Trusting in Truth About God vs. Trusting in Theology

Trusting in Truth About God vs. Trusting in Theology

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." — 1 John 5:20

We live in a moment where information about God is everywhere—podcasts, sermons, reels, devotionals, theological debates, and endless online commentary. Yet with all this access, many believers are more informed about God than transformed by God. We’ve become fluent in theological vocabulary while remaining alien to the living voice of the God those doctrines describe.

John ends his letter with a penetrating reminder:

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true…” (1 John 5:20)

John is not celebrating our mastery of theology. He is celebrating the miracle of knowing the One who is true. This is the tension:

Theology is good, but theology is not God.
Truth is essential, but truth is not alive unless it leads us to the One who is true.

Theology Informs, but Only God Transforms

John says Jesus came to give us understanding—not merely information, but illumination. Theology can fill the mind; only Christ can open the eyes.

Many believers settle for theological accuracy without spiritual intimacy.

We can defend doctrines we’ve never actually depended on.
We can articulate truths we’ve never personally applied.
We can quote scriptures that we’ve never surrendered to.

Theology is akin to a map, and God is the destination. However, a map is helpful unless you mistake it for the journey.

Theology Can Become an Idol When It Replaces Encounter

John closes the verse by saying:

“...we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

Notice the shift:

John doesn’t say, “We know about the true God.”
He says, “We are in the true God.”

Theology can describe God, but only a relationship places you in God.

Because when theology becomes the thing we trust—such as our knowledge, our arguments, or our doctrinal correctness—we subtly replace the living God with a conceptual one. We begin to worship our understanding of Him rather than Him.

This is why John ends the entire letter with a surprising command:

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Even good things can become idols when they take God’s place.

Theology Without Trust Produces Pride, Not Power

Theology is meant to humble us.
But when divorced from trust, it inflates us.

Knowledge without surrender produces:

Pride instead of worship
Arguments instead of obedience
Opinions instead of transformation
Confidence in self instead of dependence on God

Remember, John says Jesus came so that “we may know Him who is true”—not so that we may win debates, and not so that we may appear spiritually intelligent.

Not a sermon, just some thoughts.
FtGG