Marty Griffith

Why do people go to Hell?

Most people, even those who have espoused Christianity, would say that there is some sort of scale and all of your works are placed on that scale. The scale might resemble an old scale 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 on the other side.

It is my opinion that the hopelessness of this scale and also the deception of making it on our own merit cause many to be lost for eternity.

Just the thought of my works being measured this way causes me to shudder. The words of Daniel 5:27 come to mind,

Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

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 the good deeds go in 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 EVERYTHING 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 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!!! I might as well have said, “What a fool!”. Well, now I’m about two minutes into my day and my good works that I did throughout the day are already balanced against 2 bad works within one minute of each other. I’m still ahead, but I know this game isn’t going to last long.

Weighed in the balance and found wanting.

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 dwelling on and meditating upon the word that is in my memory and heart. 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 150 to 200 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!!!

Weighed in the balance 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?”

I was in a Bible class with an elder once who was describing grace. He also used the balance scale as a way of describing the good and the bad that we do. Then he said that what Jesus does is He balances the scale for us. Friends that isn’t the way God’s grace works. God does not grade on a curve. He demands total PERFECTION! I cannot live up to that. Jesus came, as prophesied, first in Genesis 3:15, and He fulfilled the type of the Old Testament sacrifices to perfection. He fulfilled this type to perfection because He is in actuality the type. All of those sacrifices pointed to Him and to Calvary. Jesus doesn’t help me by adding His works to mine. Jesus took my place at Calvary. He took my punishment as the perfect sacrifice. His works replace my works on the balance. It is not me that lives, but it is Him that lives in me! It is not me and works that are judged, but it was Him, who took my place and my punishment. In my sinful state 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 accounted to me and God calls me righteous. Oh Praise His Name!!!! What does righteousness mean? Simply, it means to be right with God.

Friend, if you think you can measure up to God’s scales, you are sadly mistaken. Remember God does not compare us with Joe Christian across the street. God measures all of mankind against the perfect Son of God. You cannot be good enough to measure up against His perfection. You can, however wear His perfection. Through His death on the cross and His shed blood you can be called righteous or right 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. Aren’t you tired of trying and hoping to be good enough to be saved or spared from eternal torment? “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 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.

Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting