08/08/2014

The Gospel that is Balanced

Someone said,

a balanced gospel teaching is when you teach that making heaven / salvation is only when you believe in Jesus and also obey the law: not just believing in Jesus alone, or just not doing evil alone: but believing Jesus and also keeping the commandments. That this is balanced gospel.

Hmm... Sounds appealing? Nodding your head too?

It's not a balanced gospel: it is a balanced error!

Every believer should be of good conduct (Matthew 5:16); live holy lives (1Peter 1:15-16 2Cor 7:1); and should be careful to maintain GOOD works (Titus 3:8).

However, they are not saved (or going to make heaven) by their good conducts!

If there is any of the good works you've been doing before they got born again
(such as being respectful to elders, not fornicating, being honest, maybe you don't even take alcohol nor smoke)
and despite those good works you remain UNSAVED, it goes to show you those things CANNOT effect a salvation in you. They could not write your name in heaven!

That's the misery of good works.

And if you only started to do good only after they got saved, it goes to show you those things know NOTHING and have NOTHING to contribute to your salvation... since they came after salvation has already happened.

Only what effected the salvation can affect it. Only what brought the salvation can keep or withdraw it: WORKS HAVE NO SAY in the matter because good works is only an AFTERMATH of salvation.
Salvation abounds in much fruit in some people, and have less fruit in some others depending on individual receptiveness. Believers should walk more and more in the Spirit so they give more and more fruit unto holiness. The fruit however does not decide the tree, rather, the tree decides/affects/sustains the fruit.

What then is "balanced teaching"? Balanced truth teaching is:

Titus 2:1-14 KJV
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: ...be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. ...be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things...to love their husbands, to love their children... be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to...husbands... In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; For (because) the GRACE OF GOD that bringeth SALVATION hath appeared to all men, (and because we have received this, it is) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

A balanced gospel honours Christ redemption as eternal (Hebrews 9:12); does not refer to Christ's blood-purchased salvation as incomplete. it achieves zealous people by magnifying Grace.

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