Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

“Balance” is a popular word used in describing the relationships between different understandings of the gospel. We mustn’t go to extremes in saying that salvation is by faith, nor should we say too much it’s by works; the popular idea seems to be that we need “balance” between the two ideas. You might become a fanatic if you emphasize “faith” too much; and of course you’re already a legalist if you emphasize “works” too much, is the idea.

However, look up the word “balance” in that enormous Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance; it should be right there next to “Balaam,” but lo and behold, it’s not there. Not even once. The word “balance” is not in God’s vocabulary in describing the gospel of Jesus.

From the very beginning, the night when Jesus was born, it was pure “good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people,” according to the inspired angel (Luke 2:10).

Jesus commissioned His apostles to tell the good news “to every creature” (Mark 16:15). No mention of “balance” with legalism; no, give them the full, unadulterated “glad tidings” that Jesus is the Savior of the whole world; that’s what He was sent to do, save the world, and He did it.

The pure unadulterated gospel simply tells the world what He did; now please believe it. Don’t mix a drop of legalism in it, is the idea.

But wait a moment: aren’t we to tell people to keep the Ten Commandments? Isn’t that part of a good “balance”?

The Holy Bible does not homogenize the Old and New Covenants; the distinction is crystalline clear. The Ten Commandments metamorphose into ten wonderful promises when we believe the Preamble that should come with them (Ex. 20:2): the LORD who brought us out of “Egypt, out of the house of bondage” is Christ our Savior from sin.

He accomplished it; He did it all by Himself; our job is to believe it in its truth for us individually, 100% straight. It is powerful to save from sin. Romans and Ephesians, for example, tell it as it is. More tomorrow, the Lord willing.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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