KEEPING  YOUR  BALANCE

I Corinthians 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Romans 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

In the Corinthian passage above, while Paul is speaking about whether it was right for Christians to partake of the meat from animals that had been offered in sacrifice to idols and then sold in the market, he gives us a general truth, an axiom if you will, that “knowledge puffs up”. In the second verse above he gives the other side of the coin when he says that Israel after the flesh operated with a whole lot of activity, but that it was not based upon certain knowledge of that Truth with which they had been entrusted by God. These two thoughts taken together illustrate the necessity for balance between Knowledge and Experience in the Christian life.

The English translation for the word "puffeth" in our first text comes from an original Greek word (Strong’s Dictionary # 5448), which means to “inflate”, or “blow up”. That word in turn comes from an agricultural word (Strong’s #5449) which means to “grow”, as from a seed to a plant. God wants us to see that seeds of knowledge planted in our head tend to grow larger. This is very good if the growth is according to His Truth.  But if it is distorted or contaminated, it grows into a monstrosity. 

So we have a general perception, and I believe it is for the most part a correct observation, that people who are filled with head knowledge about any particular life experience, but who have not had first hand experience in living it out, are likely to be out of balance. Similarly, someone who has a lifetime of experience in a particular area, but who has not grasped intellectually the Biblical principles that form the foundation for these experiences, often cannot explain the whys and wherefores to themselves or to others seeking answers to life. This is especially true in the realm of spiritual truth, because imbalance in the area of truth may well become deception. 

So the Christian life is one of balance. The ultimate result of imbalance is either dead orthodoxy on the one hand, or an emotionalism that lands one in a "novelty group" on the other. Both extremes fail to find acceptance by the Church at large.  

Take a good look at these three guys.  The one on the left has comprehended the Word of God as an intellectual subject matter (The K represents Knowledge) but for one reason or another, has not experienced (The E represents Experience) the things he knows intellectually to be true. He is off balance. The middle one has partaken of certain experiences that are indeed from God, but he does not know for sure the Biblical foundation for them. He also is off balance. The one on the right knows what he does and does what he knows. He knows what he believes, and desires to experience all that God has for him. He is ready to search the Scriptures to confirm everything he experiences in life, and he wants to experience everything God has for him in the Word He is a balanced Christian.

Psalm 119:11 is a very popular verse: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. But it is balanced by verse 34: Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 

All of us have heard someone say "Yes, old So-in-so, he knows the Bible inside out. But he is not a believer."  Well, I can testify that one may indeed read the Bible until they are full of knowledge, and yet not experience one iota of the Life contained in it. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me says John 3:39.

Therefore, I feel that I am justified when I say that to have head knowledge about the truth, even from an accurate understanding of the Scriptures, without a corresponding life experience in response to what that particular Word is saying, leads to one being puffed up and proud, and usually unbelieving. To follow after every kind of "religious" experience without finding a corresponding basis for it in the Word, leads to "isolation" and ridicule from those who can either point out the error in Scripture, or perhaps can find no justification to approve the experience. So it is not merely a matter of emotion versus knowledge, but the practice of having a keen awareness of what is happening in your heart. Unless you know what you believe, and believe what you know to be true, you are not complete.

There is still another side to this coin. (It must be a three sided coin!) It is the area wherein true saints of God, born again believers, full of the knowledge of God, are often too quick to judge activity that is different than that in their own particular circle of influence. They are ready to quickly brand as heresy anything they do not desire for themselves. I speak here specifically about judging those who may worship in a more vibrant manner than that to which we are accustomed. Maybe they raise their hands, or clap them! Maybe, like David of old, they dance before the Lord. (Sometime the things that may turn us off actually may have a sound Scriptural foundation.) Be careful in this area.

Finally, I want you to know that the balanced Christian is one who can speak with authority.  He desires to experience everything that God has in store for him as revealed in the Word of God and at the same time he is driven to find the Scriptural foundation for those things that he experiences. He is quick to testify to the Grace of God, and able to share with confidence the promises of Scripture.

It was a wonderful feeling when, as a youth I could jump up on a fence or a stone wall and walk the entire length without falling off because I knew how to balance myself. How valuable that was while playing the childhood game of Follow the leader. Well, we are still actively Following the Leader, but the danger of a misstep and the consequences of a fall are so much more serious. Those who follow us must finally end up in balance with God and His Word. This can be done only by a work of Christ in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Early on in my walk with the Lord I recognized a simple set of rules concerning the truth of the Word of God. It has helped me when various “Religious Fads” have come and gone over the years. The problem with a fad is that many times the people caught up in them are more or less permanently damaged in the process of sorting things out. Whether it is a manifestation issue like the gifts of the Spirit or a moral issue like the acceptance of homosexuality as a valid alternative lifestyle, these rules always work.

Rule number One:      Nothing CONTRARY to the Bible can possibly be true.

So, under this rule, Tongues for instance, clearly taught in the Bible, cannot be rejected out of hand, but must be studied to understand what is taught, and how it applies to me. But the homosexual premise on the other hand which is infiltrating many branches of denominational christendom is just as clearly contrary to the Bible, and so it cannot possibly be true.

Rule number Two       Nothing in ADDITION to the Bible can be binding.

Under this rule, if God should call you to go to Africa as a missionary for instance that is wonderful for you, and you better obey His call. But when you come to me and say God has called me to Africa, and He told me to take you with me! Now that is a very different story from my point of view. I will respond to you that “I am afraid God will have to independently show me such a vision before I pack my bags.” This rule does not say that there is no truth outside of the Bible. It does not even deny that God wants me to go to Africa with you.  It merely says that I am not bound by what I cannot confirm! This rule delivers me from the mystic, who honestly believes that they have heard from God, and insist on exporting this “secret knowledge” to others.

Rule number three     To the best of ones ability, Each individual Christian must know the difference between rule One and Two for himself or herself.  If there is a clear and present danger in the Church today it is the failure of Christians to be independent students of the Bible. To believe because that is what my Pastor said, or because it is in our Church statement of Faith, or even because “we always believed that way” is not sufficient. You must be as the believers at Berea in Acts 17:11 who were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Remember that no honest teacher of the Word of God would object to close examination of what he or she is teaching. Yes, there will always be hair splitting among equally devout and informed believers, and sometimes we simply agree to disagree in non-essential areas. My point today is not total agreement with others, but faithfulness to His Word! There is sometimes a difference between the two. Practice your balancing act. Start today!