The Need For Biblical Standards

This is one of the problems we hear so much about in our public education. That is, the need for a National Teachers Exam, where all teachers will be tested by a CERTAIN STANDARD, and if they cannot pass the test, they cannot teach.

But there is a lot of opposition to this, because the teachers union fears that many could not pass a National Teachers Exam. But it is important that we have ACADEMIC STANDARDS for our STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.

A society can not get along without STANDARDS. For example:

(1) IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS ON THE HIGHWAYS

For example, suppose as you were traveling down the highway:

• Someone came by so fast, all you could see was a glance at their taillights.

• You passed someone who was driving so slow that you could not help but wonder why they do not get out and walk, they could make better time.

When it comes to the highways we drive on each day, we all recognize that we have to have a standard for speed on the highways. That is, we are given a maximum and a minimum speed we can travel at.

IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS ON THE HIGHWAYS, but also it is-

(2) IMPORTANT WE HAVE A STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING THINGS

For example, the simple matter of buying gasoline could become a major problem if every gas station owner were free to decide how many quarts make a “gallon.”

The government sends people to check out these gas stations frequently, so that when we buy a gallon of gas at one station we get the same amount at the next.

Also it is-

(3) IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS

What would baseball be like if there were no standards? We have the standard THREE STRIKES AND YOU ARE OUT. This same standard is used for every game.

Football has a standard that a team must carry the football one- hundred yards before they can SCORE a touch down.

This is the same standard used in every game. Standards are important when it comes to sports, but also it is-

(4) IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

WHAT IS THE STANDARD FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? It is the Word of God!

What I think and what you think is not really significant, what matters is, WHAT GOD’S WORD HAS TO SAY.

That is, each day we live our life, the STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD tells us WHAT IS RIGHT and WHAT IS WRONG.

It was that way in the Old Testament.

For example, look at Deut. 25:13-16. We read, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

God’s Word is the STANDARD by which we live our Christian life.

But the problem seems to be that CHRISTIANS ARE AFRAID TO TAKE A STAND ON THE STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD! WHY?

Because it gets them into trouble with people they have to deal with, who refuse to allow the Standard of God’s Word to control their lives.

Illus: For example, an umpire was standing behind the catcher calling the strikes and the balls. The fellow at bat was a very big fellow and so was the catcher. The umpire was a very small fellow. The pitcher pitched the first ball, and the umpire yelled, “Strike One”. The very large batter turned around and gave him a look like he was fixing to break the bat over his head. The next pitch he yelled, “Ball One” and the very large catcher got up, and looked like he was about to shove the ball down his throat. The umpire was very nervous. When the third ball was pitched, he yelled “Two”. And both of them said, “Two what”? He said, “Too close to call!”

This is the same reason many are afraid to take a stand for what is right. They are afraid of what others might SAY or DO to them.

God’s Word sets STANDARDS for what we must do to please the Lord. It is obvious that the STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD are not being followed.

Let us look at two things, the PROBLEM and the SOLUTION to the problem.

I. LET’S LOOK AT THE PROBLEM

When it comes to living by BIBLICAL STANDARDS, we need to consider-

A. ARE WE RIGHT IN OUR METHOD