What Does It Mean to Be Biblically Balanced?-Tullian Tchividjian

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN|8:12 AM CT What Does It Mean To Be Biblically Balanced? I increasingly hear people talking about the need to be “Biblically balanced” and I think I’m starting to understand what they mean. As I talk to people who speak about the need for our theology and preaching to be “balanced”, they mean that we need to spend the same amount of time talking about everything the Bible talks about. So, for example, since the Bible talks about what God in Christ has done and also what we ought to do in light of what Christ has done, to be balanced we need to give both themes equal airtime. Since the Bible talks about Jesus and it talks about us, to be balanced we need to spend the same amount of time talking about both. The list could go on: since the Bible talks about x and y, to be balanced we need to talk about x and y the same amount. But, this is NOT the balance of the Bible. While the Bible talks about a lot of things it does not give all of its themes equal airtime. The overwhelmingly dominate message of the Bible is that God loves (and in Jesus) justifies sinners. There are tons of ways the Bible says this: the whore is made a bride, the dead are raised, the unrighteous are declared righteous, slaves are made sons, the blind see, the sick are healed, the unclean are made pure, the guilty are forgiven, sinners are saved, and so on. Obviously, no Christian denies that the Bible says more than this. But the work of Christ on behalf of sinners is clearly the emphasis of Scripture from beginning to end. What we do in light of what Jesus has done is important. But it’s not more important than (or even equally important as) what Jesus has done for us. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Martin Luther said, “Remove Christ from the Scriptures and there is nothing left.” The emphasis of the Bible, in other words, is on the work of the Redeemer, not on the work of the redeemed. As important as how we live is, the spotlight of Scripture is on Christ, not the Christian. “The Bible is not fundamentally about us. It’s fundamentally about Jesus.” (Tim Keller) My point is simply this: to be “Biblically balanced” is NOT to allot equal airtime to every Biblical theme. To be Biblically balanced is to let our theology and preaching be proportioned by the Bible’s radically disproportionate focus on God’s saving love for sinners seen and accomplished in the crucified and risen Christ.

What's worse than not being saved?

Guys, how could ANYTHING be worse than not being saved? I've always thought this one thing IS worse: Not being saved but THINKING you are! Jesus said MANY (not few) will say to him on the last day, "But Lord, I did...." but He will say to them, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." Wow. Make sure you know that you KNOW you have been born again. There is no second chance. Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" Let me know if you need help with this.

Promises That Encourage Me To Abide

“I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” “Abide in Me….for apart from Me you can do nothing! “ “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” “…and I will give you rest…and you will find rest…My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” “To those who fear Him there is no want.” “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.” “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.” “Abide in My love.  If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.” “…that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” “He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…and whatever he does will prosper.” “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” “He that loses his life for my sake will find it.” “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole world to show himself strong on behalf of him whose heart is perfect toward Him.” “For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”