Differing weights and differing measures— the Lord detests them both.
Proverbs 20:10
The man who trained me in ministry used to preach a sermon entitled 2+2 = 4, not 3 or 5. The main point of his sermon was that humans sometimes have different measurements when evaluating people's motives and actions. For example, when we make mistakes, we tend to err in our judgment on the side of mercy, but when others make mistakes, we may not be so gracious towards them.
My former Pastor used to say, do not give or take away points when you evaluate people's actions. Wrong is wrong no matter who errs. Do not throw an extra point when the people sinning are your loved ones, and do not take points away when people you do not like make mistakes. 2+2 is always 4. In other words, be fair.
King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 20 that God hates wrong measures. It does not matter whether the person doing the weighting is a businessman trying to deceive others or a Christian trying to justify his sin. A lie is a lie no matter who or why people tell it. Stealing is always a sin, even if we do it for what we think are "good reasons."
Some people justify their sins before the Lord, saying things such as "the Lord knows my heart" or "my intentions were good," but we must know that God's measurements are always correct. According to the Bible, God doesn't judge sin by categories. The devil tempts us all to disobey God, and every time we fall into temptation, we sin.
My friends, the next time we miss the mark, let us not waste time giving God excuses. Remember, God's measurements are not arbitrary or biased. He doesn't give or take away points because of who we are or what we have done for Him or others. Let us repent, confess our sins, and decide not to repeat that sin again. 2 + 2 is always 4, and God's fairness is constant!
Comments