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All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Proverbs 16:2

God has a pair of balances in His hand. It contains our deeds and words on one side of the scale. On the other side of the scale is His Word. Are we living up to His Word? Are the scales balanced? Do our actions and words line up with the Word of God? God is not only judging our actions, but the heart behind the actions. In this way, His judgment is just and perfect. His scales are perfect.

These scales are different than the ones that allah, the false god of Islam carries. In Islam, you only have to do 51% good in order to make it to heaven. All the while, the Muslims are in fear of the scales, because they don’t know where they stand. God has a remedy for that fear. Come to Jesus as your Lord and Savior! Jesus lived a life of righteousness on our behalf. We can partake of His righteousness by walking in His actions and words with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. If you are in Christ, the scales are already balanced! Your life is equal to the standard of Christ as long as you abide in Christ, who did NO SIN. If there is sin in your life, even for a moment, it will throw the scales out of balance. A just and morally perfect life is the only life that will balance the scales and meet God’s approval. Only a life conformed to Jesus Christ will measure up.

A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 11:1

A just weight and balance are the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag are his work.

Proverbs 16:11

Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

Proverbs 20:23

God is not just concerned about a merchant’s scales being in balance. He cares about your heart being in balance. When we are in sin, our lives do not measure up to the standard of Jesus Christ. Only by forsaking the sin and repenting will God be able to restore us to moral perfection that is found only by faith in Jesus Christ.

Notice that a just weight is God’s work. We are His workmanship in Christ Jesus. As we submit our heart to Christ, the Father does a work of righteousness in us. It is a holy cooperation between God and man. God expects us to rule our hearts with His commandments and precepts. A life out of balance is abomination to God! It is morally disgusting and filthy to Him. It will not abide in His sight. In the last day, Christ will say “away from me, all you workers of iniquity”. They were found in sin. Their ways were not equal. The scales were out of balance.

Only a life lived in self sacrificial love of Christ will measure up in the last day. Only those who love God and others with all their heart will pass the test. Is your life balanced on God’s scales? The measuring of your life belongs to Him. He wants everyone to pass the test and measure up to His standard. That’s why He has told us His standard before the judgment comes. We must be holy in love by picking up our cross daily and following Jesus. A life spent reading and studying the Word of God, praying without ceasing, praising and thanking God, speaking the Truth in love to our neighbors, doing good for all that will let us do good for them. This is the standard of righteousness in Christ Jesus. It is the strait and narrow way and few there be that find it! Don’t be out of balance today. Get right with God by DOING those things that are pleasing in His sight. Walk by faith of Jesus Christ. In so doing, you will obtain eternal life and will be sure that your life is in balance on judgment day. Brothers, sisters, keep your heart with all diligence! Amen.

Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.

Deuteronomy 9:29

For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:9

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

The Lord has chosen His people to be His eternal inheritance. In the Old Testament it was the nation of Israel, but now in the New Testament it is those that have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Christians, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem and the spiritual Israel. Those that love God and keep His commandments. The chosen remnant of believers in Christ. These are the children of God and they shall live forever and ever with Him.

To have an inheritance there must be the death of someone. A last will and testament is only in effect when someone has died. So Christ died for us, that we could have the eternal life that was promised us before the world began. Eternal life is the inheritance of the children of God. To live forever with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This is heavenly bliss, to know the Father and the Son. This is eternal life, says John 17:3.

For God to have an inheritance, there must also be the death of US. Not physically, but a death to self. A giving up of all hopes and selfish ambitions. A laying down of ones life for the sake of God and others. Doing what is pleasing in the sight of God. This is picking up our cross daily and following Jesus, which is the only path to eternal life. It’s also the only path to God’s eternal inheritance in us! We must be conformed to the perfect image of Jesus Christ in order to be worthy of being God’s chosen people. Humble yourself and obey God and Jesus. This is the only way to blessing God and being blessed ourselves.

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

Deuteronomy 18:1-2

The Levitical priesthood was a type and shadow of ALL believers in Christ to come. We are a royal priesthood, we are made kings and priests unto God, offering up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The 12 tribes of Israel received the promised land as their temporary inheritance, until the fulfillment of the promise came through Jesus Christ. Now the new heaven and the new earth is the spiritual land that we inherit as the spiritual 12 tribes of Israel in the New Testament. No longer will we dwell in this sinful world as strangers and pilgrims. We look for a city, heavenly Jerusalem, whose maker and builder is God.

