Just Say the Word: Daniel 5:27 — The writing on the wall
By David Marvin
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How well do you measure up?
Most people, who claim to be Christians, would say that there is some sort of scale and all of your works are placed on that scale. The scale might resemble one that a doctor or pharmacist would have used 70 years ago with a base that extends into a center pole that holds a beam across it. The horizontal beam has a basket attached to each end. The good works would be placed on one side and the bad works would be placed in the basket on the other side.
Just the thought of my works being measured this way causes me to shudder. The words of Daniel come to mind,
Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
— Daniel 5:27
•••
How many good deeds do I do each day? One, maybe two, and on a really good day three or four.
On a day when I do four good deeds, I might say, “Let’s get out the balance today. Today would be a good day to balance the scales against right and wrong.”
So my good deeds go in a basket on the right side of the scale, all four of them. I’m smiling out of pride of the four good deeds and because that seems like an insurmountable weight, these four good deeds. I can’t think of one bad deed that I committed this day, after all I was too busy doing good deeds to do something bad. But remember God is doing the weighing and he knows everything.
I’m still fine, no bad works here. I used no profanity this fine day, didn’t get drunk or beat my wife. I didn’t say one unkind thing to anyone or about anyone on this day that I was so busy being good. But remember God knows everything and that includes my thoughts. It now comes to mind how two blocks from my house at a four way stop, I was second to get to the intersection and stop. I was third to go because this crazy, imbecile of a woman couldn’t even count to see who was supposed to go next! Can you believe the incompetence of this woman? Then when I was about to pass her on the four lane street, she didn’t see me blazing to get ahead and she cut me off. She cut me off! How dare her commit two driving offenses to me in one block! What an idiot!
Well, now I’m about two minutes into my time in the real world and my good works that I did throughout the day are already balanced against two bad works within one minute of each other. I’m still ahead, but I know this isn’t going to last long.
Weighed in the balance
I can pretty much skip the rest of the day. Bad thoughts about people, missed opportunities to witness, missed chances to help someone in need, not spending enough time reading and meditating upon the Word. The list of not doing something when something was required of me, is a long enough list by itself. Suddenly it seems that there are maybe 10 to 20 things on the bad works side and my minuscule 4 good works on the good works side. And remember this was a good day for me!
And found wanting
Even on what I consider to be a good day I cannot meet God’s standard. Even on a good day, or in a good moment it is just a fact that I miss the mark of His holiness and cannot obtain to His level of purity and integrity. The mark is perfection and I’ll not see that on this side of Heaven. Some might ask at this point, “Why do you keep going on then? Why call yourself a Christian if all is lost and you can’t measure up?”
Fortunately for us, there is this thing called grace. But it’s not just as simple as playing the grace card, that isn’t the way God’s grace works. You can’t just add grace to your garbage and have it end up smelling like a rose. Your trash has to be taken out — removed — replaced. This is where faith comes in.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9
When I act in faith God declares me as righteous. Not because of my works but because of the Son of God’s works; and those works and His sinless life have been credited to me, or placed in my account, and God calls me righteous. What does righteousness mean? Simply, it means to be right with God.
Tipping the scales
Friend, if you think you can measure up to God’s scales on your own, you are sadly mistaken. Remember God does not compare us with Joe Sinner across the street or Joe Christian in the pew across the aisle. God measures all of mankind against the perfect Son of God. You cannot, on your own merit, be good enough to measure up against His perfection.
You can, however wear His perfection. Through asking forgiveness and acknowledging His death on the cross and His shed blood you can be called righteous, or in right standing with God. All you have to do is accept His sacrifice for your sins and let him put His perfection on your scale. When your works are weighed, it will in actuality not be your works, but His that will be weighed, judged and found perfect.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
— Matthew 11:28
Rest from what? Rest from trying to save yourself and always coming up short. Rest from the burden of sin. Rest from works that deep down we know can’t save us.
When you are weighed in the balances, don’t be found wanting. You can’t afford to come up on the short end. No matter what you have in your bank account, you will not be able to buy your way into heaven.
It is only accomplished through Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
