Balanced Christianity
An article in a Christian magazine identified one problem in Christianity today-- selfishness. Of course this is anomaly because Jesus died on the cross to save us from that very malady--selfishness.
The article cries out against the imbalance that immature Christians fall into when they spend too much time in one aspect of God’s word and too little elsewhere. In this case--too much time with the “Promise Box” and too little time in the instruction book (the Bible).
As the article pointed out, Christianity is about faith, standing in the face of adversity, and putting God and others ahead of ourselves, but it’s also about the rewards for having done so. This is very important because it is what God is trying to get through to us. He is teaching that he is life--if you want it come and get it. He is teaching that he is Father--the inevitable result of receiving him as your God and Father is that you will have him as your God and Father. The benefit is that you will have the best, most perfect, most wonderful, and most capable God and Father. The inevitable result of making Jesus your Lord, Savior, and Shepherd is that you will have the one who qualifies better than anyone to be your instructor, guide, example, and overseer and the only one who qualifies as Savior. He is teaching us that the inevitable result of hooking up with life, light, and love is that you will reap the benefits of them. Our relationship with God is a two way street, he in us and we in him. The result is that he has children and we have the parental authority, guidance, and provision that is so vitally necessary to our well-being. God’s commandments and precepts are never given without the promises that pertain to them. God teaches us to do it his way for that very purpose--so that we can be our best and have his best. I know this because of the way the Bible teachings are constructed. Therefore it is imperative for us to keep the balance of the word. Anytime we change the balance of the word we become unbalanced. True Christianity is to walk in love. A baby must learn balance in order to walk. Christians must learn balance in order to walk in love. The word of God is balanced. Never underemphasize anything that the Bible emphasizes and never overemphasize what the Bible teaches. Keep the balance.
Immature Christians’ preoccupation with their own lives and stuff is repulsive in the light of the true gospel. But what is needed is a deeper knowledge of the Son of God. (Ephesians 4:11-16: And he gives some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.) We need to preach the gospel of the kingdom along with the gospel of salvation. They go together like love and marriage.
Now that I have emphasized the benefits of enjoying God our Father, let me present the balance. We are to consider ourselves his servants. We are to take up our cross daily--giving up our self-interests, comfort, and security in the interest of serving others. Though that may sound like a hardship, it is not, because God lives in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. His good pleasure is to love us and to love others.
There is the balance. Trust and obey God and be happy.
Action and reward - references: Genesis 1:7, Genesis 9:11, Genesis 12:1-3 , Deuteronomy 28:1-14 1, Deuteronomy 30:19.20 19, Joshua 1:7,8 7, Proverbs 3:1-19, Isaiah 11:1-16, Isaiah 61:1-8, Jeremiah 24:6,7, Ezekiel 36:24-30, Malachi 3:1-18, Matthew 6: 32,33, Matthew 7: 7-12, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 6:38, Luke 15:31, Luke 17:10, Luke 18:29,30, John 3:16,17, 4:14, 6:47, 8:12, 31,32, 10:10, John 14,15,16, I Corinthians 3:21-23, II Corinthians 1:20, I Peter 2:9-11, I John 5:14,15
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Why are so many Christians succumbing to divorce?
In the last 25 years I have watched many marriages fall. Why?
Was it because they didn’t care what God said?
Was it because they only wanted to do their own thing?
Was it because the spouse abused them terribly?
Was it because they believe it’s all right to divorce if you are not happy?
In most of these cases both parties:
- Wanted to serve God
- Wanted their marriage to work
- Were seeking strength and answers in order to avoid divorce.
So what happened?
I believe that this tragedy is another case of the word not being taught in balance.
These Christians heard so much about how God loves them, how he understands their hurts and weakness, how his mercy endures forever, how he is so benevolent, how he sent Jesus so sinners can go to heaven, and how he has given them numerous blessings and promises to put them over in life.
So the troubled couple or just one of the spouses goes to God in prayer either through the pastor, or the laying on of hands, or privately. Once that’s done, they sit back and wait for God to solve their problem. They endure their situation expecting God’s deliverance any day. Time goes by and not only don’t things get better, they usually get worse.
If it’s both spouses standing for their marriage, usually one of the them is weaker than the other and loses patience or faith at some point, takes matters into their own hands, and tries to find marital bliss elsewhere or think at least by separating or divorcing the offending party they will get rid of the problem i/e the spouse.
If it’s just one standing for a better marriage or relationship the same thing applies--they get tired of waiting and take matter into their own hands.
Question: How could the church or good biblical teaching--thus biblical thinking help couples resist the temptation to divorce?
Answer: By always teaching the balance of scriptures in the scriptures instead of emphasizing the good stuff.
Had they been taught that when they came to God they were to repent of doing things their way and were to determine to learn to do things God’s way from then on.
Had they been taught what the scripture, ‘Not by might, not by power, but by God’s Spirit really means--which is that the Christian receives God’s Spirit and acts according to it rather that according to their carnal nature. If they do that they are guaranteed to win big time, but it will be in God’s time or in due season, not in man’s time.
Had the parties involved had just as much teaching about the fact that they were crucified with Christ and have been raised to new life--the life of Christ in them.
Had they had just as much teaching about striving for all purity.
Had they had just as much teaching of the biblical attitude that since one died for all, all ought to live for him.
Had they had just as much teach about what taking up their cross means--the Amp. V. Says it means to give up your comfort, security, and self-interest and be ruled by God’s love.
Had they had just as much teaching about the biblical attitude of rather to suffer than to fail to please God.
Had they been thoroughly taught about their witness now and their reward in heaven.
Had they been made to understand that their is a time and a season for the benefits mentioned above and sometimes it is time to reap the benefits and sometimes it is time to suffer because things must be done God’s way and not the carnal way.
Had they been taught these things as often and as they were taught the above benevolence of God:
Many of them would have had the correct mindset--the godly one.
Most of them would have been able to keep the correct focus--God’s ways not their ways.
Many would have been able to keep their priorities straight--the body of Christ behaves as Christ would, thinks as he does, hates what he hates and loves what he loves.
They would have been able to bolster their courage with thoughts of pleasing God and eventually reaping an abundant harvest--a true reward in God’s timing. And they would have had the satisfaction of doing righteously.
They would have set a good example.
They would have done their part to keep the family together.
They would not have evolved into a part of society’s problem.
They would not have been guilty of causing emotional hurt their and other people’s children--divorce is harmful.
They would not have hurt theirs and other people’s children by setting a terrible example.
They would not have chosen to sacrifice their witness and reward in heaven for a temporal better day.
This is a hard teaching. This is a powerful. Look around you. What do you see?
Broken families, broken lives.
Dysfunctional people, dysfunctional families, dysfunctional churches, dysfunctional nations.
Where did they come from?
- Selfish choices.
- Ungodly choices.
Ref: Luke 9:23 Romans 6-8 II Cor. 5:14 Gal. 2:20 I Pet. 4:1 Zech. 3:7, 4:6
