The danger of a "balanced" message
Believers, see Galatians 1:6-7 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
Here, we see that any message that is not the grace of Christ is not the gospel of Christ. The gospel is Grace. There is none other. This truth has been reversed in many places of worship. Many are teaching what they call a “balanced message” that incorporates human effort at obeying the law for whatever reason into the story of our salvation because, like the religious people of Paul’s day, they imagine that the gospel (none other than Grace) will cause people to go on sinning sprees,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Such teach that God’s acceptance of believers is based on how obedient we are, even after we are saved. But see what Romans 3 says:
“27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”
Believers, Grace, personified by our Saviour Jesus Christ, is our Teacher, not you or I. Grace does the transformation of hearts to right living. Grace stops sin. No human is that good a transformer. See Grace as our Teacher and the result in Titus 2-
“11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”
Teach pure, unadulterated Grace - that in Christ we are righteous through and through, even when we sin, because we stand in Christ’s righteousness and not ours - and let Grace do the rest. No matter how many times Noah fell in the ark, he never fell outside and into the flood. Today, we are in Christ, our own Ark and He will never cast us away, even when we fall. Rather, He saves us from our sins. See Matt. 1:21-
It is Christ’s “Neither do I condemn you” that makes us “go and sin no more,” not more laws.
And Titus 2:14- "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
No sin is too big for Christ to save the sinner who believes from. But many are trying to be free from sins by suppressing sinful urges using the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail. The arm of flesh will fail and when it does, those sinful urges will explode into a volcanic eruption of sinful deeds that lead to death.
The reason we are not committing particular sins is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. If a big enough trial came our way and it was up to us to save ourselves, even the best of us would fail woefully. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think and even boast that some sins are beneath them. Peter too thought he would not deny Jesus...until his circumstances became unfavourable.
Some people worry about how the gospel of Christ- Grace- God's undeserved, unmerited favour - might cause "other people" to sin. Notice "other people," but not the ones pointing fingers who feel that they can live right by human effort. These ones act like everyone (except themselves) wants to wallow in sins. They try to introduce the Law of Moses to the gospel which is Grace and ONLY Grace, and are calling this "neither cold nor hot" horrid mixture of part-Law and part-Grace "a balanced message." Such say "Yes you are saved by Grace but you still have to obey the law and do good things in order to remain right with God and maintain your salvation." Beware of such false teachers and their "balanced message."
Grace is a Person and His name is Jesus Christ. He does not need anybody to "balance" Him in order to put believers in check concerning sins. He came to save His people from their sins. Even right now, this is what He is doing in the life of every believer: John 6:43-46 (MSG):
"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End.""
Believer, Believe Right. See Paul's typology of Sarah and Hagar as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to raise Isaac (the church.) Grace is enough.
People might try to despise you for it (Titus 2:1 but keep on teaching Grace and Grace will do the transformation in your life and in that of others when they believe.
Paul warns those who attempt to distort the gospel of Christ in Galatians 1: “8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
A double curse on those who try to distort the gospel of Christ. Believers, by grace, let’s not be found here.
Right believing in Christ always produces right living.
Here, we see that any message that is not the grace of Christ is not the gospel of Christ. The gospel is Grace. There is none other. This truth has been reversed in many places of worship. Many are teaching what they call a “balanced message” that incorporates human effort at obeying the law for whatever reason into the story of our salvation because, like the religious people of Paul’s day, they imagine that the gospel (none other than Grace) will cause people to go on sinning sprees,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Such teach that God’s acceptance of believers is based on how obedient we are, even after we are saved. But see what Romans 3 says:
“27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”
Believers, Grace, personified by our Saviour Jesus Christ, is our Teacher, not you or I. Grace does the transformation of hearts to right living. Grace stops sin. No human is that good a transformer. See Grace as our Teacher and the result in Titus 2-
“11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”
Teach pure, unadulterated Grace - that in Christ we are righteous through and through, even when we sin, because we stand in Christ’s righteousness and not ours - and let Grace do the rest. No matter how many times Noah fell in the ark, he never fell outside and into the flood. Today, we are in Christ, our own Ark and He will never cast us away, even when we fall. Rather, He saves us from our sins. See Matt. 1:21-
It is Christ’s “Neither do I condemn you” that makes us “go and sin no more,” not more laws.
And Titus 2:14- "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
No sin is too big for Christ to save the sinner who believes from. But many are trying to be free from sins by suppressing sinful urges using the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail. The arm of flesh will fail and when it does, those sinful urges will explode into a volcanic eruption of sinful deeds that lead to death.
The reason we are not committing particular sins is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. If a big enough trial came our way and it was up to us to save ourselves, even the best of us would fail woefully. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think and even boast that some sins are beneath them. Peter too thought he would not deny Jesus...until his circumstances became unfavourable.
Some people worry about how the gospel of Christ- Grace- God's undeserved, unmerited favour - might cause "other people" to sin. Notice "other people," but not the ones pointing fingers who feel that they can live right by human effort. These ones act like everyone (except themselves) wants to wallow in sins. They try to introduce the Law of Moses to the gospel which is Grace and ONLY Grace, and are calling this "neither cold nor hot" horrid mixture of part-Law and part-Grace "a balanced message." Such say "Yes you are saved by Grace but you still have to obey the law and do good things in order to remain right with God and maintain your salvation." Beware of such false teachers and their "balanced message."
Grace is a Person and His name is Jesus Christ. He does not need anybody to "balance" Him in order to put believers in check concerning sins. He came to save His people from their sins. Even right now, this is what He is doing in the life of every believer: John 6:43-46 (MSG):
"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End.""
Believer, Believe Right. See Paul's typology of Sarah and Hagar as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to raise Isaac (the church.) Grace is enough.
People might try to despise you for it (Titus 2:1 but keep on teaching Grace and Grace will do the transformation in your life and in that of others when they believe.
Paul warns those who attempt to distort the gospel of Christ in Galatians 1: “8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
A double curse on those who try to distort the gospel of Christ. Believers, by grace, let’s not be found here.
Right believing in Christ always produces right living.
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