The Levites were said to have God as their inheritance. That is our inheritance today in Christ. Christ has brought us to the Father, that we may know God and Jesus and walk in His holy ways. Again, eternal life is knowing the Father and Jesus His Son. The only way to know God is to understand Him by keeping His commandments. That’s why only the faithful spiritual priests who have made a covenant with God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be allowed into the new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness. All sinners will be excluded. No sinner has eternal life abiding in him. All sinners go to the lake of fire where they will be tormented day and night forever. No sinner has any inheritance from God.

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Galatians 4:7

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1:12

In order to be a heir of God, one must first be a son or daughter of God. Inheritance is for family members. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become children of God. When we walk as Jesus walked, we are certifying ourselves that we are the sons and daughters of God. We have an eternal inheritance because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One must be in Jesus in order to have eternal life, which is our inheritance. What greater gift could God give to us than to give us Himself! He’s worth more than anything in the world and giving Himself away in love is the highest gift He could bestow. Hence, Jesus, who laid down His life for us as a pattern for us to follow in the steps of eternal life. How simple yet profound are the ways of God! What a glorious mystery the Lord is revealing before our eyes!

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Revelation 19:7-8

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:2

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:17

Eternal life is all about our marriage to Jesus Christ. We collectively as believers in Christ are His body, are His flesh. We are the wife that He is coming back for soon. We are engaged to Christ because He has given us His Holy Spirit, which is the down payment or engagement ring that shows we belong to Christ. Our husband Christ is the heir of all things by the will of His Father. As His Wife, we get to co-participate in all the wonderful things that God has prepared for those that love Him. We own everything because our husband Christ owns everything. All things that pertain to life and godliness are ours in Christ Jesus. Until that day of Christ comes, we must show ourselves faithful to our future husband.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Revelation 21:7

In the book of Revelation Christ has made many wonderful promises to the overcomers. Those that do not defile themselves with this wicked world we live in. All His promises add up to eternal life with Him. What a great blessing we have from the Lord. All we must do is overcome in this present evil world. If we are faithful to do that, then all of God’s glory is there for us to enjoy forever! If we can overcome in this contrary world, then it will be so easy to continue overcoming in a perfect world wherein dwells righteousness forevermore.

Keep yourself unspotted from this world, for in doing so you will purchase to yourself the blessing of eternal life. God being your inheritance and you being God’s inheritance. Sharing all things together as one body in Christ. What a blessing from the Lord! He truly is a good God and desires to walk with those who will walk in His righteousness of Jesus Christ. You can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. Glory to God in the highest. Amen.

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 26:1

God takes idolatry very seriously. It is a threat to His preeminence in our lives and must be treated as such. Idols are physical or spiritual images that take the place of love for God in our hearts. Idolatry is all about lust and wrong desires. Anything can be an idol. It used to be that idols were images carved out of wood or stone or gold that people bowed down to and worshiped. Now, idols are anything that one bows down to in his or her heart.

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 14:3-8

God treats the matter of idolatry with a Father’s heart. He loves His people and does not desire that they forsake Him with their hearts. When someone sets up an idolatrous image in their hearts and minds, it grieves the heart of God, it injures the heart of God. God’s kingdom is made up of people that have put away idolatry far from their hearts. To them, God alone is to be worshiped and praised. He alone is to have the adoration of their hearts.

God is a jealous God. Jealous for the affection and attention of His people. He does not tolerate false idols in our lives. He lovingly exposes the idols for what they are and makes sure that we understand the severity of our treason against God. When God reveals an idol in your life, the best thing to do is what they did in the Old Testament days: smash them! Destroy them! Burn them! Throw them away from you like you would a dirty rag.

God has revealed idols in my life over the past several years. My CD collection was the first thing to go. It was a false idol in my life. I rejoiced in it more than I rejoiced in the Lord. It was mainly worldly music, which God takes no pleasure in. So, I did what the Lord told me to do. I got rid of my CD collection. Then it was my DVD collection, full of ungodly movies that don’t please or glorify the Lord. Then it was my addiction to pornography. Those are literally false images, set up for men to bow down to and worship. I purpose in my heart not to bow down to those images anymore, by the grace of God. So we see that anything can be an idol when it competes for affection to God. We need the same heart for these things that God has. Zero toleration. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Destroy these false idols before they destroy you!

