Sermon Central
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Balanced Christian Life
Contributed by Dr. Stanley Vasu on May 21, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: THIS SERMON HIGHLIGHTS THE BALANCE BETWEEN 1. LAW AND GRACE 2. PROMISES AND COMMANDMENTS 3. FAITH AND WORKS 4. PROSPERITY AND SIMPLICITY 5. ENJOYING AND ENDURING 6. WORD AND SPIRIT 7. GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT ETC
BALANCED CHRISTIAN LIFE
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OUTLINE
1. LAW AND GRACE
2. PROMISES AND COMMANDMENTS
3. FAITH AND WORKS
4. PROSPERITY AND SIMPLICITY
5. ENJOYING AND ENDURING
6. WORD AND SPIRIT
7. GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
8. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
9. QUANTITY AND QUALITY
10. SEPERATION AND ASSOCIATION
11. ZEAL AND WISDOM
12. LOVE AND DISCIPLINE
THE MESSAGE
BALANCED CHRISTIAN LIFE
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1. LAW AND GRACE
We must have a balance between Law and Grace. We must not use the Law to constantly accuse and condemn people and make them feel worthless and unworthy. Nor should we live a lawless life thinking that Grace would protect us from the consequences. We must be careful to obey the laws of God and if we do fail we must trust in the grace of God to restore us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
2. PROMISES AND COMMANDMENTS
We must have a balance between promises and commandments. We should claim all the promises that the Lord has given us. The Lord is faithful to fulfill his promises. But we cannot neglect the commandments of God and focus only on the promises. Many times we fail to receive the fulfillment of the promises of God because we fail to obey the commandments.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.
Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
3. FAITH AND WORKS
We must have a balance between faith and works. We must understand our responsibility and God’s sovereignity. We must be careful to fulfill our responsibility before we expect God to fulfill His part. We should not be expecting God to do everything while we do nothing. Faith without works is dead. We must do our part and trust in God to do His part. In every battle we face , we must obey the instructions that the Lord has given us in His Word and then we can expect God’s divine intervention.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
