Living in Proper Biblical Balance

Title I message this morning is living in proper biblical balance living in proper biblical balance and I'm convinced this morning that if were going to make progress in the new year. If you're going to make progress in your Christian life, you need two things you need number one to stay focused on the state tethered to and to marinate your mind in the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we the last phrase of the hymn, we just sang show me more what thou hast done as a reference to the work of God in salvation is the first thing but secondly, you need the proper response to those great biblical truth.

The second challenge you need is that your you might properly be motivated by the gospel to live out the biblical imperatives of the gospel.

We talked about this a lot in this church. And so this will be new to you but it's this message is rooted in this paradigm. In this biblical pattern is very conspicuous. There's an order here. What is that order, there's an order between gospel indicative's and gospel imperatives.

It's obvious here in first Peter chapter 1 was shown to you many places. Romans chapter 12. Paul's expounded the gospel and all of its glory and it comes to chapter 12 and he says I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And he goes on. Paul does the same thing.

Ephesians 1st three chapters doctrinal, theological salvation gospel indicative's he's telling us what God has done for his people in Jesus Christ. But when he comes to chapter 4 verse one says this. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you work all we have that pattern here. Back to first Peter chapter 1. There's so much in these 21 verses you could preach for five messages so I'm going give a bit of an overview and then were going to camp on a particular portion. The notice how Peter's writing verse three is talking to us about the mercy that God is extended in the gospel and his son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Then he goes on to talk about our inheritance. Where is it is in heaven. Incorruptible and undefiled and it does not fade away, it's reserved in heaven for you. Verse five were kept by the power of God through faith for salvation to be reviewed, ready to be revealed in the last time and then there's a section there will get back to here in a moment going to get over to verse 13. Keep in mind what were looking at this biblical paradigm. This pattern this order, the gospel comes first. Grace comes first, and then the demands come second, grace comes first verse 13 there's that word again.

Therefore, therefore, in here, the biblical imperatives the gospel imperatives and there's 1/2 a dozen of them there so I want you to take note of that pattern effort is hard work, effort and hard work are not bad words. Okay, they are not bad words putting forth effort doesn't necessarily mean you've lost sight of the gospel. We put forth effort in light of the gospel. A godly life, a life that pleases the Lord is going to take focused effort is not just gonna happen automatically because you're being exposed to the glories of the gospel. So were talking about, to critically important doctrines and the relationship to one another. What are those two doctrines.

They are justification and sanctification. Listen to me all who have been justified by God although been declared righteous based on their faith in the merits and work of Jesus Christ will without fail the sanctified, only those who will be sanctified are those who been justified or you can't. There is no sanctification apart from justification, but sanctification follows justification every time without fail. Now what we talking about with these terms.

Justification is describing the finished work of Jesus Christ God in mercy came to us in our sin he made as objects of his mercy, he moved us out of darkness into his glorious light. He moved us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son out of the bondage of sin into the freedom to say no to sin. Now which we could not do previously. Sanctification describes the ongoing process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ by obeying the gospel imperatives.

We are to pursue holiness were to put off sin and put on righteousness were put to death the deeds of the flesh.

There's a balance here. Most of us have the background.

Most of the seven grown up under this reform, so teleology we walk on.

Most of us have come from different places I've come from different places and I've heard a lot of things I've heard let go and let God. It sounds like not too much for me to do right no effort on my part.

Just let go and let God. Sounds pretty free now. I've heard if it's gonna be. It's up to me that's pretty discouraging because I know my track record if it's gonna be itself to me.

What hope is there an note.

We've got to hold these two doctrines in balance week.

We are people of extreme. So went to find the biblical balance between resting in God and putting forth effort.

So let me give us to gospel reminders to keep balance in our Christian life as we walk into the new year number one, don't ever get over where you start, don't ever get over where you started. Remember where you came from.

Remember the pit. God rescued you from remember what you were apart from Jesus Christ. Don't ever get over where you started but continue to elevate and celebrate the gospel indicative's in your life as my first reminder and again in indicative simply means were referring to what God has done for us that we could never have done for ourselves.

We been forgiven. We been redeemed with been set free with been adopted within made children of God.

