God’s Plumb Line
Scripture: Amos 3:3; 7:7-8; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 28:16
Last week I shared with you my message titled “Being Independent Together.” I opened the message with what was recorded in the third chapter of the book of Amos. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” At the close of the message I told you that for Christians to be independent together with God requires us to come into agreement with Him. As Amos said, two cannot walk together if there is no agreement. We love the saying “Won’t He Do It!” because we know that God can do all things. When we come into agreement with Him, we can depend on Him “doing it” – whatever that “it” is for us in the moment. But we also have a role to play. We must come into agreement with Him in order to walk with Him. We must come into agreement with Him in order for Him “to do it.” Unlike our personal relationships, where each person gives and takes in order to form an agreement, when it comes to our relationship with God, we are to come into agreement with Him. There is no give and take which I will explain more later in the message. God has a standard and it is our responsibility to learn it, know it, accept it and then live by it. Believe me when I tell you that the interpretation of the standard can be different depending on who you are talking to, but God knows what it is and it does not change. This morning I want to encourage you to set aside what you think you know and start searching. We cannot meet a standard that we do not know exists. The title of my message this morning is “God’s Plumb Line.”
When I was a young man, I worked sometimes with my grandfather during the summer building or repairing houses. My grandfather was a carpenter, mason, electrician, and plumber; a true “jack of all trades” of which he mastered. Once when I was working with him on a new house, we were working on the foundation for which the home would be built on. I watched as my grandfather took a string and tied it from one end of the foundation to the next creating a straight, balanced line. I asked him what the purpose of the string was and he told me that it would be used to ensure that the foundation wall was built straight and level. Based on the line created by this string, we began building the wall of the foundation. That string actually ensured that the wall was straight regardless of the slope of the yard. I was amazed at how he did that and knew it was a gift from God.
As we worked on the wall, my grandfather would check the wall, constantly comparing it to the string. Then he would hold up a leveler to ensure that everything was where it was supposed to be. His string gave him the guide that he needed to make sure the walls were straight. I remembered this when I was repairing my fence at our previous home. Mr. Ernest came over to help me and sure enough, when he saw the slope of the yard the first thing he did was put up a plumb line. He ran the line from one end of the fence to the other and that plumb line made sure that the boards we were putting up followed the slope of the yard and was even all the way down. He also showed me some new tricks to ensure that the space between each board was even and squared. My point in telling you this is that the plumb lines that my grandfather and Mr. Ernest used were the guides to make sure the foundation and my fence were built correctly. I won’t tell you what my fence looked like when I repaired it alone without a plumb line.
God has a plumb line. He has a standard. He knows where He wants us to be and how we should get there and He has provided a path for us if we are willing to take it. As we go through this message this morning, I want you to think about your plumb line. The reason we need to think about this is because if your plumb line is based on mine, then your plumb line is not secure. If your plumb line is based on your parents, friend, society, or any other standard for which you are basing your standards on, then your plumb line is not secure. The kinds of instruments we use to measure our life will often determine what we uncover and how we face life in general. When we begin to examine our plumb lines, if they are faulty – based on the world’s standard of right and wrong – our assessments of where we are will be faulty. When our assessments are off – when they are different from God’s assessments – we cannot course correct to mirror our plumb lines to God’s.
