusing
with trust on His reality~
is fundamental
to a faith that
pleases God.”
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God rewards those who seek Him by giving them His love, His assurance,
His presence, His peace. Blessings often follow terrible trials, and the sweet
knowledge of God and the deepening of our faith make the struggles of
life somehow precious instead of devastating. When we face uncertain times,
do we filter our response through the wonderful promises of God’s love
and protection found in the Bible? Do my responses reflect a strong belief
that God will work all things for my good? When I respond in unbelief,
fall into despair. But if I choose to believe in God’s goodness, then I can
respond in peace and rest, knowing that God is at work and I can trust
Him. And when we know God on a deep level, we can truly have faith in
Him. The key to overcoming worry and anxiety is faith~trusting in God
because we know Him to be trustworthy.
Over and over in the Bible, God’s people experience His provision, love,
and power, but then they forget. We too, often forget how God provides
for us and that He is faithful. We fret as if we’ve never seen God’s faithfulness
before. “It seems my initial reaction to any new problem is fear and anxiety.
I have to fight each time to bring my responses back into line with
what I know about Him … but so often, just like the Israelites in the Old
Testament and the disciples in the New Testament, I completely forget all
the ways God has shown Himself faithful to me and others throughout time.”
Let us instead learn to respond like the centurion who trusted Jesus to
heal His servant from afar, or the woman who just touched the hem of
Jesus’ robe and believed she would be healed. Let our actions show our
firm belief in God’s faithfulness.
“When the rubber meets the road, it’s not what you
say that demonstrates faith in your life. It is what
you do and how you respond in the moment of crisis.” |
Appropriating What You Believe
Just how do we act on our beliefs? It is fairly simple~just stop and refocus.
Stop the train of your emotional reaction before it crashes into despair.
Fear and anxiety are not our masters. Then, refocus~put your mind on Christ and His truth. Think
about God, His characteristics of
holiness and strength, and His faithfulness
in the past. The believers
mentioned in the Hebrews 11 hall
of faith had learned to view their
struggles with an eternal perspective.
This perspective gave them
the wisdom and power to handle
their circumstances appropriately.
“We too must train ourselves to
take our thoughts captive and make
them submit to what we know to
be true about God. We don’t ignore
the details of this earthly life, but
we must always read them in context
of our eternal reality.” We
can filter our challenges through
faith in what God has promised.
“Know Him,
and then act
like you
know Him.
That is faith.” |
Who is Our God?
Our Father
The core of our faith is a right view of God. Too often we harbor unbiblical
ideas about His character and His activity in the universe. Is He distant
and unfathomable or personal and knowable? Both our culture and our background
can influence our understanding of these questions. “Authentic
faith in God is based on an understanding of the truth of God’s character
that comes from Scripture alone, along with confidence in the trustworthiness
of that truth when applied practically to our daily lives.”
Through Christ, we have been adopted by God into His family, and we
are now secure as His children. We are no longer slaves to sin, but children
of a heavenly Father. Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us that before the foundation of the world God chose us as His
children. So now, no matter what
our burdens are, we can rest in His
love as our Father.
Sovereign, Compassionate, Wise
Our Father is sovereign. He
knows all things and His purposes
will always be fulfilled. What comfort
it is to know that no matter
how much wickedness seems to
permeate the earth, God has never
lost control. Everything will work
out according to His plan. God is
our Rock, our solid foundation
when it seems that the storms of
life will overwhelm us. Does your
life reflect confidence in God’s
sovereignty?
“Do you demonstrate trust in God’s plan and
purposes or become fearful and anxious when
circumstances spiral out of your control? ... Is your
first reaction to trials to think fast and do something
or to rest and wait patiently for God’s hand to work?
… Many of us say we believe ‘God is in control,’ but
our daily responses to life’s issues reflect a different
belief altogether.”
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God is sovereign, but also compassionate and wise. He loves us as His
dear children and always provides what is best for us, even when we don’t
understand His plans.
A Father Who Disciplines
Adoption into God’s family means we also benefit from His loving
discipline. Although no one likes the pain of discipline, God intends it
as training for growth in our character and behavior. It trains us in righteous
living, roots out the sin that entangles us, and transforms our character,
so that we grow more and more like Jesus.
