Living Our Doctrine

We recently had a discussion in the High School group about the importance of doctrine and making it a visible part of our lives, rather than just knowing what we believe we need our doctrine to soak in to the depths of our hearts. On another blog, What's Wrong With the World, there has been discussion about the gap we often see in people who have strong doctrine but lack the life change that Jesus requires of us; and on the opposite side people who have no doctrine, or very little, but we see them living out the call that Jesus has placed on all our lives to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the sick. My question is "Why have we separated the two?"Isn't scripture and doctrine the very reason for why we should clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and comfort the sick.

While I don't usually agree with Richard Rohr I do like his quote from Jesus' Plan for a New World, he writes, "The call to the gospel life is not really a call to be moral, law-abiding and good, although many seem to think so. It is, rather, to follow Jesus- who keeps us on the path of letting go and rediscovering, which is very different from just being good."

As Christians being a good person is not our call.  We are called to do good things, even great things, but the call is deeper than just being a moral person.

To fully understand God and the call he has placed on our lives we need to understand both sides of spectrum.  What good is knowledge and understanding of God if it never really impacts your heart. There are plenty of people who can quote scripture and explain doctrine that don't follow or even believe in it. There are also plenty of people who want to save the world but have no reason why they should.  I pray for myself and all believers that as we grow in knowledge of God's word that we will continue to let it shape our lives and make us into the people that God wants us to be.  And in all things let us glorify our God, whether through our understanding of scripture, or through our daily actions.