God Is Keeping Score

By Dennis Stackhouse

How familiar are you with the concept of keeping score? Seems like a silly question since most are very aware of scores that are kept, especially when they involve us. Would you also say that it's accurate to indicate that we are a people who appreciate fairness, exercised toward ourselves and others? It should go without saying that fairness is very important to all of us.

There are many areas in this physical life where keeping score to ensure fairness would be abundantly evident. For example, a score is kept during a baseball game, or a basketball game, or a football game. Why? To fairly determine which team ultimately wins the game. In addition, a very accurate time clock is utilized to declare the winner of a race, whether it involves automobiles, swimmers, or those who are running on a track. These simple examples, and many others, should strike a familiar chord with us.

Since we are flesh and blood human beings, the physical world is important to our lives. We can only deal with the things that can be seen and touched and heard and smelled and tasted. That is the world we live in, the world where our familiarity rests. However, we need to understand that we are limited by the physical world, the things we experience on a physical plane. This is the case because there is another world surrounding us that deserves even more of our attention.

The most critical realm for each of us is the spiritual world, and it does surround us even though we may not always be aware of it. What I want to consider through this study is the fact that God is also keeping score. It seems obvious that there are many times when we feel cheated in this physical realm, that we have not been treated fairly. But when it comes to the spiritual realm, no one will ever be cheated or treated unfairly. And this can only occur because God is keeping score. As we shall see through the pages of this book, in a very real sense, God is the ultimate scorekeeper!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098095864

Book preview

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God Is Keeping Score

Dennis Stackhouse

Copyright © 2021 by Dennis Stackhouse

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

We Can Muddy the Picture

A Man Named Asaph

Asaph Sees the Light

A Spiritual Perspective

Man’s Response to God’s Justice

God Knows

We Cannot Hide from God

Attempting to Hide

Where Will We Spend Eternity?

The Old Testament Pattern

The New Testament Pattern

This Applies to Each of Us

Christians and the Word of God

Hear, Believe, and Repent

Confess and Be Baptized

Introduction

Although we may not give it serious consideration on a regular basis, keeping score is a concept that influences our lives in numerous ways. In order to stimulate our thoughts in this regard, we can allow the dictionary to provide some insights. One definition tells us that a score may involve a mark or incision used as a starting point or goal. Certainly, this may be as simple as a starting line used to conduct a race, a line the competitors are not to cross until they are signaled to do so. Another aspect connected to the idea of a score speaks to an account or reckoning kept by using a tally sheet, perhaps related to an amount due. This is something that banks and lending institutions routinely do. This could even be expanded to include what we have commonly come to recognize as a credit score. In addition, some people will look upon a score as something to settle, especially when they’re holding a grudge against someone else. This is a situation where an individual is looking to get even with another individual.

Did you realize that a score can also relate to the world of music? In that context, the term score would be used to designate a musical composition, perhaps more specifically when it speaks of the music written for a movie or a theatrical production. A definition that swings more to the incorporation of slang, indicates that a score would involve successfully obtaining something, typically money or drugs, through illegal or irregular means. Going further, perhaps we have personally referred to someone, or heard another doing so, by saying, They know the score. What this means is that the person is aware of the stark, inescapable facts of a situation. Finally, one of the most recognizable uses of the word score is when it’s applied to expressing accomplishment or excellence, as in a game or a test. This may include a team or an individual. A score in this regard will typically be seen in the world of athletics or academics. Many of the definitions we have just noted are likely familiar to us, but I’d like to spend a few moments thinking about these in a more practical setting, considering how important it is for us to keep score.

Practical Applications

Can it be accurately stated that we are a people who pride ourselves in exercising fairness? Is it not true that we generally desire to be fair with others and that we desire others to be fair with us? You see, fairness and keeping score really do go hand in hand. For example, using the definition of the term score that relates to a mark or incision that designates a starting point, think about the one-hundred-meter race in the Olympic games. How does it begin? Several of the fastest human beings on earth take their position behind a line that marks the starting point of the race. None of the athletes may cross that starting line until they are signaled to do so, usually by firing a starting gun. What happens if someone moves across the line too soon, what’s known as a false start? The competitors are again positioned behind the line, and the race will be restarted. Why is it that the runners cannot cross the line whenever they wish to? The race is designed to be fair by allowing each athlete to start at the same time, thus ensuring that the final score, the time it takes each participant to cross the finish line, is accurate. Although we may not think of it in those terms, a fair start in a race is a way of keeping score.

