BALANCE - by Todd Benjamin Lout

This year we've been on a great journey through 2nd Corinthians. It's been so good and revelatory.  As we arrived at chapter 6, verses 14 through 18, I had the honor of unpacking it a bit this last Saturday night. Just like always, my conclusion is that God really loves us and wants nothing to detour us from existing fully in His plan of love for us. 

Even in this passage that contains one of the most misunderstood themes, "Don't be unequally yoked.", we see that our Father is wanting to protect us out of His love for us. 

Let's check this out in the Mirror:

14 Faith-righteousness has nothing in common with the philosophies of karma and performance-based approval; they could never balance the scales
or be evenly yoked together in any context.

15 There is no symphony between the value that Christ reveals in people and the worthlessness that Belial represents!
Faith-righteousness and work-based righteousness are two opposites;
they are conflicting systems that can never match.
*Belial is a Hebrew word that literally means without profit / worthless

16 How can the tangible, physical address of the living God compare with a phantom image that people host in their minds? Mankind is God’s idea - we did not invent God or ourselves; He invented us! He said, “In you will I reside and move and have my being;
we belong together; I am yours and you are mine!”

17 Consequently, escape the snare of these phantom ideas;
do not reduce your horizon to become attached to anything that is not equally elevated.

18 Then you will know the embrace of your Father to simply enjoy being
my sons and daughters.”says the Almighty.

 

You see here, God is wanting us to protect the truth that He has given to us.  Can we be friends with people who are not yet Jesus followers or have a different philosophy? Yes we sure can. Jesus had friends like that. However, we need to guard ourselves and stay inside the covenant of truth. If we step away from that, we can be blinded to where we can't even accept the Father's embrace. But He wants us to be in that embrace and receive all the love and care and identity that He offers in it. 

"Balance the scales" in verse 14 here...... it's talking about the yoke, which is the bar that goes across the shoulders to hold a bucket on either side.  If one bucket is full and the other is empty, we're gonna walk like we've been at the bar all night.  His desire is that we walk straight toward Him!

In another place in the Bible we are instructed not to "cast our pearls before swine." Again, this is God wanting us to never let go of the gospel, the good news, the reality of His love. 

There's really a lot to unpack on this scripture. If you want to check out my message on this last week you can click the link below.  
Todd's message on 2nd Corinthians 6:14 - 18

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