Matt Hagee - All Things Being Equal
Have more hope in it than the things that we're struggling with today, then the scales must be balanced. What is out of place needs to be replaced. What is being debated and argued finally needs to come to a decision and be done. The things that are pulling this nation and people apart must be overwhelmed by the values that bring us all together. Because if we don't balance the scales, if we don't bring order back into our society, then we, this generation, my generation, will be forced to tell our children why we forfeited our freedoms and tell our grandchildren about the blessings that we threw away. This morning, this message is entitled "All Things Being Equal". Read with me 1 Peter 3:18. If you found it, say, amen. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust: that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit".
Heavenly Father, today we have come into your sanctuary and opened up your word that it might divinely judge the hearts and minds of those who are here and those who are watching. Let us recognize how much you care and consider each and every one of us as your children, your creation, filled with a hope and a future. It's in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, that we pray and ask these things. And all of God's children said, amen.
You may be seated. No matter what era of history you consider, every one of us would want to make sure that the scales we're using are fair, balanced, and accurate. Now scales in our day means something totally different than they did in the ancient times of the Bible. But even in our modern world, how many of you want the scale that the doctor weighs you on to be fair, balanced, and accurate? How many of you find that a scale in your bathroom is more fair than the scale at the doctor's office? The thing about scales is that they measure true value. When you put something on one side, you have to go find the equal amount of weight to put on the other so that there is a balance in between the two sides. And then we recognize what it's worth.
When you read the Bible, and it tells you that Abraham gave 400 shekels of silver, that's not 400 coins. A shekel in the ancient time was a unit of measure. And what Abram would do is he would pile up silver on one side of the scale. And then the individual, who was using the scale, would put 400 shekels, weights, on the other side. And only when they came into balance was the deal made. Only when the scales balanced was everyone being treated fairly, and each and every person given equal consideration. Whenever you weigh something and you reached this level of balance, the individual doing the weighing would say, "All things created equal," meaning as long as nothing changes, this scale is balanced. And the thing about it is he had to make that statement because there's elements and outside factors that could change the weight.
For example, if you got to a higher altitude, the weights changed. Did you know on the moon, you way nothing? I wish they'd bring that lunar scale down here to earth. The reality is until we get an honest, accurate measure, we're never going to be able to determine the value of each and every person. And the only scales that we can use are the scales of truth. But whose truth? Whose scales give every person a fair shake? God put such a premium on honest scales that in Proverbs 16:11, he said, "Honest weights and scales are the Lord's. All of the weights in the bag are his". God was saying to those who were reading, and listening, and hearing, then and now, his values never change. His truth is not on a sliding scale. The measure of its cost in Genesis is the same measure, and its price is still the same today. The weight that was required to balance the scales of unrighteousness, it has not changed!
Sin is considered in the scriptures, in James 4:17. And here is what "Sin" is defined as. It's defined this way: "To him who knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin". The measure of its cost has not changed. Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death". The weight required to balance the scales when sin and death are hanging in the balance is the same as it has been from the very beginning. Because Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin". The question has to be asked: whose scales do we use to bring balance into our life? And the truth is those scales must be big enough to manage the weight of the issues of our day.
Today I want to give you the opportunity to consider three different sources of scales that we might use. Two are very active in the world we live in today. One is often ignored. But before we consider the scales, you need to know this: according to Proverbs 11:1, the Bible says, "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord". When the look up the word "Abomination," literally what it means is that it is something that causes the fire of rage and disgust to burn in God. It's not something he looks at and says, "Well I just don't like it". When he looks at it, he wants to destroy it. Why? Because dishonest scales favor one over another, when the Bible says, "The Lord is the maker of us all". Dishonest scales give privilege to some and abuse others, when the Bible says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Dishonest scales look balanced, but the truth is somebody played with the dial and gives it an appearance that it doesn't really possess. And when Gods sees them, he doesn't say, "I don't like them". He says, "I hate them".
So consider the scale of political correctness. It's far too weak. It's been way too corrupted and manipulated with words like "Sensitivity" and "Tolerance". The truth is politically-correct scales do not have the courage to weigh the truth. You put your life in the scales of political correctness, and it will not measure your true value. It'll rob you of your highest potential and it'll bankrupt you of your future. Simply ask the question, who am i? It's a very valid question? Who created me? What's my purpose? Ask those questions on politically-correct scales. Who am i? Hey, who am I to tell you who you are? I can't label you. I can't define you. Why don't you get in touch with your feeling, and then tell me how you feel. And then once I know how you feel, then we'll know how we can identify you.