That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

Ezekiel 23:37

One day the faithful bride will be married to Jesus Christ. Right now we are engaged to be married to Jesus Christ, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ is coming back for a pure bride, free from the pollutions of the world. Idols in our lives causes us to commit spiritual adultery against God and His Son Jesus Christ. It’s profane and needs to be dealt with. You must remove any graven images from your life, be they physical or spiritual or both. On judgement day, Christ will not tolerate any idols that were in your life. Now is the appointed time, today is the day of salvation. Rid yourself of what is holding you back from being a pleasing vessel unto the Lord. You must take this as seriously as God takes it, or the end will be destruction and perdition, away from the face of God forever. Fire and brimstone. Hell awaits any unrepentant idolater.

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

Acts 15:19-20

It’s interesting that the believers of the New Testament church found idolatry so important that it was mentioned as something to abstain from for the Gentile believers of that day. It is a short list of 4 things, but idolatry is mentioned among them. God hated it in the OT, and still hates it now in the NT. God will always hate that which separates a man from Him. Go now and make sure your hearts, that they flee from idolatry and every evil work. No sinner will enter heaven. Only ex-sinners who have repented of their evil and their witchcraft of idolatry.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

2 Corinthians 6:16

We are to be God’s temple. We are to be God’s dwelling place by the Holy Spirit. We are to be God’s people. What separates us from the world? A burning hatred for sin in all its forms, including idolatry. The temple of God, us, has no agreement, has no company with idols. Put away those filthy images and be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Christ in His love is withholding judgement, giving us time to be transformed to His will, which is holiness and righteousness. He is giving us time to smash the idols in our lives. We can’t play around with idols. That is harlotry. That is fornication. That is spiritual adultery against God. Put it all away and live only for the glory of God. Time is running out! Soon Christ will return or you will die and will be face to face with the God you claimed to love. Make sure your love is genuine and sincere by departing from every evil work.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

1 Thessalonians 1:9

These idols try to take the place of God in our hearts. They are false. They are liars. There is no truth in them. They will destroy you if you don’t destroy them first. You can’t walk God’s way and the way of idols at the same time. Choose you this day whom you will serve. You must turn from idols to serve the living and true God. God will not accept you as long as you are determined to hold onto your false idols. Root them out of your heart, as painful as it may be in the short term. In the long term you will be thankful. Put away the temporal pleasures of wicked things so that you may have eternal pleasures with God and His kingdom of righteousness.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

1 John 5:21

John ends the epistle of 1 John with a very important warning to the spiritually immature believers. Keep yourself from idols. Notice that the Lord will not be the one to do the keeping. It’s your heart and it must be your choice to forsake the things of the world, to forsake these false images, these idols that compete for the affection of your heart. God will give you grace of His Word and His Spirit to help you when you are tempted. He will make a way of escape. He can’t override your will. He can’t change your heart without your will and permission. It is a sign of spiritual maturity that one has cut out idols out of his or her life. Let us go on to spiritual maturity in all things. Let the days of idolatry be the days of the past!

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Colossians 3:5

Paul gives us further clarification as to what idolatry is. Covetousness is idolatry. Greedy desires to have more and more of the world. That is covetousness. Love not the world, neither the things or idols that are in the world. Love God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind. Keeping His commandments will keep you in the path that leads to righteousness. You will be far from the path of idolatry and wickedness. Make your calling and election sure by laying hold of, by seizing eternal life. Flee from idolatry! Run the way of righteousness as God enlarges your heart. Seek the Lord and His righteousness forevermore. Tell the Lord your heart belongs to Him and then show it to be true by loving Him daily, by picking up your cross and following Christ daily. There is no other way to show love than to lay down your life for God’s sake. Be willing to cut out idols out of your life, rather, allow God to cut them out with the sword of His Spirit, the Word of God. Beware of idols, but be at peace in the Lord. He will reveal what needs to go out of your life. If your heart doesn’t condemn you, then you have confidence towards God. Amen.