Let’s now consider the idea of a score in a somewhat different way, but in a way that will probably strike a familiar chord with many of us. Think about an individual who is approximately ten years away from retirement. Certainly, such a person will be monitoring the amount of money he or she will receive each month in Social Security benefits when they stop working. However, most people will also seek to supplement these benefits with other sources of income. This additional income may be generated from such things as checking accounts, savings accounts, investments in stocks or bonds, purchasing and holding precious metals, income from renting or selling property, the sale of a business, etc. Hearing that, you may be asking: What does all of this have to do with the concept of keeping score? In reality, a great deal. Someone who is looking toward retirement will undoubtedly have a certain dollar amount in mind that must be achieved before they will actually leave their job. That being the case, he or she will closely watch, or keep score, of their Social Security payment level as well as their potential supplemental income. A person may ask: How much of a cushion do I need in the checking account? Will my savings account carry me through the retirement years? What returns can I expect from my investments based upon current market conditions? In addition to Social Security, how much do I need to add to my monthly income? Will I need to sell property or a business? All of this, and more, seems to be consistent with the concept of keeping score. A person needs to know how all these varied aspects of their financial picture relate to the final target figure. In other words, what’s the score?

Although holding a grudge is not the recommended way to travel through life, we know that it does happen. And when this does occur, it’s because someone is keeping score. For instance, as small children, we have all probably faced the situation where another child took something away from us that we wanted. Naturally, we desired to get that item back; in essence, we were learning to keep score. Unfortunately, this doesn’t end with childhood. As adults, we tend to go even further when it comes to holding grudges. In fact, adults will actually perfect the craft of holding grudges, in a manner of speaking. We can become very creative when it comes to evening the score. If we were painfully honest, how many of us have tried to get back at someone else who hurt us or has said something nasty about us or who has treated us unfairly? I fear that this occurs all too often, and it happens because we become very adept at keeping score.

There are a couple of definitions included in the dictionary that don’t relate to the focus of this study, but they do pertain to the idea of a score. One we mentioned a few moments ago is confined to the world of music. When a composer is commissioned to create the music that accompanies a movie or a theatrical production, that is commonly referred to as the musical score. And of course, the composer will do his or her best to make the music match specific scenes or themes within the production. The other definition that is unrelated to this book involves the possession of goods through illegal means. As we briefly said, money or drugs with a high street value will typically be sought by those who have no respect for the laws of our land. When an individual or a group of people obtain these items by thievery or by dealing with others who operate illegally, it is called a score. Hopefully, none of us have been involved with this personally, but we have likely heard the reference through a media source.

One other definition we noted from the dictionary informs us that people will oftentimes know the score. Have you ever used that phrase regarding someone else? Have you heard another person using that phrase? Generally speaking, this is an indication that an individual is fully aware of the facts in a given situation. As a simple example, let’s assume that you have purchased a piece of furniture that must be assembled, such as a desk. After unpacking all the pieces, you find the instructions, get the tools you will need, and begin the assembly process. Using the pictures and step-by-step wording to guide you, the desk starts to resemble the lovely graphic on the outside of the box. However, when you reach step seven, it indicates that you must use part L as the left supporting piece of your project. Searching the remaining pieces, part L is nowhere to be found. So you begin to look more carefully at the partially finished desk, and much to your dismay, you discover that you have already used part L where part D should have been incorporated. As hard as it may be for you to admit, you do make mistakes. And when you do make a mistake like that, it becomes fairly obvious. What that does is bring you face-to-face with the inescapable fact that you have to go back, dismantle at least part of your work, and correct the error. In short, you know the score. And this is just one quick example of how we use that term in everyday life.

We now come to an area where keeping score is perhaps most easily recognized. As you were making your way through grade school, did your teacher give you specific scores or letter grades on your assignments, quizzes, and tests? Naturally, that occurred. And why did it occur? It was your teacher’s way of keeping score; it allowed he or she to determine how well you were understanding and applying the lessons that were taught. It also kept things fair for all the members of your class. For example, if you all took the same spelling test, you either spelled a specific word correctly or you did not, the same being true for all of your classmates. Each student would then receive the grade that was fair and accurate based upon how they spelled each word on the test.

How many of us have children that enjoy playing video games? How many of us enjoy playing video games ourselves? With so many of these games, one of the constant features is that of keeping score. Many of these games also incorporate multiple levels, and in order to move from one level to the next, a particular score must be achieved. Another interesting facet of these games is that they can be played individually or in competition against one or more players. Naturally, if you are competing with other players, the ability to keep score is crucial. After all, how would you know if you won or lost if a score was absent? Even if your child or you yourself play a game individually, will there not be an effort to beat your own highest level, best time, or greatest score? You see, competition can also take place when we compete against no one but ourselves. That’s why the score can become such a big deal.

