Balance: Walking the Tightrope of Faith! Part Three

Law/Grace

Peter the big fisherman in our previous studies has been urging balance. He writes…

There is a balance in the mature Christian life, an equilibrium between individualism and community, between worship and service, and between holiness and worldliness. Now Peter hastens to point out the tension between law and grace. In 1 Peter 1:14 he calls us “obedient children.” Then in verse 15 he commands us to “be holy.” We are called to live God’s law, to shape up to His divine standards. But notice the opposite pull of balance? In chapter 2, verse 16, we are told to “live as free me,” to not be shackled by legalism or religiosity.

I know Christians for whom life is a moral straight jacket. They wallow in guilt. They’ve got to measure up. Yet on the other hand I know Christians who lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, and praise Jesus. They’re saved by grace and free to do as they please.

And the balance is in between. We are set free by grace to serve the King of Kings.

No! Don’t go standing up in the boat!

Conclusion

Well, I could go on and on! Peter points up the balance between living in the past (1 Peter 1:2, “chosen”), the future (1:4, “inheritance”), and the present (1:2, “for obedience”). We are neither to live in the past, escape to the future, or be trapped in the now. But knowing history, longing in hope for the future, we are to seize the day.

I could also point out Peter’s balance between rejoicing in 1:6, and suffering in 2:18-24. The Christian life includes peaks and valleys, rainbows and dark nights of the soul, tragedy, and triumph.

There is in Peter the unrelieved tension between confidence (1:21) and fear (2:17).

Then, too, don’t miss the delicate balance between a wife graciously submitting to her husband and his servant leadership (3:1-7).

And there is more to be discovered on balance! So much more. But I will leave it for you to study for yourself. Now let me say plainly in light of what Peter has written to us, if Satan cannot get you to detest Christ, then he will try to get you to distort Christ.

John Wesley said that a Christian trying to understand God’s truth is like a drunk trying to get on a horse. First he falls off one side, and next he falls off the other side. And our sin nature makes drunks of us all! So it is hard to ride tall and balanced in truth.

In closing, here’s to George H. Kaufman who when he was an eleven year old boy found a five dollar bill on the sidewalk. Fortune had so smiled upon him that little George decided never again to look up, but always look down. Over his lifetime he found 25,613 buttons, 21 umbrellas, $1,121.52, and a bent back. But he missed his wife’s face, sunsets, birds, trees, and the stars. All for the lack of balance…..All for the lack of balance.