Have you ever had the experience that something caught your attention, and then for days afterwards you see the same thing showing up practically everywhere you turn? And the strange thing is that, before that item caught your original attention, you rarely noticed it anywhere. Perhaps you bought a car, and then you begin to notice how many of that model car are on the roads today. Or maybe you bought some new piece of clothing, and then you notice a similar item on many people at church or at work.
This is known as the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon. It is simply a recognition that our brains have a tendency to try to find patterns in the massive amounts of sensory data that we encounter each day. When something catches our attention, then our brain raises that observation to a higher priority in its pattern recognition algorithm. It is therefore not surprising at all that our brain begins to find matches to this new observation.
Well, I am experiencing a similar phenomenon in my quiet times lately. Upon recently noticing that several biblical principles are coupled together in Scripture, I am now seeing other coupled principles in MANY places and themes throughout the Bible.
Why does God include coupled principles in the Bible? Because He loves us, and wants to provide these “spiritual guardrails” that keep us on the road, and in balance. They are balancing principles that keep us from developing an unhealthy focus on one side or the other. Balancing principles are both true – but only when our perspective includes both. They can lead to error if we focus on only one.
Here are a few of my observations:
Grace and obedience:
Titus 3:4-7 NASB But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, (5) He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (grace)Titus 3:8 NASB This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. (obedience)
Strength and love:
1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (strength)1 Corinthians 16:14 NASB Let all that you do be done in love. (love)
“Nothing good” and “wonderfully made”:
Romans 7:18 NASB For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.Psalms 139:14 HCSB I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.
“Desperately sick” and “image of God”:
Jeremiah 17:9 NASB "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?Genesis 1:27 NASB God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
“Sinful” and “righteous”:
Romans 3:23 NASB for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
“We can’t have God’s thoughts” and “we have the mind of Christ”:
Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. (9) "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.1 Corinthians 2:16 NASB For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
Balancing principles are both true – but only when our perspective includes both. They can lead to error if we focus on only one.
It is becoming more and more apparent to me that God wants us to feast on all of His wonderful banquet of wisdom in the Bible, and not limit ourselves to the one portion of the feast (such as just the appetizers, or meats, or desserts, etc.) – that is, we must search out the Scriptures (“the whole counsel of God”) to ensure that we understand the mind of God in matters.
Proverbs 2:3-5 NASB For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; (4) If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; (5) Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.
Today, I encourage you to “Reflect on This.”