BALANCE

We hear it everyday. Live whole heartedly for Jesus! Be passionate for Christ! In fact it is written, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

But we’re also told that Jesus came to give us life to the full, and that we’re to enjoy life, and that following the teachings of Jesus is “easy and light” compared to the teachings of other religious leaders.

So, why are so many Christians worn out, burned out, miserable people with no joy or fulfillment? Why do so many feel so wasted and wanting to quit?

One word… BALANCE. This of course is an over simplification.

The truth is there is a balance to it all, but I must say something before I talk about the balancing aspect of the Christian life… most “Christians” are not following Christ, and this is reason #1 why they are all of the above descriptives.

I do not say this lightly, nor do I say it condemningly. The truth is most American Christians have bought into something Jesus didn’t come to offer… Religion. The truth is most American Christians approach living for Jesus (True Biblical Christianity) for something far less and harder to live (a religion).

See, God never intended for us to add a new set of believes and new set of religious and moral behaviors to our pre-existing way of life. He always intended for our life to be completely changed.

It’s this religious approach (adding a few religious and moral behaviors to a pre-existing lifestyle) that has ruined so many of us. We honestly can’t figure out how to do all Jesus told us to do and still keep up the other lifestyle too. It wears us out and kills us. We think, “Jesus lied when he said his yoke (teachings) is easy and his burden is light.” But, we’re wrong.

Jesus’ teachings are easy to live out when it’s your lifestyle, not just a religious addition to your present lifestyle.

So, this is reason #1 why so many people feel so badly about their experience with Christianity.

But, reason #2 is imbalance, though this is less experienced than #1, but it does happen.

People get so focused on serving Jesus, being passionate about the mission, studying God’s word, winning people to Jesus, serving people, and so on that they miss Jesus’ M.O. (Method of Operation).

Jesus did say he lived to do the Fathers will solely, but we also know that while Jesus and many other Bible characters took following God seriously they also enjoyed life.

Part of this was learning to find joy no matter where you are and what you’re facing… Paul talks about this in 1Timothy 6. So, it’s a mindset/attitude.

But, there is also the reality that everything they did was done in the context of community (sharing life together).

We see much of their work for the Kingdom of God being done as a group, so there is a sense of community among the workers. We see much of the miracles of Jesus taking place as he was going about his business from one day to the next. It’s interesting, but it’s not the norm that Jesus sought out the sick… they sought him out while he was in their town.

It was in the midst of an open-air seminar that Jesus turned around and performed the miracle of feeding the multitudes. It was in route on a business trip that Jesus calmed a storm and healed a woman with an issue of blood. Peter was hungry, waiting on lunch, and talking with God when he had a vision and was told to go witness to the non-Jew Cornelius. Paul was in a shipwreck on his way to trial when he survived a snake bite and then healed many island people. David was simply bringing some supplies to his brothers, who were at war, when he ended up killing Goliath. Moses was simply shepherding his sheep, just like normal, when he encountered the burning bush. And on and on it goes.

The balance we have to find is one where this supernatural spirituality is lived out in everyday life. We are human beings and meant to rest and laugh and so on.

So, two things… 1) Stop living a Christian religion where God is simply an addition to your already busy and hectic lifestyle (usually contradictory too) and 2) Start renewing our mind with God’s truth and begin to see and live things from his perspective.

Homosexuality - depravity or disposition?

Some have said Homosexuality is genetic and in spite of lack of scientific evidence this falacy conitnues to gain roots in many peoples minds.

I want to point out some things from a biblical perspective...

1. When God made poeple he did this in a way that we ARE genetically inclined to be attracted to the opposite sex, and it is ONLY through a relationship with the opposite sex that the reproductive system works naturally.

LIFE comes through heterosexual relationships ALONE! This is a living testamony of what is natural, blessed, and bears fruit and what is unnatural, cursed, and cannot be fruitbearing/life-giving.

2. They have never found a gay gene in any baby, child, or pre-homosexual person, and they never will! Nor is there any consistant genetic finding in practicing homosexuals. The reason for both of these is because sin is a choice and homosexuality is declared in the Bible as a sin. The Bible does make it clear that there is a physical effect of sin on the human body and in Romans 1 it specifically talks about them receiving the due penelty for their perversion IN THEMSELVES. There is a physical depravity that is the result of sin. There is scerosis of the liver and other genetic changes from alcohol in the body. The same is true in the effects of other sins.

Also, it says in Romans 1 there is a mental depravity that is experienced as well. A brokenness, twistedness, bentness, a decay.

So, depending on the degree of which an individual is steeped in a sin will determine the degree of the physical and mental break down that is found in that person. The longer they engage in the sin and the greater the quantity of experience the greater the negative effect.

3. God condemns sin, which is a choice, and no where in scripture does he condemn someone for physical or mental defect, but if Homosexuality were not a choice, but a genetic disposition then God would be condemning unjustly homosexuals in 1Corinthians 6 and several other places in scripture.

4. Even if someone felt they could justify and argue a genetic disposition, this still would not obsolve the "Homosexually Inclined" of the responsibility to live a morally pure life by obstaining from that which God says is wrong, impure, sin, ungodly, and an abomination.

The fact is, being heterosexual and functioning as mankind is truely designed to function means that there will be an attraction and desire for the opposite sex, but this natural disposition, even as God intended, is not an excuse or justification to cast of all moral restraint and go have sex with just anyone or pursue intimate relationships with multiple partners. This too is sin, called adultery/sexual immorality, and is condemned by God.

Whether hetero or homo sexual, we are all called to excersize self-control and abstain from immoral behaviors.

5. Homosexual temptation and Heterosexual temptation are not sin, it's whether you engage in the temptation.

So, the heterosexual and the homosexual will both be judged, not by whether they were tempted in a particular way, nor by whether or not they could scientifically justify their sexual orientation, but by their choice to abstain or engage in a behavior that God specifically declares to be wrong, sin, and a behavior that can open the door for eternal damnation.

6. As true followers of Jesus Christ, it is not our job to condemn anyone! God alone is the judge. We are to view the homosexual, the adulterer, the drunk, the addict, the "you fill in the blank" as a redeemable, valuable, loved, and special person that Jesus loved so much that he died for them. We can't condemn because as long as they are alive there is the possibility that they could repent, turn to God, turn away from their sin, and ask forgiveness, thus becoming a born-again child of God.

As a Christian, we view all people as equally fallen, equally in need of salvation, grace, and mercy that is found in Jesus Christ alone, and all as equally redeemable/forgivable.