Savior, Example, Bridegroom
It is humbling to know that Almighty God chose to lower Himself
and become a man so that He could die as a sacrifice for our sins. He
gave up all the powers and rights of His divine nature, and gave Himself
completely for us. Are we, too, willing to give up our rights for the sake
of serving others? We are called to follow Christ, and, like Him, not think
of ourselves but solely of the needs of others. Only by understanding
Christ’s ultimate servanthood can we even begin to get this right in our
own lives.
What did Jesus accomplish for us on the cross? Though we were dead
in our sins, Jesus made us alive again through His atoning sacrifice. God
allowed His death to pay for our sin and then clothed us in His Son’s
righteousness. We are now reconciled to God through Christ and are
being transformed into His likeness, as preparation for our entrance into
heaven as the Bride of Christ. “What an amazing place we have been
given in God’s household! We are both children of the Sovereign Lord of
the Universe and cherished bride of his firstborn Son. We occupy a high
and honored position.” Does your life demonstrate belief in these realities?
Our Identity in Jesus
Because we belong to God, we
now have a supernatural connection
to Jesus. He is with us, within us,
holding us together every minute
of every day. Jesus used the image
of a vine and its branches in John
15 to help us understand this amazing
connection. Like a branch whose
sustenance and growth come through
the vine, we are connected and
thriving through the flow of our
relationship with Jesus. Do we draw
strength and wisdom and peace
through His presence? Do we rest
in this knowledge, or live like orphans,
left to fend for ourselves?
Paul tells us to guard ourselves
against deception and wrong thinking.
If we tend to live as though
we don’t believe these truths, then
we must train our minds to think
rightly through meditation and
prayer. We must take our thoughts
captive and make them submit to
the truth of God’s Word. “Many
… of us do know the truth but don’t
count on it, don’t set our minds
on it … We are called to think this
way: God is my sovereign, wise,
and compassionate Father. He is
intimately aware of the details of
my life, and I can trust him with
my circumstances.”
Our Help
When you become a believer,
God gives you the gift of His Holy
Spirit to be your help, your comforter,
your counselor. What an
amazing privilege this is! He convicts
us of our sin, helps us in our weaknesses,
guides us and transforms us
into the image of Christ. Little by
little, the Holy Spirit is working in
us to change our sinful habits and
character until they bring glory to
God.
Communicating With Our God
Prayer~Conversing With God
Knowledge about the attributes of God is wonderful, but has no value
if we have no personal connection to Him. He has given us the gift of
prayer as a means of communicating with Him. It is God’s will that we
“pray without ceasing,” which in essence means being mindful of His
presence throughout the day.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gave
us a template, an example of how
to pray simply for the glory of God,
His purposes, and His provision.
He invites us to bring our needs to Him, not because He is unaware of them, but because He knows it will
give us peace of mind. Through prayer we experience His divine grace
and peace. He guides us in forgiving others because of His great forgiveness
extended to us. He leads the way out when we face temptation. He desires
that we persevere and not lose heart.
“Pouring out our requests before God is the
number one way to deal with vexing issues. It is
the most effective way to mentally deal with our
burdens … He wants us to lay our burdens at his
feet and allow him to carry the heavy weight of
our baggage, and he promises supernatural peace.”
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God’s Word
The Bible is the written Word of God and our source for knowing
Christ. It is critical that we understand how God has revealed Himself
in His Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is living and active;
it pierces our hearts and reveals our thoughts and motivations. It opens
our eyes to our truest needs and our wrong thinking, and it guides us
on the right paths.
Many of us forget that the entire Bible points to Christ and what He
came to accomplish. The whole biblical story reveals God’s plan to restore
His sinful children and to bring them home for eternity. Various
parts of the story show God’s work to preserve the lineage of Christ, reveal
pictures of the coming Christ, and demonstrate mankind’s need for
salvation. Through the Bible, believers can be completely equipped for
all that God calls them to do. It is relevant, powerful, and effective.
Many Christians, perhaps many women in particular, do not feel confident
studying the Bible on their own. They might find it intimidating
and frustrating. However, we need not be concerned if the deep things
of God are “beyond us.” God is at work in ways that are far beyond
our ability to comprehend. But always, God’s Word can speak to us and
teach us as we grow in our ability to understand. God promises to open
our eyes to the treasures of His Word.
“God’s Word is living and breathing, and, given
the chance, it will cut you open with amazing
clarity … You cannot be equipped for wise daily
living apart from knowing the character and work
of God, and the Word is the primary way God
reveals Himself to us.” |
May He strengthen you so that you know both in your head and in
your heart all the fullness of God.
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