All these things, God is the one moving in where the one receiving we've done nothing to contribute to that recall talking to a man. It was just so frustrated with the gospel as it was presented to him time and time and time again and he said to me, not even knowing I was a pastor. He says I believe salvation is all of God, minus man never quite put that way, he wanted to be certain that man was negated out of the equation of any man's going to be saved any man's going to be born again is going to be solely God's doing man makes no contribution in God why the delis designed it that way.

It's a glorious gospel. Why so that no man might boast not boasting know for human merit, all to the honor and glory and grace of God second gospel reminder. Remember the first one don't ever get over where you started but continue to elevate and celebrate the gospel indicative's in your life number two. Don't ever confuse elevating and celebrating the gospel indicative's with making excuses for being spiritually lazy.

You see how that works to believe what we believe is absolutely freezing right it's freeing I'm accepted by God through the merits of his son.

I'm not on a treadmill.

I'm not on a performance treadmill think is Jerry Bridges. It said you need to gospel as much on your best day as you needed on your worst day what is basically saying the best we can offer to God. Our best performance is still what filthy rags completely and totally unacceptable.

Not because of our failures only, but because of who he is. He slowly he demands perfection and there is anything true about us, it's that were imperfect. We need this balance listen to the balance that Paul communicates is he writes in the epistles for this is first Corinthians 15 he says, for I am the least of the apostles who have not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God, but by the grace of God I am what I am, was that that's gospel indicative that's what God is done. I am what I am by the grace of God and then he says, and his grace toward me was not in vain.

But I labored more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was working within me that's the balance English standard version renders that portion of verse 10. This way, on the contrary I work harder than any of them, though it was not a lie, but the grace of God that is within me, you know. Philippians 212 and 13 work, work out your salvation with fear and trembling for his God is working in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Now we get in real trouble if we take that emphasis of work and move it out of the realm of sanctification and carried over into the realm of justification because all the work in the world will not justify you before God. Right right but once you have been justified by God on the merits of his son. Then there is work to do, roll up your sleeves, get ready for warfare. Get ready for battle with your flash.

Yes, there's work to do.

God didn't design the Christian life to be easy. It's going take effort. It's going to take discipline and sacrifice to follow Jesus Christ. Romans 813 says, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

There's a story told of a man who came eagerly but very late to a revival meeting.

He found the workmen tearing down the 10 in which the meeting had been held was frantic, frantic, admit missing the evangelist, so they decided to ask one of the workers what he could do to be saved.

The workmen who was a Christian replied, you can't do anything it's too late. Horrified, the man said what you mean tonight the work has already been done.

The man said there is nothing you need to do, but believe that's the gospel is in. Yes, now as I said, there's a lot going on here in this passage you notice the pivot that Peter makes from the glories of the gospel and the mercy that has been dispensed by Almighty God to sinners like us. He pivots in verse six he says, and all this you greatly rejoice in you say absolutely this is cause for rejoicing.

God has had mercy on me. He's promised to keep me if you can rejoice over that. Then most likely grace is never dawned in your heart.

In this you greatly rejoice. Then he says, though now for little while if need be. You have been grieved by various trials aware the world how did he shoehorn that in their you notice this.

This consideration of trials is in the context of the glorious gospel. What are we to make of this money trying marry these two ideas together with my first point soaking in the gospel indicative's will keep you rejoicing in the face of trial and suffering soaking in the gospel indicative's keeping the gospel front and center. Keeping your heart and soul tethered to the gospel will keep you rejoicing in the face of trials and suffering. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be. You've been grieved by various trials, Peter puts are trials in the context of these great gospel indicative's and it helps us to begin to see our trials as short necessary and meaningful short, though now for a little while, in the light of eternity. They may seem to drag on and on and on in this life as you marked time, hour by hour, day by day and month by month, but their short necessary.

There absolutely necessary because God is superintending them there meaningful. Whatever you are going through in this life. In the context of trial and suffering. It's for a little while. Compared to eternity.

So you have to keep soaking your heart and soul in the gospel because if you don't, you're going to lose sight of the gospel and you'll get bogged down and your life will shrink to the size of your problem. That's why the Bible continues to set Telus set your affections on things above special tours going to remind us this morning.

Fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus.

This race that were running so you don't have to live very long to realize that things are very broken and fallen and twisted and if you don't have something outside of yourself to cling to and hope to. You will not have any joy see where it greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be. You been grieved by various trials is cause for joy and rejoicing in the midst of trials because of what God is done for us in the gospel.

There is grace from God to match every trial, no matter how bizarre. However complex, painful, difficult long.

