Chapter 11: God’s Eternal Character

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“That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.” Eccles. 3:15

Long before modern man wrongfully accepted too much change back from the mistaken store clerk, he was doing it back in Solomon’s time. Just yesterday, the store clerk at a local home building supply-company, failed to ring up $80.00 in paneling that I was purchasing. I mentally calculated my

bill at about $260.00 right at the cash register. She rang up $180.00 because instead of nine ten-dollar panels, she only counted one. I could have simply walked out of the store with the ill-gotten gain of $80.00 but I did not do it. She told me that I probably slept better than a lot of people. She is right.

First, I reasoned that I know better. It is one thing when I am not with it mentally and the clerk makes an error I don’t catch. While Jackie was dying, I walked out of the same store with an extra $110.00 worth of lawn

furniture. I was totally unaware of the clerk’s failure to ring it up. Quite frankly, I was also a little fried mentally. However, within a few hours, I was studying the store receipt and observed the clerk’s failure to charge me. I went back to the store and made it right. The store gave me a discount on

the chase lounge because I was honest. However, that was not my goal.

I always want to do what is right because that is precisely what God requires of me. Further, I want to help others like the store clerk do what is

right because that is also what God requires of me. No willful sin and no enabling others to sin. All of God’s rules of life are this easy to understand.

This is just one illustration of the opportunity to sin in the life of man. There are endless opportunities to sin or to do what is right. Nothing is new.

Everything man does has already been done in regards to righteousness and sin. What we do today has already been done. What we will do in the future has already been done. And God requires an accounting of our past!

God Requires An Accounting Of Our Past!