The Scales of Justice

by gonzodave

GOD'S VIEW OF RELIGION

Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you

through an empty, deceitful philosophy [theology]
that is according to human traditions and the
elemental spirits of the world, and not according to
Christ. 1 For if Abraham was declared righteous by
the works of the law, he has something to boast
about but not before God. For what does the
scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was
credited to him as righteousness." Now to the one
who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but
due to obligation. But to the one who does not work,
but believes in the one who declares the ungodly
righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness. 2

THE SCALES OF JUSTICE

A recent poll indicates that a majority of churched Americans hold the belief that heaven is
a reward for good deeds. Personal sins and meritorious acts will be weighed on a set of
scales by the God of the Bible Himself. This reckoning is considered a determination of one's
final destiny. In Western culture this fits the very icon of justice - and blind faith.

I consider the day to day reality of this kind of belief to be a martyrdom. A

martyrdom of doubt, or sacrificing for a cause which
denies the certain knowledge that you and, those you
love, will be together in heaven. On the other hand, a
Muslim with a better grasp of his sacred text in Sirah
9:111, has a sure way to heaven. He has a guarantee of
salvation when he suicides for Islam. The effect of which
he hopes to make heaven his day to day reality. These two
views of religion and God maintain widely differing ideas of
the eternal state and what is expedient, I admit, but a
parallel means of obtaining a heavenly end may be noted -
that of what man may do for God. This is the fatal
syncretism of religious-humanism - saved by faith - yet,
sanctified by the flesh. The classic antithesis of monergism
versus synergism. 3

To illustrate, further similarities exist between the Muslim who follows radical Islam and the
American who follows populist Christianity. The soon-to-be-gone Muslim, true to his
teaching, earnestly believes God's reward is carnal pleasure now in exchange for his jihad (a
struggle by heart, tongue, hand, or sword to please God and lead a virtuous life. 4). As he is
taught, the American, who has only a hope and no assurance of heaven, sincerely believes
God will reward him with a measure of health, wealth, and happiness now in exchange for
his jihad.

The religious American and the devout Muslim

share much in common. Both focus on the here
and now. Also, under the threat of expulsion,
radical Islam and popular Christianity have
expositors who put upon the supplicants a pay-
as-you-go duty to give them God's money, as
the tithe or zakat. Each religion reveres and
maintains the bones of the same dead
patriarchs. Mutually, they are a stipulated
assortment of communal postures, prayers and
ordinances to gain the favor of God. The
followers of each believe that the question of
heaven is answered by death. At which time a
just God is obligated to give them what they deserve. They share in the belief that heaven
is a reward.

GOD SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS! From those who pronounce God
as a four syllable word; religious garb and rings that need
to be kissed; from those who pronounce sin in a high nasal
pitch; from those who film themselves screaming your
praise and wiping their mouths and foreheads with the
same cloth; from greed and the prosperity gospel; from
those who film themselves healing in huge sports arenas
not hospitals; from killer martyrs and their bombs; from
those who film themselves separating the head from the
body of an innocent kidnapped victim; from those who
pride themselves as your 144,000; and those who
accumulate vast records of birth and death in order to
conscript and baptize the dead into a non-Christian heaven.

But first and foremost, save the lost from those who,
through ignorance or by design, insult Your Son and Your
untold grace by following a false hope in religious
humanism to teach SALVATION BY CHRIST IS IN
CONTINUED FAITH. Only because Your justice was
completely satisfied in the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, may we believe the Good News
that SALVATION IN CHRIST IS FOR FAITH to release us from the law of sin and death.

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1 Col 2:8 NET (brackets mine, this writer) NET

2 Rom 4:2-5 (verse omission mine) NET
3 http://www.monergism.com/what_is_monergism.php
4 Microsoft Encarta 2006
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 David Coulon 2007-2008
Creative Commons 3.0 Non-Derivative No Commercial use license. Free to share. Please use
with proper credit.