One of the common criticisms leveled against the study of theology is that seldom does doctrine have an impact on the day-in and day-out living of our lives.  The common cry is, “Who needs doctrine, just give me Jesus!”  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  To say that doctrine does not have an impact on the daily living of our lives is to say that God has no impact upon our lives.  This, of course, is absurd.  Let us see how a doctrine germane to Christology has practical implications for the lives of fathers.

Our federal government is fond of putting mandated warning labels on a host of products that we use.  We see warning labels on tobacco, alcohol, music, medication, cars, and anything the government deems dangerous.  Yet, curiously enough the government has not placed a warning label on one thing that is quite possibly one of the most dangerous inventions to date, our televisions.  Why do we need to put warning labels on our televisions?  Isn’t the television simply another mode of communicating information?  Are there not a cornucopia of beneficial uses for television like news reporting, educational programs, family entertainment, and of course religious broadcasting?  Let’s take these questions and answer them one at a time.  By the end of this article, we will see why we need warning labels on our televisions.  Let’s look at the first question.

The next time you sit down to eat a meal, stop, and think about the theological significance of what you are doing.  Have you ever applied the full weight of our biblical worldview to the practice of eating?  Ken Myers, the host of the Mars Hill Audio Journal, draws attention to the fact that the consumption of food is packed with theological significance.  Think about it, God could have made us like the plants of the field—we would simply stand out in the sun for a period of time and photosynthetically collect the energy we need.  Instead, God made us so that we must consume food.  Moreover, God could have made our appetite for food much like that of an animal—simply consume whatever is at hand regardless of the taste.  Instead, when we eat we often employ all of the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.  God gave us the ability to enjoy the created order through our ability to eat food.  This, however, is not the only theological aspect of food.

Over the years I have received many catalogs through the mail from various companies selling products as diverse as books to personal submarines.  I typically thumb through the catalogs giving them only passing attention.  I recently received one catalog, however, that has drawn more than my passing attention, the 2004 Vision Forum Family Catalog.  What makes this catalog unique let alone worthy of in-depth analysis?

In any building there are key foundational structures that ensure the stability and strength of the building.  Without a strong foundation, for example, a building might topple to the ground.  In the study of God, or theology, there are three foundational pillars that are absolutely essential to the integrity of the theological task.  Without these foundational pillars, a person’s theology will undoubtedly tumble to the ground.

We live in a culture in which information is much like gold.  The more information you can possess, organize, and control, the more power you can yield.  The thirst for information certainly fuels the media and entertainment industry.  For example, peruse any given news media website, CNN, ABC, or FOX and you will find gads of information only a click away.  People want to be informed of the latest international and local events.  There is also another category of information that exists on these reputable news outlets—gossip.  One can read stories about celebrities and their love interests or the most intimate details of a person’s life.  It seems as though man has an insatiable desire for gossip, rumors of a personal or intimate nature, which may or may not be true.  Gossip is of course to be expected of the world, the world is as the world does, and the world is sinful.  Yet, sadly, the thirst for gossip also affects the church.

There are many verses in the Scriptures with which people are familiar. Perhaps this is due to the desire to inculcate Scripture in the lives and minds of the people of God. Therefore, whether it is Sunday School memorization, or a personal desire to memorize Scripture, people gravitate towards the great verses of Scripture. One such verse, for example, is Romans 12.1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Now, while many are familiar with this passage of Scripture, there are many who do not know what this verse looks like in real life. In other words, What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

There are many within the evangelical community that confidently tell others that they are Reformed. They proudly declare that they are "five point Calvinists." Yet, what may come as a surprise to some, is that the Reformed Faith has more than five points. For example, can someone be Reformed if they do not affirm the doctrine of the church, covenants, or church discipline? The answer to this is a resounding, No! Why is this the case? Reformed theologians have always stressed the idea that the Reformed Faith is nothing less than biblical Christianity. The idea that a Reformed soteriology, or doctrine of salvation, can be divorced from the rest of the teaching of Scripture is therefore unacceptable. Now, with this in mind, we should therefore duly note that when the Westminster divines were setting forth the teaching of Scripture in the Confession and Catechisms, they devoted an entire chapter to the subject of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience. What is the significance of this subject and why is it a cardinal doctrine of the Reformed Faith?