Before we go further, I want to explain a little more about a plumb line. As with my grandfather’s use of the string, a plumb line was a length of string that had a weight tied to one end. When the string is held up with the weighted end hanging down, gravity ensures that the string is perfectly vertical making it a reference line to ensure a structure is centered. The plumb line ensures that everything is right, justified and centered. When held next to a building, the plumb line provides a sure measurement by which to check whether or not the structure is “in line” with the physical universe. A building in line with the plumb line will be sturdy and it will function in the way that it is “designed to function.” Now if the building’s walls are out of line, they are not straight and will eventually collapse. A sad example of this was the collapse of condominium in Miami. The shifting sand caused the foundation of the building to misalign which led to its collapse. In order for a plumb line to work properly, the weight at the end of the line must not be obstructed (hindered) by any outside force. It must be allowed to hang free. So the weight cannot be allowed to rest on the ground because the line could then be shifted even though the weight is stationary. I want you to see this clearly. God’s plumb line is His Word and if we are measuring our plumb lines next to His then we cannot obstruct His Word. In other words, we must accept what the Bible says without adding anything to it. Yes I know the Bible was written thousands of years ago and the culture at that time is different from the culture we live in today. But the core tenants of what the Bible teaches about how we are to live are still applicable for us today. God’s Word is keeping the line straight. Now, for the purposes of this message, I want you to think of the weight at the end of our plumb line as being how we choose to interpret the Word of God. If we read and accept it “as is” our weight is not obstructed and the line is held straight. But, if we begin to question God’s Word and its meaning for our lives as individuals, then we allow the weight to rest on the ground ultimately allowing us to keep the line straight even though it’s tilted off center. Now the line looks straight to us, but in reality it’s no longer centers when placed next to God’s plumb line. So the fact that it’s not straight when it’s placed next to God’s is where our problems begin. This will become clearer as I demonstrate it as get go further into the message. When we alter God’s Word we shift our plumb line even though God’s plumb line does not change. When we do this we ultimately begin utilizing a false plumb line. And, my friends, as you will hear in this message, when we are using a false plumb line, whatever we are measuring will be off and therefore unstable.
Amos 7:7-8 records the following, “Thus He showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8And the LORD said unto me, ‘Amos, what see you?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then said the Lord, ‘Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel: I will not again pass by them anymore.” (Amos 7:7-8) The prophet Amos recorded in his vision that God was getting ready to test His people – to measure their obedience – according to His plumb line. Amos prophesied in Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II. While this was during a time of much peace and prosperity, Amos argued that Israel was going in the wrong direction with an example being “they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals.” (Amos 2:6) They were doing a lot more than this before the eyes of God. Amos proclaimed God’s judgment upon His people for failing to live by God’s standards of justice and righteousness. Now I want you to understand something New Light: God had judged Israel on five separate occasions in Amos chapter 4. After each judgment, the book records the following, “Yet ye have not returned to Me, says the Lord.” (verses 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11) The children of Israel were rebelling against God’s holy standards and they were unrepentant. But Amos pleads with God two times to relent from His judgment and God does. But when God told him that He was getting ready to judge Israel with a plumb line, Amos did not intercede. He knew God was giving them a standard from which He would measure their conduct. He gave them the standard and it was now up to them to reach it. When God said He was setting a plumb line among His people, He was declaring an end to their attempts to justify their crooked ways. The Lord was setting the standard and that’s why He says at the end of verse 8 that “I will not pass by them anymore.” In other words, God says He will no longer spare them the judgment that they deserve. New Light, God does not negotiate His laws for anyone – He does not change with the whims of culture. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Won’t He do it? Amen, He will do every single thing that He said in His Word – when we are walking with Him and agreeing with Him.
There are several references in the Bible where the Lord speaks of being a builder. Isaiah 28:16 says, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not be in haste.’” This was the promise of the kingdom that Jesus would establish as the Messiah. Jesus is the precious cornerstone. God has a plumb line that He revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, and in His word, the Bible. If we are not using God’s plumb line as a measurement for our own, then we have a problem – and I am not just talking about our problems with sin, I am talking about a problem with living! Just as we cannot argue with the law of gravity, we cannot change the spiritual laws revealed to us in God’s word. We must measure our life by the plumb line of God’s word. The plumb line doesn’t change or move with the desires of the carpenter. It remains true, and all work must line up with it or risk being crooked. Now notice what was recorded in verse seventeen: “Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.” (Isaiah 28:17) Do you see it? Jesus became the precious cornerstone while justice was the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. As Jesus builds His kingdom, He is ensuring that it’s perfect in every way. There is a standard!
How does our plumb lines compare to God’s? Remember what I said earlier that if the weight attached to the line is allowed to rest on the ground then you are able to change the line off center while the line still appears straight? I want to demonstrate to you what this looks like. As we look at a few examples, please keep Proverbs 14:12 in mind as it says “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When we slightly shift our plumb lines off center from God’s plumb line, it might appear right in our eyes but the end is not good. Our plumb lines are only as good as they are aligned to God. So let’s look at a few examples before I close. Remember, Isaiah 28:17 says that righteousness is the plumb line. Righteousness is defined as “always behaving according to a religious or moral code” so we will use this definition for our plumb line examples this morning.
