What would you call a balanced Christian?

[Ovedya]

Okay- silly question here. How can you have too much of the Spirit without the word? I mean, if you are full of the Holy Spirit, isn't craving the word part of that? One that is full of the Spirit is not going to lay the word down and walk away, you think? I wouldn't think it possible. If you are full of the Spirit isn't it because you have an honest and true desire for the Lord and His holy word?

The analogy is that the Word is the guiding force of the Spirit. An example of too much Spirit without any word wouls be like an extremely charismatic church that focusses only one aspect of the Christian life (the gift of the Spirit), and not on the other aspects. I personally have been to meetings in Christianity where no so much of the Word was taught as the Spirit was overemphasized.

On the other end of the spectrum there are religious organizations that do not have enough of the Spirit. in places such as this the meetings tend to be pretty dull, very doctrinal, and usually contain a lot of religious ritual.

[traveller]

Oh - okay Gm, now I understand what you're saying. Sorry for the interruption.

[Catsmeow]

I just figured out why my post was missing...this same thread is posted TWICE...?

I thought maybe a few posts were mysteriously zapped...but alas, they're in tact...a little "double vision" here...

[Ovedya]

Oh - okay Gm, now I understand what you're saying. Sorry for the interruption.

No need to apologize. It was a valid question.

[tsth]

Micah 6:6 With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

This sounds like balance to me in context of what I was speaking of above.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[George]

To Cats -- I have no idea what you are referring to. When it happens let me know so I can immediately look into the problem.

Your brother in Christ with much agape love,

George

[Catsmeow]

The topic posted twice and on the twin topic I posted a joke about being "unbalanced" and a bit dysfunctional...{well, it was supposed to be funny...but anyway} ....then I guess Angels started the topic anew and I didn't notice ....I just thought my post and few others disappeared into a black hole or something...but alas...

Look under the Doctrinal Questions forum and see the topic is repeated - twice ...

{"What would you call a balanced Christian?" is shown twice}

Suzanne PMd me and was confused about that also...

Sometimes it seems that topics seem to post more than once and it's a little confusing...

BTW, I just deleted my post on the twin thread...It was getting late and I was getting a bit giddy...ahem...

[angels4u]

Susanne, I love you in the Lord and appriciate what you have to say very much, I don't really have that much time anymore for the computer because my summer job started...

God-man the book what you mentioned sounds very interesting, I agree where you stand on the balanced Christian very much, we need to be balanced!

Too much Spirit , we blow up...the right balance between the Word and the Spirit and we grow up!!

[Brad]

Hot, cold and Lukewarm works

John your view of this topic was the view that I had for almost 30 years but I can see this topic in a whole new way now. Some of the problems I have with the common view is that the lukewarm works sounds so much like the Sardis Church having a reputation for being alive but Jesus said that they are dead. And that Jesus said that cold works would be better than lukewarm works. The only thing that gives this view any weight in my opinion is when they were told to be zealous.

Hot, cold and lukewarm

[IslandRose]

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Luke 2:52

This verse was in the text used by the speaker today at church. It reminded me of this thread so I thought I might add it to the discussion.

I believe it is a good example of "balance" in a Christian life. It tells us all the ways Christ developed as a child; in wisdom (intellectually), stature (physically), in favour with God (spiritually), and man (socially). Each of these areas in our life are important and should not be neglected. Also, none of these things should be focused on to the exclusion of the others.

IR