Before the French revolution, there were about a quarter million different units of measurement in France alone. Napoleon, who sought to unify his whole empire, thought that was about a quarter million too many. He tried to enforce the meter as a universal unit of length. “Meter” literally means “to measure.” This was the foundation of the metric system. It was man’s attempt at building a unified system of measurement.
The meter was a new type of unit. It was no longer based on body measurements, which are different for everyone. It was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the equator. In an effort to make the meter even more universal, it has since been defined as the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second. It is now based on a universal constant. Although Napoleon never managed to enforce this system, he laid the foundation for a universal system of measurement that is still used today.
The metric system that was established allowed scientific communities to cooperate with greater effect, and its universality was a necessary component for the rapid advancement of science in the 20th century. However, as Herbert W. Armstrong explained, this created a paradoxical world of “progress” amid degeneration. He witnessed awesome scientific progress, but moral degeneration nonetheless. The reason for this: Our problems are spiritual in nature, not physical. The advancement in physical measurements didn’t bring us any closer to solving our spiritual problems. We need a spiritual measuring tool, a spiritual meter.
What Is Our Spiritual Meter?
God gives measuring devices to His chosen servants in the end time (Zechariah 4:9-10; Revelation 11:1). Philadelphia Church of God Pastor General Gerald Flurry explains in the Zechariah booklet that these are given for two purposes: “to measure and establish the very elect and His Work.”
But what is our measuring device? It is God’s revealed truth.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” (Isaiah 28:9-10).
Even though these truths have been revealed, we still need to put in diligent effort and study to be able to use God’s truth the way He intends us to. The phrase “line upon line, line upon line” tells us a lot about this process. The word for “line” is a Hebrew word related to measuring (2 Chronicles 4:2; Job 38:5).
This measuring tool God gives us, the spiritual meter, requires a lot of work before we can use it. You could say that it still needs to be calibrated.
Calibrating Our Spiritual Meter
When calibrating a meter stick, one can just compare it to a standard meter, and copy over the calibration marks from the standard. This standard meter was calibrated using a universal constant—the speed of light.
Calibrating our spiritual meter, on the other hand, must happen by studying “here a little, and there a little.” This can only be done properly if the process is guided by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11).
Just studying and knowing the truth is not enough: Acting on it is absolutely vital! In a 2021 article titled “Set Your Affection on the Things Above,” Mr. Flurry wrote, “We have to measure spiritually—continually! Ask: What do I need to do to measure myself? Use all the wonderful, God-inspired truth that comes right from the holy of holies. Apply all that we’re learning so we can measure ourselves.” If we are not applying what we are learning, then we are not using our measuring tool.
Often, scientists recognized the need for more precise measuring instruments as they started to build more impressive inventions. Using EUV lithography, man can now produce components of 3 nanometers. If a chip fails, it is a failure in measurement. Once we start using our spiritual meter, we will start to see where it needs to be recalibrated. We will recognize the need for continual study, always perfecting our understanding of God’s revealed truth. Our spiritual discernment is finely tuned “by reason of use” (Hebrews 5:14).
Calibrating our spiritual meter is about the study as well as application of God’s truth. Remember, God gave Mr. Flurry a “reed like unto a rod” to measure with (Revelation 11:1). God reveals truth only to His apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:5). We need to calibrate our spiritual meter to the meters that God gave to Mr. Flurry and Mr. Armstrong, but that requires a lot of diligent effort on our part—spiritual calibration is not an easy process.
Measurement Is Comparison
When Paul’s authority was challenged by critics in Corinth, he wrote a letter to them explaining why this did not faze him. In this explanation, he teaches us a critical lesson about measuring. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
Paul explains a very important principle: measurement is comparison. But he also guards us against one specific use of our measuring tool—don’t use it to measure yourself against other human beings, who are full of flaws and weaknesses.
This does not mean we cannot look to the example of other men. The main reason Paul said not to measure ourselves by their standard is in order to avoid exalting yourself. Measuring ourselves by the standard of other men can make us start to feel pretty good about ourselves. This quickly leads to vanity and self-righteousness.
One time, someone was really offended at a perceived offense of one of my friends. I tried to give them some perspective, but they responded: “Well, at least I don’t …” and proceeded to lament about the offense once more. The moment stuck with me, because I remember reflecting on it, and thinking that it is so easy to have that attitude. We all often think, “Well, at least I don’t ….” Whether we use it to accuse others or to justify our own actions, we are not measuring ourselves by the right standard.
When we measure that way, 2 Corinthians 10:12 tells us: we are not wise! Wisdom comes from measuring oneself according to the right standard.
Are You the Standard?
It is in human nature to think of ourselves as good. Christ didn’t even call Himself good—instead He pointed us to the perfect standard: God the Father (Matthew 19:17). Christ knew that His spiritual meter, and ours too, needs to be calibrated to truth that flows from the Father (John 17:17). Ultimately, the Father gives us His truth so that we can measure ourselves by His righteousness. He is the perfect standard.
Admitting error is the hardest thing for a human to do. This is why we don’t like measuring ourselves. How important it is that God gives us His Holy Spirit for an accurate spiritual comparison (1 Corinthians 2:13)!
On the physical level, when man looks for a perfect standard to which to calibrate his physical instruments, he looks for physical constants. At first, man thought the Earth itself would be a good standard, but the Earth changes. Now, man calibrates the meter to the speed of light, a universal constant. But even the speed of light is really a constant is now also disputed among scientists. However, there is a universal constant we can be confident to calibrate to: God the Father. As James tells us, God is: “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:27).
To the Father, it must be pretty silly when scientists are impressed with themselves. Their measuring tools are all based on His creation. When God looks upon the Tower of Babel, or on the Great Wall of China, or on the rockets that Elon Musk sends into space, do you think He is impressed? Isaiah addresses this exact type of idol, one that is made with very precise measurements.
“The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house” (Isaiah 44:13). Ignorant man cannot seem to understand that his own creations will not save him (verses 18-20). No tower, no wall, no rockets will save us from the wrath of God. Our human capability to measure and build is not going to save us spiritually.
The Master Builder
“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” (Isaiah 40:12). Really, what should’ve stood out to us as we became better at measuring is just how unimpressive we are compared to the great Creator of the universe. God measured every part of creation. He finely tuned it for us! God is the perfect standard!
We live on a what has been called a “goldilocks” planet. Conditions here are just right for survival. But really, we live in a goldilocks universe. God set the constants of the universe just right so that they allow for life. All five cosmic constants, those that regulate the forces in our universe, are balanced on a knife’s edge. For example, if the gravitational constant was a percent of a percent of a percent smaller, planets, moons and stars would not be able to hold together. If it was slightly greater, our sun would’ve burnt up by now. If the electromagnetic force was slightly stronger or weaker, we could throw all of chemistry out of the window. No stable chemical bonds could be formed. The list keeps going.
As we peer into the universe with our telescopes, and as we study the physical creation in greater detail, one thing should stand out: just how finely tuned God’s creation is, how well-calibrated the whole universe is for the fulfillment of God’s very purpose. He is a builder too, and what He is building is much more impressive than anything man has produced. God is building a family.
And the beautiful thing is, He allows us to participate in that building project. Mr. Flurry writes in the aforementioned article: “We’re building the most spectacular thing there is—we’re building the very character of God! God is re-creating Himself in us! Even God can’t do anything greater than that! But you must do a lot of measuring to build like that!”
Let us make sure we calibrate our meter through study and application, so that we can accurately see how we measure up to the ultimate standard: God the Father.