Whatever it is there's grace Fort that's cause for rejoicing. So point number one were to soak in the gospel indicative's and as we do, we will keep rejoicing in the face of trial and suffering first wrote this down this way and then I thought no him and I need to revise that first wrote down. If you have a trial in your life right now you say if really if sense you have a trial going on right now in your life God decided that it needed to be there. God decided that it had to be there to accomplish his purposes because nothing just happens. God is at work in your life are trials suffering difficult either necessary because they work on house and they work in us to make us more like our Savior, they were testing effect. I've had more than one believer tell me this is been one of the most painful trials I've had ever endure one thing this come out of it.

I know without a doubt, so I do know that because I'm still in the way. I haven't turned bitter, I'm still trust in God, I'm still looking to him. That's good because that's what Peter is saying that has a testing effect that the genuineness of your faith.

Verse seven being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Yes, but when you see people turn in both for the door. Sam done this is not what I got and I saw what I thought I was getting into.

I was told the Christian life was this or the Christian life was that I sign up for this Hammadi here.

What is that tell you well.

Their faith was tested and it was proven to be false, inadequate, insufficient week. I think we can to minimize that benefit that purpose that God has in trials, but we we we dare not, because eternity is a very long time. And the more confirmation we can have in this life that when we dine, breathe our last ribbon hand up and glory. We need to rejoice in those things, not diminish them not say we, I know I'm a Christian, but boy oh boy while God has a purpose. He's going to use it so point number one soaking in great gospel indicative's is what will keep you rejoicing in the face of trials and sufferings in this life. Number two obeying gospel imperatives. Will keep you from wasting your life and looking like you don't have any power purpose for living, obeying gospel imperatives. Will keep you from wasting your life and looking like you don't have any power for living back over here to first. 13 therefore therefore so what is Peter saying peters is telling his readers. He's telling us God is telling us in light of all that God has done for us. Look at what our response should be look at how it should motivate us. Look how it should shape and affect the way we live our lives. There are six things I want to enumerate here for you. Number one, verse 13 therefore gird up the loins of your mind, prepare your minds for action.

Prepare your minds for action will come back to these number two. Be sober minded or be self-control number one, gird up the loins of your mind, and the next thing is to be sober, be sober which means be self-control. Be sober minded number three. He says rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. What is the gospel imperative cultivate hope rest in hope number four, he says. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance number four. Don't let your sinful flesh squeeze you back into chasing after the same old loss you were living for before because you know better.

Don't let your sinful flesh squeeze you back into chasing after the same old loss that you are living for before. Don't let it.

Don't let your flesh do that your flash wants to drag you back. Don't underestimate the war that's going on. As Paul said to the church at Galatia walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the spirit wars against the flash the flesh against the spirit because they are contrary to one another. Right warfare going on between your flash and the spirit the power of sin is been broken in your life you're no longer a slave to sin. You can say no to San. And yes to grace, but that's a decision you gotta make God will make it for you, he's commanding us. Verse 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct is the command of holiness. The writer of Hebrews says without holiness no one will see the Lord is not peripheral. It's not an add-on it's absolutely necessary and critical.

He just he's talking about holiness but it's sanctification. Remember what we said if you been justified you well without fail be sanctified with anybody who is not being sanctified really has to call the question if they've ever been justified if holiness in the whole idea living a holy life is not concerned about how I live. That's very, very dangerous talk was the Laster's there six things I'm drawn out there. Perhaps even more, but he says verse 15, but as you called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written, holy, for I am holy. And if you call and the father without partiality. Judges according to each man's work conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing will him stop right there was a last imperative fear God fear God and live like you're just passing through. Now there's a lot to chew on here right, fear God and live like you're just passing through. What does that look like what is that me what what changes does that imply in the way we live our lives live like were just passing through. Let's walk back these through these quickly prepare your minds for action. Verse 13 gird up the loins of your mind. This kind of interesting language. We don't tend to think like what is it mean to gird up the loins of your mind means get ready in that day. Men wore long ropes and you reach down and pull your rope your robot got a belt or something around you because you're getting ready for action and what Peter is saying. Get your mind in action. If you don't prepare your mind.

Your mind is not going to be following the course of holiness and righteousness.

Your mind is going to be trained because we lived in this world and were being bombarded all the time trying to the world is trying to squeeze us into its mold. Why is this important because the Bible says as a man think if in his heart. What so is he.

