How do you weigh before God? – Part 1

God has a judicial standard by which He measures and weighs the actions of all men. The divine observation, evaluation and verdict on Belshazzar teaches us that every human being of every class is under the accurate observation of God’s sleepless eye. It is, therefore, of infinite importance to be conscious of God’s watching eye every moment of our lives. On what will our destiny be determined on the day of reckoning? We shall be tried and judged, not by the laws of the land, but by the laws of God. We shall be weighed in the balance of God’s judicial standard. Who, tried in this balance, could hope to come forth triumphant, without Christ’s redemption, forgiveness and salvation? Only through the merit of Christ, Who has satisfied the demands of God’s perfect law, in its minutest detail, can anyone hope to stand before God justified and uncondemned.

Weighed in the balance of human opinion, Belshazzar might have been approved. But while he was being approved and acclaimed by his lords, princes and people, another judgment was going on! He was being weighed in the scales of conscience. “His thoughts troubled him”. Many people, who are accounted good men by their neighbours, are nevertheless accused and condemned by their consciences. Stricken by conscience, the “still small voice” stings them and, dries up the fountain of inner peace and joy. There is in every man’s soul something, which calls him to himself, holds up the mirror before him and puts a check upon the praises of men.

Belshazzar was ultimately weighed in the scales of divine justice and condemned. “Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting.” These words brought the deepest dread and despair upon Belshazzar. As his soul approached the final day, the scales of the balance were before him. In one scale of the balance was placed the divine moral requirement, in the other was his sinful, immoral, idolatrous life. The turning of the scale fixed his destiny. “Weighed and found wanting”! Belshazzar’s last day on earth had come and those words of divine judgment struck him with indescribable anxiety. His judgment was irreversible. Let men and women of wisdom and spiritual vision anticipate and see the handwriting on the wall and ask for forgiveness, salvation and grace for righteousness before it becomes too late.

God’s watching eyes are looking at our intentions and actions, nothing escapes His attention. The details of the life of everyone on earth, every sinner, every hypocrite, every moralist, every religionist and every worldling are not hidden, but visible to God. No sinful thought or deed is overlooked – nothing is trivialized or made light of, nothing is insignificant on which sin has breathed the breath of hell. “There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known” (Luke 12:2). Without forgiveness and redemption through Christ, every sinner is guilty before God and when weighed in His balance, will be found wanting. How little do men think of this?

Our thoughts, our words, our actions, our decisions, our response to God’s offer of grace and divine strength, all will be weighed. When the inspection of heaven shall be carried out on all our acts of commission and omission, what deficiencies shall be revealed! Only through Christ’s meritorious atonement can anyone hope to stand before God uncondemned. At the Judgment Bar, when all our deeds on earth shall be weighed, and if we are found wanting or lacking, what will our prospects be in eternity? “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36,37). The unrepentant sinner, the unregenerated sinner, the unrenewed sinner, no matter who they are or whatever they may be in other respects are certainly wanting when weighed in the divine perfect balance.

Religion without righteousness has no weight or value before God. Those who hold to heartless forms of religion who say, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” will hear the Searcher of hearts say, “Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5). All unsaved sinners and all who have a form of godliness, but lack grace and power for godly living will find to their eternal shame and sorrow that when weighed in the balances, they will be found wanting. If all are weighed in the scales of Divine justice and found wanting, who then can be saved? All who have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). All who “with the heart believeth unto righteousness” (Romans 10:9,10). They alone will be saved.

Further Reading (King James Version): Daniel 5:27; Daniel 5:27,5,6; I Samuel 2:3; Romans 3:10-19, 23; Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Romans 1:21-32; Jude 12-16; Romans 2:1-5; Revelation 3:1,2; Galatians 6:3; Mark 10:21-25; Hebrews 4:1,2; Revelation 3:17-22.