Standing At The Judgment Bar

Dan 5:25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Dan 5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Dan 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

God’s judgment is absolute. He doesn’t grade on a curve. It is terrible folly when one tries to seek approval from other men with no regard for the demands of a Holy God. 2 Cor 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Yogi might have been smarter than theaverage bear’ but he was still a bear. To be as good as or even better than the average sinner is not enough because God doesn’t approach judgment with a plus or minus tolerance for sin.

I. There is a standard of spiritual righteousness which MUST be met for salvation. Departments of Weights and Measures in every state determine the standard of accuracy for those who sell goods.
A. The very name of ‘SIN’ denotes the coming short of a standard. Missing the mark by falling short.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

B. The pharisees had not reached this goal.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

C. All men are judged by the unvarying standards of God’s perfect demands. If you have ever felt the hopelessness of trying to satisfy some demanding parent, teacher, coach, employer, etc. then how do you expect to ever satisfy a Holy God who CANNOT be satisfied or even look upon any imperfection?
It is necessary that we come to the knowledge of our complete failure and inability to do anything about it, so that God can then bring us in complete humility to the ONLY answer.

D. Christ was NOT given to men as a standard of righteousness, but as the answer to God’s demands for righteousness. God does not say, "Now you must measure up to this man", but rather, "HE has done what I expected from man and I will accept it in man’s behalf. In only this way can God remain Just and yet the Justifier of sinful men.
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Here is the seal of approval of the heavenly department of weights and measures-
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Only Christ can balance the scales for you...

II For those who are saved, there is a standard of living that must be met. Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

A. We are weighed and found wanting in wrong speech; in perverseness; in licentiousness; in worldliness.
There is a standard of POSITIVE performance.
Some have accepted the standards of rebellious souls and are losing all hope of rewards.
B. To become strong in all manner of doctrinal teaching, but be calloused to the needs of men in material things,is to give short weight toward men
C. To be concerned about the needs of men and care nothing for the Word of God is to shortchange God.

Inspiration # 6

The Bible and History

If the Bible gives us true and actual records of events it is reasonable to expect that the people at the time of those happenings would have some record of them in either written or oral form. Consider a few of those things recorded in the scripture and compare them with human history and lore.

I. Traditions of Creation.
A. Greek mythology represents Prometheusas molding the first human beings of clay and giving them life by means of fire, stolen from heaven. Sound like a borrowed story?
B. Peruvian Indians referred to the first man as ‘Alpa Camasca’ or animated earth.
C. Mandans, a North American Indian Tribe, The Great Spirit formed two figures of clay and animated them with the breath of His mouth. One was called First man and the other ‘Companion’
D. Otahuitos, another Indian Tribe, ‘God made man of red earth.’ {Adam means ‘ruddy’}
E. Dyacks of Borneo said He made man of the dust of the earth.

II. Lineage of Patriarchs before the flood. The Bible tells us of a lineage of ten patriarchs from Adam to Noah. It would have seemed strange if the descendants of his three sons didn’t know about them.
A. Assyrian monuments tell of ten kings before the flood.
B. Legends of the Parsees of India tell of nine ‘Brahmadikas’ and Brahma who are called ‘the ten fathers.’
C. Chinese count ten emperors who reigned before recorded history.

III. The Deluge.
A. The Egyptian Tradition: The sun god Ra became so disgusted with the human race he determined to exterminate them.
B. The Chaldean Story; Kronos appeared to Xisthruthrus. Told him to build a huge boat. Following the flood he sent out some birds that failed to come back after the third time.
C. According to Hindu Legend: there are many points of commonality except in their version the flood lasts for several years.
D. Chinese tradition: Depicted in plaster in the Temple of 800 gods. Kwan Lin, Goddess of mercy looks down upon lonely Fu-He is in an ark among raging waves. Dove with olive branch flies toward vessel.
E. Mexico: Explorer, Von Humboldt told of five tribes in Mexico with paintings of a deluge at the time of one they called Cox- Cox.
F. Among the Fiji Islanders: After the Islands were peopled, a huge rain caused the oceans to rise but two canoes came rowed by one of the gods and saved eight of the people.

IV. Joshua’s long day. Josh 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Josh 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Josh 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
A. Greece: Herodotus wrote that Egyptian priests told him of a day in which the sun rose twice in the west.
B. China: In the essays of Huainan, Tzu told of a long day in which the Duke of Yang needed more time to win a battle.
C. India: Legends of a time when the sun stood still to listen to the pious chants of Akroon about Krishna.

Next- The Bible And the Creator