Theology and Spiritual Dryness

Fitting in so well with the words of J.I. Packer quoted below, are these thoughts by Clinton Arnold at Koinonia Blog this past week - Koinonia: Spiritual Dryness and the Head-Heart Disconnect. The longest journey for me is the 18 inch one from head to heart.

... the Apostle Paul... seemed to be very aware that a purely cognitive study of the Bible and theology was inadequate to promote spiritual growth. There is a spiritual dynamic that needs to be taken into consideration both by students and teachers.

At the outset of a letter he wrote that is extraordinarily rich in theology, Paul addresses the potential head-heart disconnect that could prevent the theology he proclaims from penetrating deeply into the souls of the believers he addresses. He does so with prayer. He reports to the Ephesians that he is regularly praying for them—not just for their felt needs and present crises, but for something powerful to happen as they meditated on the incredible truths about God and his plan of salvation. He assures them that,

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (NIV)

Paul is well aware of the fact that the Spirit needs to take the truths about God and his ways and impress them onto the hearts of his people. He echoes the words of Isaiah 11:2 in his prayer that speaks of the ministry of the Spirit in the life of the Messiah (“the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding”) and applies it to the new covenant ministry of the Spirit in all believers. Paul knows that all of the riches of the theology that he shares in Ephesians 1-3 will not have its intended impact unless the Spirit of God opens the eyes of their hearts to receive it and comprehend its relevance to their lives.