One of the reasons that the world is so out of balance is because politically-correct scales for all of the things that they're trying to create order for, they only bring more chaos. Because the one burden they cannot bear is the burden of reality. They don't want to bear the truth. They've exchanged truth for political correctness. They've ignored facts and put in the equation, feeling. They know what they want to pretend to be reality. But the second that somebody stands up with a conviction in their heart, soul, mind, and body: that individual is targeted. That individual is slandered. That individual, if they dare disagree, are labeled "Intolerant" in the name of tolerance. Why are these scales dishonest? Why would God call them "An abomination"? Because these scales always lie. They'll lie to you about your identity. They'll lie to you about life and where it comes from.
Put the value of life in politically-correct scales, and people in the political-correct mantra, will tell you, "I'm pro-choice". "Pro-choice" in the equation of life means that you can murder an unborn baby. It doesn't matter their culture. It doesn't matter the demographic. It doesn't matter the economic group. It doesn't matter where they come from. All children in abortion are created equally. They can all be killed right up to nine months. That's in politically-correct scales. And they consider that to be life? They'll let millions of babies be murdered and never say anything about the organizations who have blood on their hands. But let a pastor have a church service where not everybody's wearing a mask, and suddenly he's got blood on his hands?
Another set of scales that some would like to use, they're different than politically-correct scales. They're social scales. These scales are dishonest. These scales are an abomination unto God. Why? Because politically-correct scales want to exchange facts for feelings. And social scales want to create your future with facts from the past. Social scales take all of this data and all of this information, and they make pie charts and bar graphs, and they write research papers. And they use all of this to determine your destiny. Social scales say everyone who looks like you, grew up like you, lived like you, voted like you, went to school where you went, did what you did, has been through what you've been through, all of that is put into the information that we put on the scales. And when we balance it out, we can tell you who you will be, what you will do, and how far you will go. They want everyone to be standardized and be put right in their perfect little slot and don't get out of balance.
You may ascend for a little while. But socially and economically, you'll get right back down here to where you belong, because history has proven over and over and over again: you cannot be any more than we say. These scales are an abomination to God. Why? Because they hinder and they restrain what God has called blessed, privileged and favored. They enslave and they shackle entire generations with entitlements. And they prevent personal growth and empowerment while claiming to be compassionate and concerned. There is no equal justice on these social scales. Because if you break the law in office, you get a book deal. And if you break the law in the street, you'll get the book thrown at you. So whose scales do we use? Politically-correct scales don't work. Social scales are an abomination.
The truth is the only set of scales big enough to balance the chaos and the order of our day. The only scale strong enough to endure the deception of a generation are the words of a living God that have never faltered or failed. The only scales accurate enough to make sure that all of us are treated equally and with justice are the only scales that have ever equally valued every life, justly weighed every motive, and made sure every individual was given their full worth. Are the scales of the Holy Spirit-inspired Word of God big enough? Yes. For the Bible says that from the very words of this book, the foundations of the world were laid. It's upon this rock that your life is built for a firm foundation. This book heals from the very least to the very greatest and all places in between. Are they big enough for the job?
Listen to what God said about his scales. He said, "Who has weighed the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance"? He picks up the earth as if it were a small thing, according to Isaiah 40. That means that whenever you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, God looks at it and says, it is but a small thing. Come put it in my scales. You're not big enough to carry that, but lay that burden down here and I'll show you what promise I have that's going to outweigh the problem you're trying to solve. God can take every burden in your life, and he can put it on the scales of his righteousness. And his love, and his grace, and his mercy, and his justice will make sure that you are treated fairly. Your needs will not overwhelm him. Your problem is not bigger than what he can solve. Though a host and an army should rise against you, he'll be a refuge, and he'll be a strength. He'll be a rock and he'll be your salvation. So how accurate are these scales? God said, "All the weights, they're in my bag".
Now the reason that the weights for the scales were held in a bag is because once they were true, you needed to protect them. Because if a shekel weight got chipped and it didn't weigh a shekel any longer: it only weighed a half shekel, but it was still marked a shekel, it was inaccurate. If it was worth a hundred shekels and it got chipped, and it was worth only 97 shekels, then it was inaccurate. And if the weights were ever determined to be inaccurate, then every deal that was ever consummated on those scales would be null and void. You understand how chaotic that would be? So whenever they decided that these scales were accurate, the person who kept the scales would keep the weights in a bag and make sure that nothing in those scales changed. And when God says, "All of the weights are in my bag," he's saying I'm the one who watches the scales of truth and righteousness. And I'm the one who ensures that the weights don't change.
