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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JOHN 1:16-17
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.
ROMANS 5:20-21
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.
ROMANS 6:1-2
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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DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14
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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JAMES 2:14-26
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God’s friend.
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
4. PROSPERITY AND SIMPLICITY
We must have a balance between propserity and simplicity. The Lord is faithful to bless us materially when we fear Him and obey His commandments. But we must not become greedy and coveteous as it would destroy us. We must not allow our hearts to be filled with the love of money. Godliness with contentment is great gain.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PROVERBS 30:7-9
"Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ’Who is the LORD ?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
PSALM 112:1-3
Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
1 TIMOTHY 6: 6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
5. ENJOYING AND ENDURING
We must have a balance between enjoying and enduring. The Lord has many blessings for us to enjoy. We can move mountains through our faith in God. Our faith is revealed in our accomplishments for God .But it is also revealed in our sufferings for God. We should be willing to carry our cross and follow the Lord. Many martyrs have given their life for their faith in God. We cannot despise them because they did not receive supernatural deliverance. We must have a balance between enjoying and enduring.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOHN 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
1 TIMOTHY 6:17-18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
HEBREWS 11:32-40
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.
They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—
the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
LUKE 14 :25-27
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
MATTHEW 24:3-14
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
For many will come in my name, claiming, ’I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
ACTS 19:11-12
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
ACTS 8:1-2
And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
6. WORD AND SPIRIT
We must have a balance between the Word and the Spirit. We must be deeply rooted in the word of God and feed on His word. But we must also be filled with the Spirit of God and be led by Him. If we only focus on spiritual experiences and neglect the word , we can easily fall into deceptions and heresies. As it is said ’ If you have only the word and not the spirit , you dry up. If you have only the spirit and not the word , you blow up. If you have both the word and the spirit , you grow up’.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ACTS 18:24-28
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
ACTS 19:1-6
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John’s baptism," they replied.
Paul said, "John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7. GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
We must have a balance between the gifts of the spirit and the fruit of the spirit. The Lord wants us to receive His gifts in order to be blessing to suffering humanity. The Lord Jesus during his ministry on earth was always doing good and setting people free from the bondage of satan. We must desire to be used by the Lord. At the same time we must be careful that our life reflects the nature of God and the fruit of the spirit. Otherwise we would be rejected by God on the Day of Judgement inspite of all our spiritual gifts.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 CORINTHIANS 12:8-11
To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
LUKE 4:18-19
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
ACTS 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
MATTHEW 7:15-23
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
8. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
We must have balance between internal and external areas of our life. The Pharisees in times of Jesus had a imbalanced understanding of righteousness. They attached great importance to peripheral ceremonial rituals and neglected the more important issues of justice ,mercy and faithfulness. We should be careful not to major on minors. The Lord wants us to focus on internal cleansing before we turn to the external issues of life. At the same time we should be careful about our external appearance and behaviour as we have a responsibility to set a good example to others.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 23:23-26
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
MARK 7:1-13
The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and
saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed.
(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.
When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ’unclean’ hands?"
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " ’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
For Moses said, ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ’Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ’Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
MATTHEW 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
ROMANS 14: 20-21
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
1 PETER 2:12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
9. QUANTITY AND QUALITY
We must have a balance between quantity and quality. We must do as much as possible for the Lord. We glorify God by bearing much fruit. The Lord wants us to use all the gifts He has given us to the best of our ability. At the same time we must be careful that our work is of quality that will stand the test of fire. We should be careful to do what the Lord wants us to do and not do our own will. We must also make sure that we do everything with a pure motive always seeking only the glory of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOHN 15:8
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
2 TIMOTHY 2:20-21
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-15
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
JOHN 6:38
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
MATTHEW 6:1-4
"Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
10. SEPERATION AND ASSOCIATION
We must have a balance between separation and association in our relationships with people. The Lord warns us not to be unequally yoked with unbeleivers. We should be careful not to partake in their sinful practices. At the same time we should not completely dissociate ourselves from sinners. Jesus loved sinners and welcomed them . He was called a friend of sinners. We should follow the footsteps of Christ and relate to unbeleivers with love and compassion while maintaing our purity. As a disciple of Christ we must be balanced even in our family ties . While we must honour our family , we should not allow them to stand in the way of our walk with Christ.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PSALM 1:1
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-18
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
LUKE 15:1-2
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
LUKE 5:29-35
And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
LUKE 7:31-35
"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: " ’We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ’He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ’Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ’
But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
11. ZEAL AND WISDOM
We must have a balance between zeal and wisdom. We must be zealous for God and not do anything half heartedly. We must love God with all our heart and strength. At the same time we must use wisdom as we should not act foolishly in our zeal and get into trouble. The Lord wants us to be wise as serpents because He sends us as sheep among wolves.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 10:16-20
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
12. LOVE AND DISCIPLINE
We must have a balance between love and discipline. The Lord loves us with an everlasting love. He proved His love by dying for us. We must believe in the love of God and receive His love in our life. At the same time we must realise that He is also a God of discipline. He will discipline us whenever necessary. The discipline of the Lord is an expression of His love for us. We must be willing to receive His love as well as His discipline.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ROMANS 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
JEREMIAH 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
HEBREWS 12:5-11
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-12
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
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