Introduction: Finding Balance in Life and Faith
Life is about balance. Whether it's physical or spiritual, finding equilibrium can significantly impact the quality of our lives. Without balance, everything becomes more difficult. From something as simple as slipping on ice to something as complex as a spiritual imbalance, both can destabilize us.
In today’s discussion, we’re going to dive deep into one of the most complex spiritual balances that has puzzled humanity for ages: the relationship between Grace and Grievance within the Church Age. This balance has been part of God’s grand mystery that was hidden throughout history and only fully revealed after Christ’s crucifixion.
Let's explore how this balance affects not only our personal faith but the broader purpose of the Church itself.
The Balance of Grace and Grievance
Before we dive into the scriptures, it’s important to establish the foundational principle of balance in spiritual teachings. It’s easy to get caught up on either extreme:
- All Grace: Where the message focuses solely on love, ignoring the consequences of sin or the depth of God’s righteousness.
- All Grievance: A hammer of condemnation, continually pointing out humanity's failures without emphasizing the hope and salvation found in Jesus.
The challenge for us is to avoid getting stuck on either side. The Church must strike a balance between sharing God’s grace and addressing the grievous reality of sin and deception in the world.
The Struggle of the Prophets: Understanding the Two Christs
To understand this mystery, we need to look at the Old Testament prophets, who were often baffled by what they saw in their visions. They saw two seemingly contradictory images of the Messiah:
- The suffering servant (Isaiah 53), who would be despised and rejected, dying for the sins of the world.
- The glorious king (Isaiah 9:6), who would reign in power and majesty over the Earth.
For centuries, the prophets couldn't fully reconcile how these two roles could coexist in one Messiah. The mystery wasn’t fully revealed to them.
This is where John the Baptist struggled. He sent word to Jesus, asking: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). John preached about both the coming judgment and the Lamb of God, but even he couldn't see how Jesus would fulfill both roles.
The Great Mystery: Hidden in the Wisdom of God
Here’s the crucial point: Between the cross and the crown lies a new era. This era, revealed only after Christ’s death, is called the Church Age. It’s the era we’re living in right now, and it was the great mystery hidden from the prophets and even from angels.
Let’s visualize this:
Imagine you’re standing 75 miles away from two mountain peaks. From a distance, they look side by side. But as you get closer, you realize they’re separated by a vast distance. This is how the prophets saw the suffering and glory of Christ—seemingly side by side, yet separated by time.
The prophets saw the cross and the crown, but they didn’t see the Church Age in between.
The Church: A New Dispensation
Here’s where things get interesting.
The Church Age is not just a continuation of the Old Testament dispensation. It’s something entirely new. The Old Testament law, given by Moses, represented one covenant, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17), marking the beginning of a new covenant.
Jesus emphasized this distinction when He said, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment,” and “No one pours new wine into old wineskins” (Matthew 9:16-17). The Church is not just a patch on the old covenant—it’s something entirely different.
This new dispensation is what we call the Church. It's an era where grace is at the forefront, and where both Jews and Gentiles, the bond and free, and people from all walks of life are united under the Gospel of Christ.
The Church vs. The Kingdom of God
Now, let’s clarify a common misunderstanding.
The Church is not the Kingdom of God. The Church is a specific part of God's plan, but the Kingdom of God encompasses much more. The Kingdom stretches back through history and forward to the end of time, including the creation of a new heaven and new earth.
The Church, on the other hand, is confined to the period between Christ’s first coming (the Cross) and His second coming (the Crown). During this time, Christ is the head of the Church, but He is not yet reigning as the King of all creation—that’s still to come.
The Devil’s Defeat and the Church’s Purpose
When Christ was crucified, Satan thought he had won. He believed that killing Jesus was the final triumph in his battle against God. What Satan didn’t realize was that out of Christ’s death would come a new creation—the Church.
This is why Jesus spoke in parables about the kingdom. In Luke 19, He talks about a nobleman going away to receive a kingdom and returning later. Jesus is that nobleman, currently in heaven, waiting for the time when He will return to establish His Kingdom.
In the meantime, we are living in the Church Age, a period of stewardship, where the Church’s mission is clear: Make disciples, teach Christ’s commands, and baptize in His name.
The Balance of the Church: Truth, Love, and the Spirit
For the Church to fulfill its mission, balance is essential. We must:
- Balance truth with love—teach God’s word while showing compassion to others.
- Balance the Spirit with the Word—rely on the Holy Spirit while grounding our faith in the scriptures.
- Balance Grace and Grievance—proclaim salvation while acknowledging the reality of sin.
Conclusion: The Call to Action for the Church
The Church matters because it is the vehicle through which God has chosen to reveal His grace to the world. Every believer plays a part in this mission.
The challenge for us is to remain faithful to the balance God calls us to. It’s not about growing a large congregation or becoming a social institution. It’s about remaining true to Christ’s teachings and making disciples who know both His love and His truth.
As we navigate this Church Age, we need to stay focused on what Christ has commanded, knowing that He is with us “until the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Let’s stay balanced, stay faithful, and keep looking toward the day when Christ returns, crowned in glory.
Final Thoughts:
This balance—between grace and grievance, truth and love, the Spirit and the Word—is not just theological. It’s practical. It shapes how we live, how we interact with others, and how we fulfill the mission of the Church.
It’s the key to navigating the tensions of this world while staying anchored in the hope of the next.
If this resonates with you, take a moment today to reflect on where you stand in the balance of grace and grievance. Are you leaning too heavily on one side? How can you realign yourself with Christ’s teachings?
Consider this as you go forward in your personal journey and your role within the Church.