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AN EVEN BALANCE

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even balanceAN EVEN BALANCE
By Ken Blue

“Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.” Job 31:6.

I am so thankful that we have the book of Job, in which God attests to Jobs integrity. Without it, I am confident that most of us would have chimed in with his interrogators. An even balance has two sides to it; one is your side and the other is God’s. Most of us are unable or unwilling to use just weights when weighing others. We have our own set of weights deep down in our pockets, and we are quick to draw them out and throw them on the scales when prompted. We have become adept at finding just the right weight in order to tip the scales in our favor or that of a friend. This is what Job’s “friends” did. They had their “weights” of tradition, experiences and observations with which they weighed Job, and still they were all wrong.

Dr. Charles Keen said, “The devil knows nothing of balance”, and it is obvious that many of God’s children are lacking in this grace also. Job knew that his heart was right with God, and his desire was to be weighed by Him. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t use the same weights to measure you as others do when judging you? Not only should we pray that our personal life be pleasing to God, but we must also pray that our judgment of others, with whom we agree and disagree, will be carried out by a just weight and an even balance.

ARE YOU TOO FREE TO BE MARRIED?

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MARRIED TO CHRIST

MARRIED

By Ken Blue

“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4.

Death certainly absolves one of all responsibility. No more bills to pay, no more pain or sickness to contend with, and no one to offend. Death brings complete liberty. Oh, the sweet liberty of death! “Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus hath bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the Law, and bruised by the fall, Grace hath redeemed us once for all.” Enough could never be said about God’s wonderful grace!

BUT, I fear many professing Christians are either confused about grace, or they haven’t really experienced it in their life. Anyone who ignores the second half of the verse has a serious spiritual problem. If a person remained in a state of death, there would be little concern, but that is not so with one who is saved. His resurrection in Christ is just as real as his death. One is dead, only in relation to the Law.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If you are saved, you are now raised with Christ, and married to Him![/perfectpullquote]

If you are saved, you are now raised with Christ, and married to Him! Just as in your old life under the Law brought forth sin through the members of your body, now you are to bring forth fruit acceptable unto God. That fruit will be demonstrated through the members of your body. This does not mean that you will never sin or be tempted. But, it is clear that you are NOW married to Christ, and your life should glorify Him. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:15-16.

When a man or woman is freed from prison, they are not freed to go back to the old life of crime. They are freed to live right. When a spouse dies, the one is free from responsibility to the other, and they may marry another. But, they are not free to live a life of immorality.

Yes, we are free from the old master, or previous marriage, but we are not freed to live a life in sin. We are now married to Christ and are to glorify Him with our bodies. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13.

WHO DID WHAT?

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“I laboured… yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

labouredBy Ken Blue

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10.

Balance in any area of life is difficult. It seems that we take credit for everything, or we are hesitant to acknowledge any involvement. Perhaps the problem is we fear others will think we are boasting. Paul had a proper perspective and balance when it came to serving Christ. We should learn from him.

We must acknowledge, without Christ we can do nothing of eternal value. However, in this dispensation, God will do little without your cooperation. Read the above verse again, and you will see that Paul was not ashamed to say, “I laboured more abundantly than they all.”

In II Corinthians 11 he says, “ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.  Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?  If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.  In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:  And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.” 2 Corinthians 11:22-33.

In the above, Paul uses the word “I” sixteen times! Notice the words “me” and “my”. Paul is not bragging. However, he is demonstrating that he was everything, and more than what some others claimed for themselves. It is said that D. L. Moody heard a preacher say, “The world is yet to see what God can do through a man wholly surrendered to Christ.” It is reported that Moody said, “By the grace of God, I’ll be that man.” God will do no more in the ministry than the pastor and the people are willing to do.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]God will do no more in the ministry than the pastor and the people are willing to do.[/pullquote]

However, we must never forget to maintain the balance. Paul went on to say, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Anything accomplished for Christ is by His grace. It is by His power, mercy, love, goodness, provision, leading, compassion, and enabling we are able to do His work.

Allow me to speak foolishly for a moment. I prayed hard about what God wanted me to do prior to going to Bible College. I worked a full time job at night, attended classes each weekday for five years, while pastoring a small church in Iowa. I came to the Seattle and founded the Open Door Baptist Church. I laboured, preached, prayed, won souls, trained men for ministry, loved our people; and I wept and rejoiced with them for 39 years. Today, a great soul winning church stands as a testimony to human effort and God’s grace.

But, let me be clear. It was God who called me, provided my every need, enabled me, gave me souls for my labor, and met my every need. It was by His grace that anything was accomplished! “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…” Psalms 127:1.

Therefore, “I laboured… yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” What I am trying to say is, Pastor, give it your all. Do and be your best. In most cases the smarter you work, the luckier you will get. Just don’t forget, everything you accomplish will be by His enabling grace!