Balanced and Proper

“MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighted in the balance, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes, and Persians”   -Daniel 5:25-26, NKJV

When I was in Boot Camp at MCRD Parris Island, I remember having to run across multiple logs set at different heights during the obstacle course. One set of logs came down at a decline at a height of probably around 10 foot to 5 foot, with a span of about maybe 20 feet in length. Without proper balance, I would have fallen into a pile of wood chips and could have even been hurt, though I would most likely have not died from the fall. In our Christian walk, balance is equally important in navigating our doctrinal and theological life. Improper balance will result in us falling, getting hurt, and having to start again. How, then, can believers walk balanced in their faith? Appropriate methods in practicing our faith is also important. How important is appropriate methodology when exercising faith toward overall balance in our walk?

Let’s first talk about proper methodology. I want to look at this first because our intentions and heart can be in the right place, but if our method in exercising our faith is inappropriate, then we can cause more harm than good. After all, the ends cannot justify the means. Paul says, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40), and also, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 40:33). Peter says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). What do these two mighty men of faith mean? In various versions of scripture, Peter’s use of the word ‘sober’ means ‘to be well-balanced’. If, as Paul states, God is not the author of confusion but of peace, and for us to do things decently and in order, then this requires us to be sober minded, or to be well balanced in order to faithfully represent Him. We are commended throughout scripture to exercise our faith by being doers of the Word and not just hearers only (James 1:22). Our first step of exercising proper methodology in demonstrating our faith is to operate from a heart of love. All things must be done from a position of love, for without love, our actions are meaningless. Even if we prophecy accurately every time, speak in the tongues of men and angels, and have the faith to move mountains, if we do not have love, then our actions are meaningless (1 Corinthians 13:2). Thusly, love must be our first, and most important, method when attempting to exercise our faith practically. Second, we must be in proper order, so that our exercising of faith does not create chaos, disorder, and confusion. No matter what good we are attempting to bring about through our exercised faith, if it causes others in the church to fall into confusion, disorder, or chaos, then more than likely we were not in proper order. If our actions bring clarity and understanding to other believers, then those actions can generally be considered orderly and proper. Thirdly, when exercising faith for a supernatural result, it is fundamentally imperative that we follow the unction of Holy Spirit and not the leading of our emotions. The definition for the word ‘unction’ is the action of anointing something with oil or ointment as a religious rite or as a symbol of investiture as a monarch. Holy Spirit unction, therefore, is to be anointed for a specific purpose, at a specific moment in time, and to follow the drawing in your spirit toward a specific thing. This is far different from emotions, which are a natural instinctive state of mind derived from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships to others. So often, in the Charismatic and Pentecostal circles, people exercise their faith from a position of emotion, even giving prophetic words from God, out of a place of emotion rather than Holy Spirit unction. This is a tragedy! Even more of a tragedy when we say “Thus says the LORD” before we speak, but in reality it is “thus says me”. When people act on the “prophetic word” because they genuinely want to be in God’s will, they are ignorantly being manipulated, which is the definition of witchcraft. Therefore, methodology which inadvertently manipulates another in order to achieve a specific goal is no different than witchcraft, and must not be tolerated in the Church. Generally, those who fall prey to this unintentional manipulation are those who are wounded, have suffered loss, or are weak in their faith. Their circumstances makes them prime candidates to latch onto any hope they can find for a reprieve from their pain, or ignorance. You could say that their faith has become stronger through the circumstance, but the ends do not justify the means, especially in regard to leaders in the Church. God does take what the devil meant for evil, and turns into good (Genesis 50:20), but that does not give us the right to make a mess, knowing God can clean it up. There is no difference between that and sinning freely because grace abounds (Romans 6:1). Lastly, proper methodology will draw people’s attention to God, and not to the individual speaking or acting. Every miracle Holy Spirit performs through us is meant to draw the Church closer to the Lord, and sinners to the cross. It can become easy to accept the praise and adoration of people when you are obedient to God in stepping out in faith to work a miracle, deliver a powerful sermon, or just be Christ to the world, but we must be cautious to always reflect all of that attention toward God. We see this played out in American Christianity with the big named televangelists and ministries across the nation, as they promote themselves and their ministries far more than directing people to the cross. When was the last time we heard a true Gospel sermon on television, with no pleading for money or selling of ministry materials? We must keep all focus on God in our methodology in order to maintain proper balance in our orthodoxy.

Balance is also critical to developing proper theological, doctrinal orthodoxy. Focusing heavily on the supernatural aspects of developing a Christian life without teaching on how to lead sinners to the Cross is inadequate, and unbalanced. We cannot focus our efforts in the church solely on the supernatural aspects of our faith and developing ministers without teaching the laity how to be soul winners. The Gospel message is designed for the lost. After all, a person can die, and go to Hell a healed sinner, having never repented of their sins and believed on Jesus as their Savior. What a tragedy that would be, to go to Heaven and have to give an account for all the people you healed or delivered, but never gave them Jesus so that they were born again. Additionally, we cannot cultivate churches whose focus is entirely on training ministers largely removed from teaching on salvation. Additionally, we cannot have churches primarily focused on spreading the Gospel without properly training, or discipleship, the laity to be ministers. A well balanced Christian life is one where the believer is fully equipped for every work. Paul exhorts Timothy, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Berean Study Bible). This is not a verse specifically geared directly to Timothy, but is for all believers, as Paul uses the words, “that the man of God”, rather than ‘you’. Therefore, if you claim to be a man or woman of God, all scripture is what fully equips you for every good work, making you a well-balanced believer. If you are attempting to go about your Christian life with very little scriptural direction, then you are not equipped nor balanced in your faith, orthodoxy, or theology. This is a condition we see clearly in the lives of Christians who are very secular in their life, tossed back and forth by the social norms of the age, and hardly distinguishable from sinners outside of salvation. As such, there is more to scripture than just a means of salvation, but also for proper righteousness. We are made righteous when we were born again, but our lives must begin to reflect works of righteousness, as James states, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). We learn what works of righteousness look like through the lens of scripture.

In conclusion, there is evidently a great unbalance in the Church today. Even among the ultra-Charismatic and Pentecostal groups, there is an unbalance and improper methodology. Rarely do we hear taught specific methods in exercising our faith, let alone specific traits that those methods must have to be in proper order. Church leaders shy away from the shepherd hook of discipline, fearing they will lose congregants and financial support. As a result, we are seeing produced Christians who are unbalanced in their theology. Each denomination within Protestantism, from their perspective of unbalance, judges the other for their unbalanced approach, but in reality we all need to strive to be on even keeled. Just as the Reformers rallied around Sola Scriptura, Latin for “by Scripture alone”, so must we take up the banner once again, and develop our faith walk by Scripture alone. In order to do this, we must get back into reading, studying, and applying scripture contextually, unbiasedly, and without the rose colored lenses of our denominational doctrine. We must take a giant step back in order to clearly, constructively, and critically analyze our own application of balance and methodology in exercising our faith to see if it holds up to the test of scripture. In the Word of God, we find direction pointing us to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Proper relationship with the Godhead will produce balance and orderly methodology, as we listen for the unction of Holy Spirit, and guidance by the Word. Blessings, and Shalom in Yeshua’s name.

– Rev. Christopher Anderson

(http://bootcampministries.org/blog/balanced-and-proper)

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