Balance

Pls pardon my poorly organised sharing. I feel very sick today but I was so compelled to write something about this issue that is in my heart. My train or thoughts is not as sharp as when I am well. Then again, my train of thought has never been very sharp anyway. hahahaa...

"We gotta have a "balanced" spiritual life"

That's a very common phrase that I have heard in church. What exactly do they mean by "balanced"? According to the explanation of those who always say that, it means to have equal amount of the word as well as experience with the Holy Spirit. If I put it in an equation, it would probably look like this:

Word + Experience = "Balanced" Spiritual life

One pastor said that some people need more of the Word, others need more of the experience as both needs all leads to the same thing: a closer relationship with God. I think this enrty would not be balanced (no pun indended) if we do not define what do different people mean when they say "experience".

Most Charismatic and Pencacostals seems to define it as manifestation of the gifts such as tongues, healing and all the other stuff mentioned in Paul's epistles as well as a flood of emotions that leads to crying or euphoria. It also includes the non-biblical manisfestation of shaking, laughing and falling backwards. (Defination is mine)

According to my own reading, and this is the stand I know take, an experience is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that leads to a changed life that doesn't live to satisfy the desires of the flesh but to satisfy God. It also leads to greater love for Christ abd a lesser desire to serve the flesh through obedience in according to Scriptures. These are compelling evidence of our faith.

Having the gifts of the Spirit or showing great emotions in worship doesn't prove that we are Christians just as going to Burger King makes us Whoppers because they do not show that we love God more. The greatest prove of our salvation is when we are transformed to glorify Christ above all else; making Christ the centre of our lives. Yes, our lives and all of it; to be consumed in our hearts with a passion to glorify Christ above all else. Living a life transformed by the Lord is the only experience that we all need. It's by our testimony of our changed life that others see Jesus and not in the gifts that we received. Thus a "balanced" spiritual life is a result of having Faith in God through the Word:

Word + Faith = "Balance" Spiritual life

I do not think that God has done away with the gifts of the spirit, but it's definitely not in the way that is being preached and practiced in most churches today. God can still do exceedingly and abundantly more that we can imagined, but His way to Salvation has always been the same. 4000 years ago, the message to Moses and Isreal was to obey Yaweh. 2000 years when Jesus preached, the word was the same. 2000 years later, today, the message is still echoes through out the world. Is God doing a "new" thing? Yes He will, coz the events of the Olivet Discourse (Mattt 24, Luke 19) hasn't been fulfilled, but the message has always been the same.