In First Timothy 6:10-11, God’s plumb line says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” God’s plumb line says that we should follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness and in doing so forsake the love of money. However, there are many Christians whose love of money is evident in how they practice their faith – God is a God of blessing us financially. If you don’t have riches it’s because you are not doing something right. First Timothy 6:10 says that because some coveted money they “erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” What they did was allow their plumb line to shift off center. The weight (God’s Word) was allowed to rest on the ground which allowed them to move the line. Although they shifted the line, God’s Word did not change leading to the statement that they pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Remember, God’s plumb line is set and even though we attempt to shift the line in our favor, in reality His line is still set. If your plumb line in line with God’s when it comes to your love of money?
In Proverbs 3:27-28, God’s plumb line says, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. 28Say not unto your neighbor, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it with you.” We are to do good to those who are in need or deserving of it, whenever we have the means and opportunity. Now if God’s poor are the owners of what we have and we are just the stewards and dispensers of God’s bounty to His servants who are in need, then how can we deny giving to the poor? If our plumb lines are in line with God, we will not hesitate to give freely to those in need. However, if we have allowed God’s Word to rest on the ground and we have shifted the line oh so slightly, then we feel justified in withholding our gifts since we do not know what the person will do with it. Someone said “They are fools that fear to lose their wealth by giving, but fear not to lose themselves by keeping it.” Is your plumb line in line with God when it comes to you giving to the poor?
In First John 2:9-11, God’s plumb line says, “He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. 11But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.” There are many, many Christians who hate some of their brothers. God’s plumb line says this is wrong. However, when we allow the weight to rest of the ground and we shift the line just a little, we comfort ourselves with the belief that God understands “why” I hate my brother. They have done terrible things to me so I am justified in my hate towards them. My question to those of you who hate, is your plumb line truly in line with God’s plumb line?
Let me give you one last example. In Second Peter 1:20-21 God’s plumb line says, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of one's own interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Also, in Second Timothy 3:16-17 it says “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” God’s plumb line says His Word was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is not up for individual interpretation. It also says that it is profitable for our growth in righteousness and everything pertaining to this life. So if I decide, as some have, that I can do what I want because God knows my heart then I can make His Word fit my life. I can cheat on my taxes because I need the money more than God does. I can lie if it’s for the greater good. I can steal if it for the benefit of others. Do you see what I am saying? When we change God’s Word to fit my individual circumstance then I am trying to move God’s plumb line and that never worked before nor will it work now.
New Light I want to leave you with this. It is not an easy task to live our lives according to God’s plumb line and that is why He has provided help for us. We are not in this alone. But in our present society, it will be difficult for any Church to operate according to God’s plumb line. Why do I say this? Because if a Church operates according to God’s plumb line then they have drawn a line in the sand that they will not cross and society is trying to erase the line. It would be very easy to be a pastor if I focused on making people happy and never talked about things that were wrong in the world. If I spent my time talking about the blessings of God and never about sin, we would have more members. If I focused on entertaining you and making the Church more of a social gathering where we came together and sung songs and shouted while we lived any old way outside of the Church, we would definitely have more members. But that is not who we are, or shall I say that is not who I am. One day I will stand before God alone to answer for my life and I do not want to try and explain to Him why I chose to make folks happy which ended up with them being in hell versus telling them the truth and making a stand for His word. No one will be able to defend me when I stand before Him so I must get this right now.
New Light, God has a plumb line – a standard. He has shown us how He wants us to live. We can make sure that our weight is not being hindered so that our line remains straight alongside God’s or we can choose to ignore parts of God’s Word that we do not agree with. But remember this, we are supposed to be a light that is shining in a world full of darkness and that can only happen when our plumb line if in line with God’s.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(We are once again conducting live services on Sunday morning beginning at 9:15 a.m. We will continue to broadcast live on Facebook Live at 10:00 a.m.. Please tune in to "New Light Christian Fellowship Church" and like our page if you wish to watch our broadcast and be notified when we go live. If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. We also have Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. via Zoom that you are also welcome to attend – please email me for the link. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