So is he just good to stop and think and contemplate and consider what a way where is my mind go what my thinking on what is occupying my my mind. Get your mind in gear. The Bible is filled with verses that call us to think and examine what's going on in her head to sift through those thoughts with the truth of God's word. Second Corinthians 10 five casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and doing what bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Some thought comes into your mind and you immediately in the spirit of God cherishes that that is not becoming of a Christian that is your old life. That's that's gonna take you down the wrong road, and when that happens, we need to consciously make a decision. I'm going to take that thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

Get the chains get a chain on it get locked up. Don't let it linger. Don't let it linger, because it'll take on a life of its own and take you down a path you don't want to go if you want to please God and finish well. You cannot go through life unaware of what you're thinking or unprepared for the minimal salt that's happening in your mind every day. Satan knows that's where the battle is won or lost. That's why he attacked you in your mind because where you fix your mind will largely determine how you live your life where you fix your mind will largely determine how you live your life. Therefore, Colossians 3. Set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth for you died in your life is hidden with Christ in God. Philippians 318 and 19 from any walk of whom I have told you often and I'll tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly and his glory is there shame who set their mind on earthly things is your mind set on earthly things you say it's about understand it's about but if the only thing you're thinking on his earthly things. That's a major warning sign danger danger number two. Be sober minded be self-control.

What I want to say about that. Take charge of your choices.

Take charge of your choices decide ahead of time what you will and what you will not do. You can't wait till the heats on you can't wait until the temptation in the and that fires turned up ago you know what I'm wondering, can respond any yield of this am I gonna resistance decide what you will and what you will not do because the good news of the freeing message of the gospel is you don't have to live at the mercy of your feelings and your sinful urges.

You don't have to. You don't have to because the stranglehold of sin is been broken in your life. If you're a believer, the presence of sin is still there but the power of sin to own you has been broken.

You're not a slave to unrighteousness anymore. If you're a Christian, your slave to righteousness if you're Christian third thing.

There is what Rester hope. Set your hope in the right place. We should get excited and think on Jesus Christ that we as we journey in this life grow in grace and knowledge were gonna learn more of our Savior and there is the prospect that we are going to know him more, were going to see him one day. That should fill our hearts with hope for. Don't let your sinful flesh squeeze you back into chasing after the same old loss. The define your life in the past.

Don't just go with the flow pushback against the world in your own flesh. Ephesians 417. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who being passed feeling have given themselves over to lewdness to work on cleanness with greediness and then he says this, but you have not so learned Christ you saw you, you have not so learned Christ. This is the way of Christ. So just don't go with the flow, but pushback against the world in your own flesh.

There ought to be when we pillow our head at night on my day off I'm working in my yard. I'm busy and I'm hateful that I can pretty much work from from son sunup to sundown and it's a good feeling to pill your head at night and feel like you know what I'm tired. Austin and anticipate a good nights rest. But for the Christian, there ought to be days when we pillow our head at night because of the assaults of the enemy and the pressures that come against us and say you know what I am tired. I'm mentally exhausted. I have put up and fought against in pushback all day long and I'm grateful to God is given grace to do that, but I wore out. If you know that experience been able to revel and rejoice in the grace of God. It's come to you a fresh that day. Yes, it's been hard eight hasn't been easy.

I've had a pushback I've had to say no you say yeah when I pillow my head and I don't think and you know what is another day is tomorrow is going be just like yesterday right is why the Bible says don't become weary and what will doing his grace is made perfect in our weakness so this business of the and the command to live a holy life.

Stop making excuses first state for sin and start aiming for holiness because we know ourselves so well and know that the goal of holiness in the.

The goal of perfection is on attainable in this life.

We've kind of all most surrendered to well you know what happens no way you can live up to this standard.

So we let her guard down and we lower our expectations but no that that's that's the wrong mindset.

Stop making excuses for sin and start aiming for holiness. I like to think of it this way. The goal of the Christian life is not sinless nests but it's too sin blasts were to be sending less the closer and closer we get longer we walk with the Lord. We ought to be sending less so the Christian life is a life of percentages you know five years ago I was sin, and a whole lot more greed by but I was but here I am five years later and if I could somehow gauge that imprint in an percentages. I hope be able to say you know what, I'm sending less sin still breeds me. It still disappoints me.

