I can testify to this because I well remember studying the doctrine of election. I was Arminian to my soul and was challenged by a group of friends in bible college and told about a certain book titled The Potters Freedom by Dr. James White. I was tired of hearing how Arminians misunderstood and misrepresented Calvinists on the issue so I decided to read them for myself. That was the beginning of my theological shift. But before that came the agonizing of studying, being challenged, corrected, confronted and finally being humbled by coming face to face with Christ, as taught in His Word, in a manner that I not only denied but once repudiated and realized was indeed true. God has the sovereign right to show mercy those whom He wishes and has the right harden whom He wills and bring justice upon them (Ro. 9:13-26). That was a great period of distress for me. I was a rabid Arminian that openly and brazenly challenged anyone who believed and taught such things until I was blunted by the precious truths of God's Word. As Romans 9 bounced around in my head I remember telling God that if that was who He was then I wanted nothing to do with Him (praise the Lord for His faithfulness as I would have turned away if left to my own 'free-will'). I stayed in my room for a few days talked to no one except for when I went to classes. Yet Romans 9 kept permeating my thoughts until finally I submitted to the Word of God. That was over a two year period and only one struggle over doctrine. A few years later I went through a similar struggle over the kingdom of God and dispensationalism and had to abandon my once beloved premillennial dispensationalism. Of course there are many who have went the other route but the point is that such matters require much study and can lead to great struggles. It is always a painful thing to be blunted by the Word of Christ but even better to be soothed and healed by it. You don't get a healing unless there is some sort of pain or discomfort. You don't get built up if there was not a first tearing down. It is the way Christians grow (2 Pe. 3:14-18, 2Cor. 1:3-7, Jn 17:17-20).
I've had countless conversations with fellow believers, whether it be friends, family or members of my own congregation, who may not like one of my doctrinal stances but it becomes fairly obvious at the beginning of the conversation that they have not grappled with the particular doctrine. They have not struggled in the study of it; it is never a good thing to reject someone's position when you not only do not understand it but cannot explain and give a defense of your own, except to say "but I just believe," or "but if that's true then (insert emotional objection)!"
Some believers seem to like the word "study" when it comes to politics, financial gain, sports, secular academics and so on. There they will labor long and hard to learn in such areas. Will spend money and time to develop growth in any of those given subjects. Sadly, when it comes to theology and biblical doctrine then the word "study" seems to take on less importance or to be applied only to pastors, academics or theologians. But what does the Apostle Paul command Timothy to do?
Some translations have "be diligent" others "do your best (which I do not prefer)" or "study." There must be great effort and time in presenting ourselves approved to God through the correct handling of His Word. There is a rightful place for five or ten minute devotionals but that is hardly what Paul means by "be diligent" and "accurately handling the Word of truth." I am not convinced that Christians will grow substantially into the likeness of Christ on ten minute devotionals or even through reading whole books of the Bible for hours at a time, unless they take the time to reflect and meditate on what is being communicated in whatever passages of Scripture. They must grapple with the text and see how it relates to the whole of Scripture. Far too many believers go into the sacred Word of God to look for themselves. That is to say they go to the Bible to find the "great plans" God has for their lives or what blessing He has in store for them or even how much he loves them. They wish to ruffle through the Bible for passages like, ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you (Je 29:11–12). Much of their doctrinal diet consists of "me." Put another way God's blessings for "me." But the fact of the matter is that the Word of God is a testimony of the Triune God as come to us through Christ Jesus, "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Lk 24:27). His life, death, resurrection and ascension. In other Words we go to the Bible to find Christ. It is through Him that we know all three persons of the blessed Trinity. We go to the Bible because we wish to worship God by knowing who He is, and along the way of our study of Christ we find all those other blessings. At the risk of oversimplifying, we go to the Bible to find Christ and when we find Him He is our blessing (Eph. 1:10-23).Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Ti 2:15).
Thus when we turn the Word of God to learn about Him, we find things in Scripture that is not very pleasing to the natural man. We've all heard (correctly or incorrectly) about the love, mercy and grace of God but how many Christians have heard of Christ the Warrior King prepared for battle in bringing His wrath upon His enemies (Rev. 1:9-20)? See many a believer have not wrestled with such a portrait of Christ partly, I believe, because it is not where one will find the "me" blessing and partly because someone have been so focused on the "love" of God that that is the primary attribute of God that they understand all others and since this picture of Jesus ready to avenge His Name and the blood of His martyrs, they cannot reconcile it with their view of Christ. They refuse to grapple with it. They ignore or assume that the wrath of God, as revealed in Revelation, is only for the Hitlers, Stalins and mass murderers. They seem to have a very difficult time understanding that it includes their "good" neighbor who thinks Christianity is good and all but just not for them.
Such a Christian is so stunted in their growth that they are almost apologetic (in how and the way they answer) the unbeliever who angrily says, "How could a loving God send me to hell for not believing in a Jesus I cannot see!" In my early years as a Christian the most I could answer to such a person was a pathetic "Jesus still loves you." But that was all part of the growing process. I was driven back to the Word of God for answers. Much time and much study with the help of godly men who were mature and guided me through their writing and sermons. The appropriate response, I have since learned, is not to to start with the love of God to such an objection but rather with His holiness. The proper answer should be how can a an absolutely holy God, who can see you, not send lawbreakers to hell?
Of course I didn't come to this theological conclusion until I had to struggle in my study of doctrine. I was forced to by others who held a differing view than mine or through my own studies. Either way Christians will not grow until they grapple with biblical doctrines.
If one does not care for such things because they are boring, then the best we can do for an individual is to evangelize them.
16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Ti 3:16–17).
Here are some more thoughts from pastor Brian Dempsey:
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