The saying “there are two sides to every coin” applies to many biblical principles. With these principles, we must thoughtfully consider both “sides of the coin” to see the complete picture.
For example, consider the need to be:
Patient but Prepared
2 Peter 3:9 mentions God’s patience with mankind, which is seen through the fact that the Day of Judgment has not yet come. The very next verse assures though that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Together, these two verses answer the scoffing of verse 4.
These verses also imply the need for us to have both patience and a sense of urgency.
We should have a patient mindset while waiting for Christ (2 Pet. 3:8). We must be patient in our circumstances (2 Thess. 1:4) and when interacting with others (Eph. 4:2).
Yet, patience must not be confused with procrastination. We must prepare for judgment with urgency (2 Cor. 5:10), and exhort others to do the same (cf. Acts 22:16).
This applies to the growing process of Christians. We cannot expect ourselves or others to be perfectly mature Christians overnight, but at the same time we must exhort urgent repentance when sin is found.
Willing to Change but Steadfast
1 Corinthians 15:58 says we must be “stedfast, unmoveable…” What this verse does not say is “resist all change.”
A reading of the remainder of 1 Corinthians shows that these Christians had many changes to make (1 Cor. 1:10-11; 5:6-7; 11:17-22; etc.). We must be willing to make corrections as needed.
Having said this, Christians are also to be steadfast. Instead of being easily “tossed to and fro” (Eph. 4:14), we must hold fast to the teachings of the Bible. For the Corinthians, this particularly meant not wavering in their hope of the resurrection.
A key to this “two-sided coin” is that we must be seeking to learn and submit to truth, regardless of whether it agrees with our presumptions. Doing so will help us to be both willing to change and steadfast.
Zealous but Cautious
Many of God’s commands focus on what to do, while many focus on what not to do. If either group of commands is emphasized more than the other, there can be trouble.
Consider the example of teaching. James 3:1 warns that false teachers will be judged harshly. Yet, Acts 8:4 presents a positive example of Christians who were teaching.
These two passages have different contexts. Taken together though they demonstrate that teaching others about Jesus is a wonderful thing to zealously pursue, while teaching false doctrine is a dangerous thing to cautiously avoid.
This exemplifies the broader principle that we should be zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14), yet cautious to avoid misdirecting our zeal (Rom. 10:2). We must be eager to follow the “do’s,” but cautious to avoid the “do nots.”
Evangelistic but Holy
There can be a temptation to “set ourselves apart” from the world by trying to withdraw from all sinners in the world. Such would be dismissing our God-given responsibilities. God expects us to influence the lost for good, and we can’t do that by avoiding all sinners (Luke 5:30-32).
With that said, the Bible warns that having unwarranted contact with evil-doers can lead us astray (cf. Prov. 13:20). As 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
We must influence the lost for good, yet consider who is influencing us.
Peacemaking but Sincere
There are some who generate strife over trivial differences (cf. Rom. 14:13-19), and there are others who condone error if it means “keeping everyone happy.”
Jesus did not go to either of these two extremes. He did not seek conflict, but He also did not compromise truth to avoid it.
We must follow Christ’s example and seek peace when possible (Matt. 5:9). We should be considerate and reasonable when dealing with differences (cf. 1 Cor. 8:13).
Yet at the same time we should be sincere. We do not show sincere love by complimenting sin (Rom. 12:9).
These examples barely scratch the surface of “two-sided coins.” We must pay attention to both sides of biblical coins.
When we see the complete coin, we realize that God’s commands do not oppose one another, but rather complement and promote one another. We must examine the entire picture to ensure we are following all of what God commands.
– Michael Hickox