If we bring this concept into the world of athletics, we know that keeping score is something that always occurs. How could football or baseball or basketball games take place where a score is not kept? If two teams are competing against one another in an official contest, keeping score is mandatory. Each time a football player crosses the opponent’s goal line, barring any penalties, six points are awarded. Whenever a baseball or softball player advances from first base and touches home plate, his or her team receives one run. If a basketball player shoots the ball through the other team’s hoop, depending upon the situation, one or two or three points will be put on the scoreboard for his or her team. Once again, when the contest has been concluded, the score will determine the winner of the game and ensure that everything is fair. Did a football player cross the goal line, did a baseball or softball player touch home plate, or did a basketball player shoot the ball through the opponent’s hoop? It’s the final score that will, ultimately, let us know.

How important is it to us that a fair, accurate score be kept? Let’s quickly consider a golf game in which two individuals are competing for their club championship. On the second hole, you take four strokes and report that to your competitor, which is typical in a match such as this. Your competitor indicates that he also took four strokes. Thinking back, you believe he took five strokes and bring that to his attention.

He quickly responds, Oh no, it was four strokes.

Even though you don’t agree, the round continues, but you keep a watchful eye on your opponent from that point. The competition winds up being close, and you have identified two more holes where you believe the man competing against you reported a score that was lower than the actual number of strokes he took. When the final scores are tallied, you have lost by one stroke.

Given that situation, how does it make you feel? You played a good round of golf, one that you believe was good enough to make you the club champion, and you fell one stroke short to a man who failed to give an honest report of his real score. Do you feel cheated? Of course, you do; who is there among us that would not feel cheated? This points us to one of the most important reasons for placing such a high emphasis on keeping score: it promotes fairness. Now, I suspect we are not so naive that we believe everyone will play fair, regardless of the circumstances. We all know there is a small percentage of people who want so desperately to win that they will even resort to cheating in order to bring their victory about. However, fairness is something that most of us desire, and we do play fair. Keeping score is a primary way to ensure fairness is achieved. And in many of the high-stake competitions, an impartial scorekeeper will be assigned.

Is keeping score important to us? We know that it is, and the few examples we have discussed should help bring that to our attention. But there is a critical point to bear in mind here. All of the situations we have just touched on, plus many others we did not mention, all take place in the physical world. It’s no secret that we all live in a physical body. We are familiar only with the things we can see and touch and hear and smell and taste, those things we can experience in a physical plane. In that regard, we are limited. And even though the physical realm is important to us, because that is what we are acquainted with, there is a spiritual world surrounding us that carries an even greater impact on our lives, both now and forever. What I would like us to consider as we move forward with our thoughts in this study, is the fact that God is also keeping score, and He is keeping score in that most important spiritual realm. As I hope we will come to realize, it doesn’t matter how many times we may feel cheated in the physical world, and we probably will be. We, referring specifically to Christian people, can live with the assurance that when it comes to our eternal destiny, God will see to it that we are treated fairly and justly. This will occur, and it can only occur, because God is keeping score. And in a very real sense, as we shall discuss, God is the ultimate scorekeeper!

Part 1

Our Focus Can Be Distracted

Chapter 1

We Can Muddy the Picture

How difficult is it for you to keep from being filled with envy and jealousy when you interact with another person who has done well in this life? Does this become even more troublesome when that other person has obviously excelled financially, especially when they have done far better than you have? If you were completely honest, have you ever found yourself experiencing jealousy toward those who live in a nicer home, or who drive a newer vehicle, those who can afford fabulous vacations, or who wear more fashionable clothing, perhaps those who seem to have all the amenities that life can offer? Is it common for you to think that you just haven’t gotten the opportunities in life that others have, that you have somehow missed out or been overlooked? Do you get the feeling that your talents and abilities are just as strong as those who function in supervisory roles, those who are your superiors in the workplace? Have you ever felt slighted when you were not selected for a promotion that you honestly believed was something you deserved?

We can also think about this from the perspective of those people we are related to or that we know personally or that we interact with in the workplace. Again, answering the question internally, try to be as honest with yourself as you can. On a different note, how do you respond when you witness a relative or a friend or a coworker being treated unfairly? Don’t you agree that can often be just as difficult to deal with as something unfair that comes upon us personally? For the most part, we do not like to see other people being treated unfairly or badly, regardless of our connection to them.