The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
December 2, 2007
In
This Issue:
A
Balanced Life
by
Steve Klein
On
HIs Way Rejoicing
by
Bob Dickey
A Balanced Life
In Colorado Springs, Colorado there is a recreation area called The Garden of the Gods. At the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains, and in the shadow of Pikes Peak, The Garden of the Gods is best known for its unusual and visually stunning rock formations. One such formation is called Balanced Rock. This giant boulder sits jutting up into the sky, balanced at its base on the smallest of contact points with the earth beneath. It looks as if it could fall over at any moment! But it won't. It has long survived in its current state despite strong winds, storms and even the efforts of tourists to push it over!
To be balanced in this way requires a strong and stable foundation at the base along with an even distribution of weight above.
The life of a Christian is to be a balanced life. Our foundation is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). He will provide support and stability for our lives so long as we give the proper weight to the various things that make up our lives.
We must balance the spiritual and the material. Life makes physical demands upon us. God expects us to take care of these material responsibilities. We are to work to provide for ourselves and our families (2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8). We are to do our part to meet the needs of spouses, children, parents and our fellowman (Ephesians 5:22-33; 4:28). We should take care of our bodies with proper nutrition, rest and exercise (Ephesians 5:29; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Timothy 4:8). A balanced life will not neglect even one of these physical responsibilities.
But when we focus on one or more of these physical things to the neglect of our spiritual responsibilities, our life is out of balance. When we are working so much, or resting so much, or exercising so much that we cannot find time to pray, study, meditate, or attend worship, we are out of balance.
On the other hand, there are those who focus so much on the spiritual side of life that they neglect God-given earthly responsibilities. While this problem is less frequent, it certainly occurs. We see it in the lives of monks, and even in the lives of some gospel preachers who have been so focused on their work in the kingdom that they have neglected their families.
We must balance between the "weighty" matters and the smaller ones. Jesus saw a lack of balance in the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees. They obeyed God's Law to the minutest detail in some things, but entirely neglected other "weightier" matters of the Law. Jesus says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (Matthew 23:23). Note that Jesus did not tell the Scribes and Pharisees to stop doing the little things. He expected them to do them, "without leaving the others undone."
Even so, we can get out of balance today by concerning ourselves with the small details of how to correctly carry out the work of the church or engage in acts of worship, while ignoring what God's law requires of us when it comes to things like godly living, or our responsibilities in the home, or personal evangelism. If we are balanced we will obey in all of these areas.
We must balance the "whole counsel" of God. Many false doctrines and heresies have resulted from focusing so much on one aspect of God's word that other truths were neglected. For instance, when it comes to salvation, some have attached too much weight to faith and not enough to works; others have done the opposite. When it comes to dealing with brethren, some are so intent on reproving and rebuking that they never exhort; others exhort and encourage but never reprove and condemn sin. The Bible states that man is justified by faith (Galatians 3:24) and that he is justified by works (James 2:24). The Bible requires us to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering" (2 Timothy 4:2). Clearly we cannot focus on just one aspect of God's word and maintain our balance. Like Paul, we must declare "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). The Psalmist said, "The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever" (Psalms 119:160).
What happens when a person gets out of balance? He tilts and then he falls! Maintaining balance is not just some noble but unattainable aspiration. Unless we do it, we will fall.
-- Steve Klein
"And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:38-39, NKJ V)
Certainly, this is a most interesting and happy story of conversion. The unnamed treasurer of Ethiopia learned about Jesus as Philip, the evan-gelist, opened his understanding of the Scrip-tures.
The story ends with the preacher going on to work in another place, and the eunuch re-suming his homeward journey. But, we are struck by the significant statement "he went on his way rejoicing." Just what does this imply - what caused the Ethiopian to rejoice?
Someone might suggest that he went on his way rejoicing because he had a new friend in Philip. But more significantly, another might point out that he had a friend in Jesus, he had just learned about the One who shed His blood for our sins.
It seems certain from the text that his reason for rejoicing was connected to his baptism. He had just become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ - he had been born again (John 1:12-13; 3:1-5). Can you go on your way rejoic-ing?
-- Bob Dickey
Via South Cullman Companion, Cullman, Alabama