Gospel Wakefulness Changes our Theological Pursuit

Gospel wakefulness changes theological pursuit. It reorients knowledge to become the means to knowing God, not knowing stuff. It exults in God, not merely in thoughts about God. True theology galvanizes our affections toward God, not toward theology. It is possible, remember, to have all knowledge but merely be a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1).

And one of the greatest cautions in my study is knowing that there is no theological point that a demon couldn’t assent to. A demon may be a Calvinist, an Arminian, a Baptist, a Wesleyan, a Presbyterian, a pretribulationist, an amillennialist, a credobaptist, a paedobaptist, a Zwinglian sacramentalist, or a Lutheran one. What a demon can't be, however, is a worshiper of God. Real worshipers worship in spirit as well as truth (John 4:23–24).

What gospel wakefulness accomplishes, then, is the bringing of one’s heart to theological study, not just one’s mind.

This article is adapted from Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson.

Jared C. Wilson is assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a popular author and conference speaker, and also blogs regularly at Gospel Driven Church, hosted by the Gospel Coalition. His books include Gospel Wakefulness; The Storytelling God; and The Wonder-Working God.