Theology Strengthens and Purifies the Church

As believers, we strive for spiritual growth and maturity in our faith. One key element in achieving this maturity is studying theology.
What is theology? It is the study of God. We are confined to studying theology within God's Word. God's special revelation, the Bible, gives us everything we need to know about Him.
In this week's Pastor’s Pen, I'll explore the significance of studying theology and how it can help us in our journey toward becoming mature believers.

The purpose of theology as a church and as an individual is to keep our feet firmly planted in the truth and protected from error. The Apostle Paul knew this was a current and potential problem within the church.
Paul's young protégé, Timothy, was facing such problems with individuals who didn't adhere to sound doctrine. This is why Paul gave Timothy the charge in 2 Timothy 4:2, to preach the word "in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching." His charge to Timothy was a call to stand firm in the truth.
In 2 Timothy 4:3–4, Paul reminds Timothy that there will be a time when men will not hold fast to sound teaching and will want teachers for themselves and will turn away from the truth. This command from Paul is a call to hold fast to the truth, because it's what will build up the true church.

Holding fast to the truth is a recurring theme within the Scriptures. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesian churches, he focuses on strengthening the church.
Notice the phrases in Ephesians 4:13-16: "the unity of the faith," "we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ," and "causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." All of this language has at its core the strengthening of the church.
In Ephesians 4:11-12, the verses prior to these phrases, we see how this is done. God has given to the church pastors and teachers for the work of the ministry for the purpose of building up of the body of Christ to do the work of the ministry.
If we understand the letter of Ephesians, we know that this can only be accomplished if we understand right theology, which is what Ephesians is all about.
The strengthening of the body of Christ can only happen when it is saturated with biblical teaching. Therefore, studying and living out sound theology is vital to the church. Not only is the church strengthened, but it is purified.

I know in my life that it takes the spiritual truths of the Bible to sanctify my life and help me fight sin that is still remaining. As David prayed in Psalm 19:13, “Also keep your servant back from presumptuous sins.” In this context, the Word of God is the key to this request.
The importance of theology in the everyday life is to draw us closer to an understanding of God so that we might become more like Christ and purified through a proper understanding of God.
We’re all aware that if each member of Christ’s body pursues this end by the work of the Holy Spirit through God's Word, we as the corporate body will become fit vessels for service unto God.
As individual believers and the corporate church, we need to use the purifying work of God’s Word in our lives. Jesus’ high priestly prayer was aimed at this end. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

If we understand the theology behind all these verses, that God’s word transforms, convicts, and moves us to become mature believers, it will be obvious to us how sound biblical theology purifies the church.