The Balanced Christian Life
/
Preaching on Romans 2:12-29 this week at Redeeming Life Church, I noticed a picture of the balance the Bible speaks of. Romans itself offers a nice illustration. The first 11 chapters of the book are Paul's systematic theology. It's what we should know. It's our doctrine. Romans 12:3 through the end of chapter 16 provide us with a picture of what it looks like to live like a Christian. It's what we should do and how we should act, all based on what we believe. Romans 12:1-2 is the point in which these two things should intersect.
It's like an old hinge. One side is fixed, anchored. This side is our knowledge, doctrine, and theology. It's what we believe. The other side is attached to the part that moves. It's our actions. It's ministry. This side of the hinge is what we do. And the pin in the middle that holds it all together is our love and submission to Jesus Christ. (Take a look at Romans 12:1-2 with this illustration in mind.)
As we journey through the Christian life, most of us will default to one side or the other. For most Christians one part of the hinge is larger than the other and we often see the world around us from the perspective of our larger side. The lynchpin is the critical piece however. How we love Jesus and submit our lives to him is not only what allows these two parts to work together, it's what we must entirely orient our lives around. It's what make the hinge work. Without the pin, the two sides become something other than the Christian life. They become ugly. They becoming idols. But when the hinge works well, we have balance, joy, and faithfulness. These two parts, working well together, held together by Christ, should be our desire.
*Photo used in this post comes from pixabay.com