It's a very important principle to understand, because that helps us recognize that the world we're living in, when we say that the Word of God has been misinterpreted, that's wrong. The weight is not in your hands: it's in his bag. God's scales are so accurate when he says, "All of the weights". He measures the big things and he measures the small things. He measures your thoughts. He measures your words. He measures your deeds. He measures your actions. He measures your motives. He measures everything that no one else can see, hear, or understand. He sees it. He hears it. He knows it. He puts it in the scale and he measures it. That's something that will give us a pause and thought if you really want to consider it.
You see in the world that we live in, we see scales tilting in the favor of some and not in the favor of others. And we know that earthly judges sometimes don't make just decisions. And so we want to take that characteristic and give it over to God, and say, maybe there's a time when God wasn't just. Maybe there's a time when he didn't do it right. But all of the weights in the bag are his. They were perfect. They are perfect. And they'll forever be perfect. Deuteronomy 32:4, it says, "His work is perfect: for all of his ways are just". So when God weighs something, just like they did in the ancient times and just like they do in our time, I believe that he weighed it and he said, "All things being equal," because equality is something that we put a premium on. "All things being equal". Equality is something that we see an entire generation in this nation craving today. "All things being equal".
The beauty of the scales of God's word is that there is nothing in heaven above nor the world beneath that has the power to knock them out of balance. So where on earth did God look at every one of us as equal? We read it this morning, 1 Peter 3:18. It says, "For Christ suffered once, the just for the unjust". You see the truth is there's only two types of people in this whole world that have ever been created. And they're being weighed in the balance. People say, "Pastor, don't be so close-minded. That's not politically correct. There's not just two types of people". Wrong! The truth says there's only two types, the just and the unjust. What about every different kind of culture? The just and the unjust. What about my background? The just and the unjust. What about creeds, and colors, and types, and tribes, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations? The just and the unjust.
Count up every type of diversity that you can find, number all of their differences, and learn all of their languages. God says it still doesn't matter. There's only two, the just and the unjust. The just never committed a sin. The unjust, no matter who they are, no matter where they came from, were born in sin. The just was considered the darling of heaven in need of nothing. The unjust was shackled to sin and deserved nothing. The just was the only begotten Son of God our father in heaven. The unjust was imprisoned in death, enslaved to iniquity, and sentenced to a place called hell. But one day, God Almighty looked at all of the unjust, you, and me, and every other human being, and he placed us in the scale. And he said, "All other things being equal". He considered all of us in the same manner, every transgression, every sin, every unrighteousness. And into those scales, he placed justice. And there in the balance, he put his son Jesus Christ. And in that moment, the just for the unjust suffered and died.
Oh, what God did at Calvary when he twisted the truth on an old rugged cross. Oh, what God did at Calvary when he stretched the truth between heaven and earth. Oh, what God did at Calvary when he bent the truth with the stripes that were borne on his back. Oh, what God did in Calvary when he gave us the naked truth and buried it in a grave, but three days later, the truth arose! And whom the son sets free is free indeed!
Thank you, God, that the just have balanced out the unjust! Give the Lord a shout of praise! Truth conquered death. Truth set every captive free. Truth sealed every promise. Truth made a way where there seemed to be no way. And now because of those righteous scales, all things being equal, whom the son sets free is free indeed. Child of God, don't you let the scales of this world devalue you. Don't you let somebody tell you who you are from the lens of political correctness, or who you are from the statistics of a social society. You look at the scales of righteousness and you recognize that you are a child of the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and the royal blood of heaven is flowing in your veins. Because that's what Christ did when he balanced the scales and he brought you into his kingdom and family.
Can we stand? You're in this place, and you say, pastor, my life is out of balance. I've let the unrighteous scales of this world measure my worth. I've let people's opinions decide my outcome. I've allowed every expert to tell me who I am rather than the promise of God to find my path. And today I need to bring that back into balance before I leave this sanctuary. If that's you, I want you to raise your hand right where you are. Others of you in this place, you say, "Pastor, I haven't received Christ as my Savior. I'm still in the unjust pan, and I need for the blood of Jesus Christ to come and balance things out in my life so that I can be justified by his grace, by his mercy, by his favor".
And today, if you want to receive Christ as your Savior, right where you are, I want you to raise your hand. Those of you, who are watching from the states here in the United States and places around the world, no matter where you are today: Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, wants you to know that he brought you to this moment that he might touch your heart and bless your life. So while we pray here in this room, I want you to join us, and let the same presence of the Holy Spirit that's in this place, fill your heart, fill your life where you are today. Everyone here, under the sound of my voice, I want you to lift your hands and repeat this prayer with me.
Lord Jesus Christ, today I thank you that you have weighed my life in your righteous scales. And you have found enough value in me: that you would die that I might live: that you would give that I might receive: that you would embrace me when the world has rejected me. Lord today, let your promise, let your truth come alive in me. And let the salvation of your son be my portion. In Jesus' name, I receive it. Amen.