I want to be free of it. One day I will be but that's that's a healthy Christianity right there be holy because what he who called you is holy, but he who is called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct and here's the argument. The argument is children inherit the nature of their parents. So if you're a child of God. You should live holy why because he's old, that's his nature and his nature has been referred to you. You have the nature of God and divine natures been imparted to you. So if there's no no desire for holiness, no presence of holiness. No ambition to be holy really calls into question doesn't whether that profession is a genuine one or not. So in five minutes. Let me ask some questions and Tryon leave a lasting impression with you about this message. First was a thing to start is the most logical one. Are you in Christ. If you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of your soul. Because if you haven't than all this talk of holiness and gospel imperatives is absolutely meaningless for some sitting here going. I can't wait. He's done. I'm so tired. Here in this no desire for this you're here under constraint. But you're not here under Holy Ghost constraint.

But you're here because God has ordered you to be here you're here by divine providence, you're here to hear this again one more time, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved today is a day of salvation.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is the first place.

Number two are the great gospel truths that we sing about. Rejoice in preach about teach about. Are they making any difference in your life or not is it just something that yeah I you you can you can talk intelligently about doctrine and theology, but is it making any difference in your life is your life any different. Have you been changed. Are you a new creature in Christ.

Are you soaking in these gospel truths are you marinating your minds are you marinating your mind in these gospel truths so that you can practice in the trials and challenges and the difficulties of life and those can you find joy. Can you be rejoicing because your marinate marinating your mind in these gospel indicative's have the Scriptures become the prescription lens through which you see trials in your life as you view the trials and difficulties that God has ordained abroad in your life do you see them through the prescriptive lens of Scripture because if you do then you say you know what God has a purpose in this. He's preparing me for glory. He's it's for my daughter and he's going to use that I'm going to become more like Christ, learn things about me and about him that I wouldn't have learned any other way and it's only for a little while.

Remember my message this morning living in proper biblical balance. Where are you in this balance between resting in Christ and what God is done for you and putting forth effort working struggling striving this or need to be a correction in your life or do you have the right balance to become lazy if you become indifferent to. Have you been not mindful of your what your under biblical mandate to do so well. I think it's it's a good good time. First Sunday of the year. The just the thinking way is my life in balance or is it out of balance. I grew up in a church where suddenly you were taught that you could obligate God that if you had really been doing well in heaven. Devotions and having your quiet time and and keep in sin and check in your life that the God God God was God bless you for that.

No, think, think with this through this with me is anything wrong with that. The God is going to bless me. If I do these things. What's wrong with that theology, at least in the context in which I was in church is that my acceptance before God was based on my performance.

God was smiling on me when I was at my Bible open and I was praying and I was doing the gospel imperatives God was pleased with me.

But when my Bible was closed and I was indifferent and I was cold and my heart was not where it ought to be God was frowning on me that your view is that how you view God I hope not possess a distortion lesson. If you are in Christ today. God is pleased with you being wise pleased with you because he's pleased with his son because you've been accepted only because you're in Christ sums it will mean that takes away mindset of for doing the right thing no if you live like that. What should be your response to please this one was received May accepted me on the basis of the merit of another. I want to go around acting like he did make doesn't matter to me and affected me. I don't care what Jesus did for me know if you really have been changed by this gospel message. It has to affect your life and your motivated because you love him who loved you. That's it right so that let's let's work at that balance because I think even in a place like this that understands the gospel the way we do it we can get out of balance and art. Our tendency is not to get out of balance over here and work and save on the work work work work work and somehow got going on except me. We tend to be over here with him accepted in Christ. So what why should I be working even if I'm even if I can even accumulate demerits because there's so much merit in Christ. I can accumulate enough demerits for God to cast me away if my confidence is in the merit of Christ. We tend to be lazy over here and passive. Just think the gospel is going to carry us along.

No effort here no we got to find a balance. So let's pray father how we thank you for this glorious gospel that comes to men and changes them transforms them from the inside out, make some new creatures in Christ Jesus Lord we would bow in humility and with thanksgiving in our hearts that you have had mercy on us, that you have redeemed us and made us your own work. I pray that you would use your word as a means of grace in our lives today to bring us to a place of proper balance where we are resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are pressing on the we might know him and know him better. We might be men and women who are in hot pursuit of the God of holiness help us.

I pray in Jesus name, amen