Balance Beam
The balance beam is one of the most difficult skills to master in competitive gymnastics. At roughly 10 cm wide (approximately 4 in.), professional gymnasts are not given much margin for error.
Therefore, even the best gymnasts slip and fall when performing their impressive routines and stunts. Who remembers Chellsie Memmel's 2012 balance beam performance at the U.S. Classic? Even a highly skilled and decorated athlete like her has "off days." Overall, gymnastics, especially the balance beam, is not easy!
The journey of every person who decides to follow Jesus Christ is not easy either and very comparable to a balance beam. Just as balance beams are very narrow, so is the way to eternal life as described by Jesus.
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
What many people hear and take away from this teaching is that we must work hard to get as close to perfection as possible if we want to be saved. But that behavior would look very "religious" in my opinion. It would be like counting calories to lose weight, or keeping track of each swing and miss at the batting cages. But instead, we would be taking inventory of every sin, every selfish decision, every subconscious and wicked desire, and every moment we loved the world more than we loved God. Can you imagine the guilt and shame we could constantly feel? Well, that sounds like quite a burden to me. And Jesus Christ made it clear that His burden is light (ref. Matthew 11:28-30)
I've been walking with the LORD for nearly 15 years now and I know human perfection isn't possible. Sin is too pervasive and as long as we occupy these sinful bodies, we are going to make mistakes consciously and unconsciously. I don't think that means we should celebrate sin or our mistakes, and it certainly doesn't mean we should willingly move towards sin. But we cannot expect ourselves to be as holy or holier than the One who saved us - can we?
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD. (Romans 5:20-21)
The Bible says that we are saved by grace alone. That grace is only available through Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless, perfect life, but took on our sin at the Cross in which He died. He didn't deserve this death, we did. But God raised Him from the dead and made grace available to anyone that asks forgiveness of their sins, repents, and chooses to follow His Son Jesus, making Him their LORD. What an amazing promise!
We don't have to be sinless or perfect. It doesn't matter how many times we fall off the balance beam or make a mistake. God is not judging us by our sin or perfection, He is judging us by Jesus Christ. So my question to you is whether or not you have made Jesus Christ your LORD? Are you putting your faith in Him alone for salvation or are you trying to earn it?
For me, my faith is in the grace of God, made possible by Jesus Christ. And although my faith doesn't mean I will never sin again, it means I can return to God.
Thinking about Chellsie Memmel and her 2012 performance...not only did she fall twice and make several mistakes, but she courageously continued and finished her routine, putting her mistakes behind her. You see, grace is not an allowance to sin, live in guilt, and/or be content with it. Grace is a gift that allows us to get back up and keep moving away from sin and closer to Jesus.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
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