The Gospel of Peace, The Error of Balaam.

The Gospel of Peace

The Error of Balaam

Throughout church history there have been those who desired to work their own agendas with God’s people.

Some of them desire to use people for their own personal gain.

Many, on the other hand, desire to see the church established, but because of ignorance or unbelief, they do not trust the methods of God.

Do I believe God can change people by His Spirit when they hear the truth?

Or do I feel I must resort to carnal means of fear and manipulation to accomplish the will of God?

No matter how I justify my actions, if I depart from biblical truth to “help” someone, I am in sin.

I am fully convinced that God can work with truth.

We need not resort to our frail and foolish attempts to bring men to repentance.

It seems that the most popular method of bringing people to repentance is the fear of judgment.

We think we can scare people into returning to God.

Fear may change one’s actions, but only love will change one’s heart.

The Bible warns against the error of Balaam and the way of Balaam.

Now, these are not the same.

They were sins committed by the same person, but they are different.

We should know and avoid both of these sins.

Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Lenski says Jude’s warning has a climax: “taking the bad way (the way of Cain) which is to devote oneself to error, contradicting God’s Word.”

They were willing to depart from God’s Word because of what they had to gain.

Let us examine this to understand how and why Balaam contradicted the Word of God.

Second Peter talks about the way of Balaam.

The way of Balaam was to do unrighteousness for gain.

This is a sin that is easy to detect.

We are quick to label and deal with the one who uses ministry for unrighteous profit.

Yet there is a more deadly error that works among us.

It brings more destruction and pain than the former, but it is considered to be acceptable.

It also is the standard operating procedure for most Christians.

While Peter talked about the way of Balaam, Jude talked about the error of Balaam and associated it with Cain and Core.

Balaam’s error was to believe that God would curse what He had already blessed.

He reasoned that since he was a prophet, if he spoke it, it would come about in truth.

He tried to speak curses on God’s people.

Because he was motivated by greed, his greed caused him to justify his error.

It is easy for us to justify our actions when we enter the error of Balaam.

Unlike Balaam, we are not doing it for greed.

Rather, we really want our friends, our family, or our church members to repent.

We have a good motive, so the end justifies the means.

But we are in sin, regardless of our motive, when we try to pronounce a curse on those whom God has blessed.

Even if we think it will bring about repentance, it is sin.

It is even easier to justify when we see people change their behavior as a result of the fear we heap upon them.

That type of change never lasts, however.

In Christianity, people seem to cycle through life:

-         They do pretty good.

-         They get weary.

-         They begin to compromise.

-         They get into sin.

-         They get miserable.

-         And then they start the cycle all over again.

This is because they never come to have a meaningful relationship with God, their change is always short-lived.

The fear that brought about repentance (an afterthought because of consequences) did not bring about real repentance (a change of mind).

The devil is a discourager.

He always wants God’s people to be cursed.

Sadly, he is always able to find a willing soul to do his bidding.

It is never too hard to find an angry, judgmental Christian who is ready to speak for God.

Num 22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

How much more are the people of God blessed under this new covenant?

We have been set free from the curse, and no man, speaking by the Spirit, can pronounce the curse of God upon the people of God.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

We are the body of Christ.

We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.

To pronounce judgment on God’s people is to pronounce judgment on Jesus.

Remember, when Paul persecuted the church, Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?” (Acts 9:4, emphasis added).

To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.

To pronounce judgment on the church is to pronounce judgment on Jesus.

In Christ, we have been delivered from condemnation.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Condemnation is the expectation of judgment.

Because we are free from the flesh (that is, righteousness by the works of the flesh), we don’t have to live in fear of not “measuring up.”

We should not be living in the tormenting expectancy of judgment.

Because we have been reconciled (exchanged) and made righteous, we are delivered from wrath.

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Since judgment it totally contrary to the work of the cross, those who pronounce judgment are speaking contrary to the cross.

The motive may be pure, but the belief is the error of Balaam.

We should repent of our attempts to manipulate people into right behavior.

Regardless of our motive, regardless of our logic, regardless of our theological preferences, we must return to the truth.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

There are those out there who believe in grace and peace who have become as intolerant as anyone else.

We must not attack, condemn, or judge those who preach a judgment message.

At the same time, we must not entertain their words for a moment.

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

We cannot accept the judgment message as valid or scriptural.

We must never see it as the attitude of God toward man.

He has declared peace and goodwill toward men, through the Lord