balanced theology

You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

Jeremiah 32:18-19

Unbalanced theology creates spiritual chaos. Notice how in Jeremiah’s prayer he embraces a balanced view of God’s Person and actions toward us. It is a theology we should also believe… even if parts of it are heavy and difficult for us to experience. Here is what I see in balance in these two verses:

• God gives steadfast love. That is Grace. I love that this is the first attribute/action Jeremiah offers in praise. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, whose messages were often about how God’s people rejected God and would suffer in judgment, is hope-filled… fueled by an awareness of God’s faithful, steadfast love that never fails.
• God brings generational consequences. Yeah… that’s a hard one to accept, but it is a counterbalance to the first attribute. Even today, legacies of consequences can follow family lines and OFTEN do. It is sad and would be tragic… if not for the power of grace to transform even generational judgment!
• God is great and mighty. He has all power. He can do as He pleases and is good when He does. He commands angel armies. His words and His actions square up with His holiness.
• God sees it all. Nothing escapes Him. He sees it all and is moved by both our righteousness and evil to act according to His wisdom, grace, and justice.
• God equalizes at all. He rewards every person and judges every deed. At the cross, all sin has been atoned. In Christ, all righteousness is ours. On the day of the Lord all things in this world for all time will be made right again by God. We should keep all this in balance by faith in God. This is our God.