FIRST-TRUMP#top..........Sound the alarm in Zion..... ...........................

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SCALES OF JUSTICE

¹⁰For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:)

"I'm sure that when God weighs my good against my bad, He'll see that I'm an ok guy and let me in to Heaven. I haven't done anything really bad in my life. God's fair. He won't punish me."

How often have you heard this said? I dare to say, a lot if you've talked to very many people at all. Of course there are those who belong to a church that believes even less than the above person does. They believe they can do anything they want, no matter how bad, and still make it past the Judgement Seat and spend forever walking streets of gold. Some believe this privilege comes to those who have been baptized in the correct way (whatever that is). And some believe that everyone will eventually be saved. And some go so far as to include among those who will be sharing God's mansion the likes of Hitler, and Satan himself. Pick a church (or don't pick any at all) and find the comfortable road that best fits your feet.

There's nothing much I can say to these last groups of people. They apparently read a different Bible than I do. This being the case, there's really no communication since we use different rule books. But the first group, the one that carries with them a balance scale to make sure they stay on God's good side, I would like to paint you a little picture. You say God will take into consideration the good things you do, or more specifically, He will ignore the bad things you do because of some good things you do to keep the scales favorable. Let's see how this works in real life, shall we?

You're a child, and you're about to be punished because you didn't take out the trash as you were told. Has this ever happened to you? I suspect this, or something like it happened when you were a mere tad of a boy or girl. Here's your excuse, your ace up the sleeve to keep you out of trouble. "But mom! You shouldn't punish me. Look at all the times I did take out the trash when you told me to."

Now let's reverse this. You're the parent, and your child uses your excuse on you. How does your child fare? Are you going to let him off the hook?

Ok, now you try your excuse on your boss. "You're going to fire me because I missed a week of work? But look at all the years I haven't played golf instead of coming to work? Look at all the times I worked overtime? Don't those count for nothing?"

Now, you're a soldier and you're standing before the Battalion Commander because you missed Reveille (morning bugle call). Do you think all your attending marches and drills and maneuvers is going to get you out of trouble? If you're in the Army I was in it won't. Doing what I'm expected to do does not give me an excuse to not do something I'm supposed to do, no matter how trivial it may seem to be.

You've been arrested and your standing before the judge. What did you do wrong? You stole a candy bar from the local market. The judge asks you if you have anything to say for yourself before he passes sentence. You tell him about the times you donated money to the poor. You tell him how you treat your family well. You tell him about all the wonderful things you do. Do you think that's going to get you off the hook?

Have you heard of the "Three Strikes Law"? Under this law if a person is a repeat offender, no matter how trivial the offense, they put you in jail and throw the key away. Lots of people have been sentenced to life for stealing a candy bar, if that was their third crime.

Let's look at some statements from the Bible. Maybe God has something to tell us in regards to the "One Strike Law."

⁸If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: ⁹But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. ¹¹For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. ¹²So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. ¹³For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. (James 2:)

²¹But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. ²²All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. ²³Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? ²⁴But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die (Ezek 18:)

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Mat 7:)

Try this: Take your excuse and place it on the scale of Judgement. Now, take these verses and place them on the other end of the scales. How does your excuse balance out? Not too well? Then maybe you might try joining one of the other churches I mentioned here. That might make you feel a little more comfortable. And if nothing else, it will give you company when you stand before the Great White Throne. But to tell you the truth, I really don't think their excuse is going to balance out any better than does yours. But then, that's just one man's opinion.