Man has developed an important way of recognizing great stones. It is known as the 4 C’s system: Cut, Carat, Clairity, and Color.
Romans 12:2. & Colossians 3:2-5
Well I have studied to see how God looks at his stones for value. It turns out that he values them in an opposite manner. Men look down to value; but, God values as to how the stones look up.
Scripture has revealed the 4 G’s in this rating: Grace, Gifts, Glory, & Guarded.
There are so many stories and verses I could reference with these I am going to try and use the most dramatic in relationship.
1. “GRACE”- in the opposite of the 4 C’s if you do not recognize God’s grace then you will “not make the Cut”. God’s creation screams out his creation of You. If you ignore the only sacrifice that is sufficient for your forgiveness of your sins against him by his grace, you will miss the cut into his family, home and care. Your name will be blotted out from the Lambs Book of Life.
You may be a diamond like all humans he has created but the ones that don’t make the cut are used like my diamond saw. If you think you can deny his grace and you find yourself or others find you doing “good deeds” you will be like the diamonds being ground into dust (Psalms 34:16). You might think your actions are “good deeds”, but you are actually experiencing what is the true definition of “depravity” ( Proverbs 21:4)!
2 Cor. 12:9 & 2 Cor. 9:8 &
Ephesians 2:8:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8 KJV
Gifts- in the opposite of the 4 C’s you would have looked at size but God looks at the “heart”.
“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”-
1 Samuel 16:7 KJV
http://bible.com/1/1sa.16.7.KJV
It is God who values true worth! A woman gave 2 mites (the smallest coin the Romans had) yet God saw it was HUGE! This is one of the hardest things Christians can find when looking through God’s loupe at one’s gifts to God. 1st at has to be given in faith and also from the heart. It even is said that you might accomplish this if you don’t let your left hand know what your right hand gave. When a person asks God for something this same principle applies. Jesus was asked by a thief to forgive him and remember him in his kingdom. Jesus forgave the filthy rag as we all should recognize ourselves as.
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.”-
Proverbs 16:2 KJV
http://bible.com/1/pro.16.2.KJV
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17:10 KJV
http://bible.com/1/jer.17.10.KJV
& Jeremiah 12:3
& 1 Choronicles 12:9
& 2 Cor. 12:8-9
& Eph. 4:7
& 1 Peter 4:10
3. Glory – the opposite of man’s view of clarity is how man gives God the Glory for what he is, has done, has built, has given, has done in all his ways. Human nature is to recognize the clear and amazing beauty of our works. God says in all things we are to give him glory. So, when the loupe shows clouds in our lives God wants us to give him glory. When we see carbon spots of failure or bad circumstances that we had no control over, God demands glory. Looking up and praising him in hail storms is really hard and almost impossible especially in constant hail storms (like Paul’s continual thorn in his side, or Job’ hail storm with a deadly tornado).
“Give unto the Lord , ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.”
1 Chronicles 16:28 KJV
In all and all this must be as clear as it gets when looking up:
“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,”-
Acts 7:55 KJV
4. Guarded Rigteousness- what is the opposite of Color in the relationship to the 4 C’s? Well, I immediately thought of God looking at us in our life as a Christian having to work out our sanctification as Jesus was beaten, bruised, cut and humiliated for my sake (purple, red, dirty brown, and blue would be many colors he endured as the best and supreme example of what God has told us would be necessary in following him. Warriors stand beside warriors. Warriors who are really good at surviving have stories with every bruise, scar and callous on their feet and hands. God guards us if we are his (as in the 1st “G”- Cain had several chances for forgiveness to be saved but he choose to do without him. Then God removed the hedge of protection from around him that he really didn’t realize or care about. However, he immediately fell to the worse enemy, Satan. We all need spiritual guardians against spiritual enemies. Those that don’t choose God tend to believe likewise it won’t matter and they would just be on their team, all being against God. However, the truth is the spirits against God are also against them. but God requires that we grow in him in order to help others in the war. You can not defend against the enemies ways without learning the word of God.
“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”
Job 1:10 KJV
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 KJV
It requires the armor of God! We are helpless without it. God sees great value in Christians growing in the faith and helping defend others in their battles against the enemies (prayer and righteous correction, Godly training and witnesssing) looking to him and not of ourselves for strength and him defeating the enemy!
