As it is in the political world it is easy in the world of theology to build silos, to argue, to debate, to systemize our belief system to a set of ideas. It is easy to view, to hold tight to those beliefs as precious, but what makes them precious in the first place?
Our theology means nothing without Jesus. Without His shed blood and bodily resurrection our words, our beliefs, our faith is utterly meaningless.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon in one of his sermons cut to the heart of the matter in a way few else could.
Some think the ordinances, which they call the sacraments, very precious: so they are; but only for his sake. Others reckon the doctrines to be very precious, and always thrust doctrine into the forefront. We will not deny that every doctrine is precious, but it owes its value to the fact that Christ is in it.
Dry doctrine is nothing better that a sepulchre for a dead Christ to be buried in; but the doctrine preached in relation to his person becomes a throne on which he is exalted. It is a great pity when any of you Christians forget that you have a Saviour who is alive, and overlook the personality of Christ.
Remember that he is a real man, and as a real man on Calvary he died for you, and as a real man he is gone into heaven. He is no ideal personage, but an actual personage; and the very marrow of Christian experience lies in the realisation of the personality of the Saviour. “Unto you that believe, he is precious.”
If you make doctrine the main thing, you are very likely to grow narrow-minded; if you make your own experience the main thing, you will become gloomy and censorious of others; if you make ordinance the main thing, you will be apt enough to grow merely formal; but you can never make too much of the living Christ Jesus.
Remember that all things else are for his sake. Doctrines and ordinances are the planets, but Christ is the Sun; the stars of doctrine revolve around him as their great primal light. Get to love him best of all.
Yea, I know you do, if ye are believing in him. You love the doctrines, and would not like to give one of them up, but still the incarnate God is the sum and substance of your confidence; Christ Jesus himself is precious to you.
Source: Sermons Preached on Unusual Occasions (page 45)
What is truly precious? Jesus. He Himself is our treasure. Without Him, nothing else matters.
