A Tightrope

A tightrope routine only works if the line is securely fastened between two poles which stand opposite each other. The Christian life has many such tensions. One in particular is brought into view by this text. On one side we have the joy of God’s gracious forgiveness of all our sins, on the other we have the godly sorrow which our sin should bring about. If you detach from one pole you end up with glib antinomianism. If you detach from the other you end up as a paranoid legalist. The options seem to be Joel Osteen or Amish. The Christian life needs the line between these two truths to be taut.