Do You Want To Master The Science of Living Blessedly Forever?
What is wisdom? Wisdom is the art of living life rightly. This is why Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." If wisdom is the art of living life rightly and if fearing God is the beginning of this knowledge then it follows that true theology is "the science of living blessedly forever" (William Perkins -- 1558-1602).
You could also reverse this: To forsake true theology is to forsake wisdom which is necessary for one to live life rightly.
Desiring To Be Wise
Do you want to live life the way it is meant to be lived? Do you want to know the path to everlasting happiness? Some people are alive but they're not living. They're awake but they're hardly conscious. The study of wisdom is the study of how to live life rightly--and that is inseparable to the study of theology.
Franciscus Junius (1545-1602) says, "Theology is wisdom concerning divine matters." Notice how Junius doesn't say that theology is a bare intellectual knowledge. He says it is wisdom. It is not merely knowing about God but knowing about Him in such a way that changes how we live with Him. It is the study of God and how all of life is meant to be lived toward Him. If you want to live life rightly and wisely then you must learn who God is and how to relate all things to Him.
Jesus Christ: The Wisdom of God Incarnate
To take this a step further, 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus is "wisdom from God". Jesus is "Wisdom Incarnate". To know Jesus is to know this wisdom in living life rightly. To reject Jesus is to reject the only way to true wisdom in this life. This is an important truth not only for unbelievers but for believers as well. Believers must not grow stagnant or complacent in the pursuit of knowing Jesus more. To willingly embrace such a lifestyle is to neglect this wisdom. It is true that believers can and do have these seasons but the fact that it happens does not change the command for us to know the Lord (Jn. 17:3,17).
This clearly should rebuke our antinomian and worldly lifestyles. But, it should also rebuke our legalistic tendencies. One cannot separate theology from loving God. There is a faulty idea out there today that an "Evangelical" is one who merely votes a certain way, goes to church every now and then, or is simply nice to people. The result is that one might call themselves an "Evangelical" by voting a certain way yet they have no more of the life of Christ in them than a squirrel has the height of a giraffe. A true "Evangelical" is one who embraces the evangel. The evangel is the gospel of grace (which is the Greek word for "gospel").
True Christians Embrace True Wisdom
A Christian is not merely one who says they're a Christian. I have a Harvard Business shirt but that does not make me a Harvard Business graduate. A Christian is one who has embraced Jesus Christ as the only Savior for their sins and by His grace alone is striving to live a life of love to God and love of others. It is the life of someone who wants to know God more and to apply that knowledge to the way they live (i.e. "wisdom"). A Christian is one who has been born again. They now have a new way of thinking, new affections, and a new will. Our new way of thinking produces more thoughts of the glory of Christ. Our new affections grant us more love for God and delight in His love for us. Our new will empowers us to walk more and more in holiness (even while fighting against sin each day). The study of true theology is what a Christian is made for.
It is important to clarify this because if we're going to have wisdom to live life rightly then we must make sure we have the Christ who is Wisdom Incarnate. Without having Him, we will receive no true wisdom.