It reminds me of the "you focus too much on doctrine" criticism I got frequently while on my way out of Pentecostalism. "That's all head knowledge. But God cares about the heart. You know the devil has all his doctrine straight, but it doesn't help him. Why can't you just love the Lord?"

That really threw me for a loop and I had no words to answer with except, "I'll try, thanks Pastor."

I quickly discovered, though, that it's impossible to "just love the Lord" without careful study of doctrine! I was really surprised by the realization. But the Lord said, "the one who loves Me has and obeys My word (John 14:21)." And furthermore that person is loved by God in return, and the Lord said, "I will disclose Myself to him (same verse)."

Before long I was back in the pastor's office to describe how "just loving the Lord" was working out. I pointed him to John 14:21 and asked, "can you tell me about the Lord without referring to doctrine?"

"Well, He loves us..." the pastor began. I interrupted him. "But that's doctrine," I said, politely.

"Oh, well yeah, okay, um... He knows our needs before we ask.. oh, wait... yeah that's doctrine too. Okay, I see where you're going with this, kid, and I don't appreciate it. If you can't be serious about your walk with God, just quit wasting your time and mine."

Gee, I thought I was serious. The only way I know how to love God is to study His word, learn of Him, imitate Him, to know the truth so I can live the truth.

God desires a people who worship Him in spirit and truth. "In spirit" means more than "with sincerity." It means "not in flesh," or not according to human invention or my own ideas about what pleases Him. Worshiping God "in truth" means more than just worshiping Him from the heart, but accurately. In all that we do, every day. Not just "feeling the Spirit" on Sunday.

I wish my Pentecostal friends who care nothing for doctrine could know the Lord as intimately as they claim to "by the Spirit." But I'm here to tell you that zeal not according to knowledge is not love of God, according to John 14:21 (and lots of other verses of course - that's just the one I used on that occasion).

Loving the Lord,
Robin