“Carat Weight”
God’s Fourth “C” Equals “Spiritual Substance”
We have been studying the 4 Cs of a diamond and how they represent the diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. We have focused on how the 4 Cs can illustrate aspects of Christian Character & Faith. Remember how some people who have just become Christians are referred to as diamonds in the rough, because of the moral and spiritual condition they are in at the time they met the Lord and experienced salvation. We were all diamonds in the rough before salvation, no matter how good or bad we thought we were.
Last time we studied the 3rd C of diamond grading called “The Clarity”, which represents the work the Holy Spirit does in transforming a newly mined Christian (a spiritual diamond in the rough) into a bright, shiny, and valued believer (spiritual gem) who has spiritual and moral clarity represented by a “flawless diamond”. A flawless diamond has the fewest number of imperfections and flaws and inclusions, which allow it to be as pure and clear as possible, and therefore have the top rating of FL/IF or Flawless.
A Christ-like Christian will have the fewest number of spiritual and moral imperfections, flaws, and inclusions. Therefore, the Holy Spirit’s goal is to take each one of us and make us as spiritually and morally clear as possible...as close to the spiritual and moral clarity of Jesus Christ as possible.
The Holy Spirit works toward perfection (Christ-like substance) in our character and faith. Why would He do less? As born-again children of God, we are living here on this earth in place of Christ Himself. He is the head and we are the body living out His life in this world. If the world is going to see Christ, they will see Him through us...until He comes back in person (which won’t be long)!
1 Peter 4:11: If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Corinthians 5:20: So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us! We as Christ’s representatives plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.
This week, we want to consider the last of the 4 Cs of diamond grading, which is carat weight and how this equates to the spiritual weight of our faith or the spiritual substance of our faith. Are we a heavy weight in the faith or a light weight in the faith?
Faith is a real substance (Hebrews 11:1). In scientific terms, a real substance has mass, weight, volume, density, and specific gravity. We will use some of the characteristics of the carat in a diamond to illustrate how our faith and character can have spiritual mass, spiritual weight, spiritual volume, spiritual density, and specific gravity.
The carat of a diamond is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of diamonds. One carat equals 0.200 grams or 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points. For comparison, in units more familiar in the United States, one carat equals 0.007 ounce avoirdupois. Which would require over 2,265 carats to equal 1 pound! How would you look and feel with that on your finger?
Troy and Avoirdupois Ounces as Metal Measurements
Precious metals are measured in a different way than other materials, including a variety of specific measurement units for mass and purity. Let’s look at the difference between troy and avoirdupois ounces, pennyweights, and carats when it comes to measuring metals. The troy ounce originated as a system for measuring bronze currency in the Roman empire. One unit equaled a pound, and the Romans assigned 12 “unicas” (or ounces) to each pound. Later uses of this system increased the pound to include 16 ounces, which came to be identified as an avoirdupois ounce, as “avoir de pois” meant “goods sold by weight” in Middle English. The troy ounce is now an imperial unit of measure that is used only for precious metal measurements. One troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams, while a single avoirdupois ounce is 28.349523125 grams, making the troy ounce heavier by almost 10 percent.
(From: https://www.mgsrefining.com/blog/how-precious-metals-are-measured/)
Carat weight is the most objective grade of the 4 Cs.
Technical details below are summarized from: https://www.americangemsociety.org/buying-diamonds-with-confidence/4cs-of-diamonds/understanding-diamond-carat-weight-the-4cs-of-diamonds.
The average diamond carat weight is 0.90ct. The size of a diamond is proportional to its carat weight. When rough diamonds are cut and polished into finished diamonds, up to 2/3 of the total carat weight may be lost.
When the Holy Spirit needs to cut down and polish believers into finished spiritual gems, sometimes two thirds of our worldly substance (baggage) may be lost! These things are in the way. This is what happens during the sanctification process. When the Holy Spirit starts His work, there can be spiritual baggage, moral baggage, emotional baggage, intellectual baggage, financial baggage, and relationship baggage that have to be purged.
2 Peter 1:3-4: By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Christ, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by worldly desires.
The carat became the universal unit of measurement for diamonds in 1907 after the previous method of using carob seeds to measure jewelry was proven to be inaccurate. The word "carob” is the origin of the word "carat" that we use today.
The seeds in a carob pod are so uniform in size (averaging about 0.197 gram) that early gem traders used them as counterweights in their balance scales. “Carat” is derived from the original Greek for carob bean, keratien, which also means a small weight. A carat is precisely 1/5 of a gram, so a five-carat diamond would weigh one gram. The price of diamonds is calculated by multiplying the carat weight by the price per carat.
Carat denotes the weight of a diamond (not the size) and the “Carat Weight” will always refer to the weight of a single stone.
How Carat Weight Plays Into the 4 Cs and Diamond Value
Carat weight is the most objective of the diamond’s 4 Cs. All that is required is a precisely balanced scale capable of measuring extremely small weights. Carat weight is measured using a highly accurate and calibrated digital scale. Here are some facts about a diamond’s weight and price that are important to understand before a purchase.
- Comparing the value of diamonds by carat weight is like comparing the value of paintings by size. A wall-sized canvas by an unskilled artist may be bigger than a miniature by Rembrandt, but it will not be worth more. Large diamonds are rarer than smaller ones, and as the carat weight increases, the value of the diamond increases as well. However, the increase in value is not proportionate to the size increase.
- For example, a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice that of a ½-carat diamond (assuming Color, Clarity, and Cut grade are the same). Weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond, either. Two diamonds of equal weight may be unequal in value, depending upon other determining factors such as Cut, Color, and Clarity. In fact, if a diamond is improperly cut, the added weight may serve only to reduce its brilliance.
A diamond started out in the lowly form of graphite, such as you might find in the tip of your pencil. God used the immense pressure and temperatures produced deep inside the earth to rearrange the carbon atoms into a crystal structure.
You as a future spiritual diamond, started out in the lowly form of spiritual graphite, which can be characterized as utter dark, gray, and rough sinfulness, illustrated by the chunk of graphite below. That is what the Holy Spirit gets to start with, but He knows how to take that chunk of carbon in the right picture and slowly, but surely transform it into the beautiful bright spiritual gem on the left. This is what sanctification does for you!
Miners dig deep tunnels under the earth and collect the rough diamonds. The rough diamond looks nothing like the sparkly diamond you might be wearing. It has an irregular shape, is very dirty and looks dull. The diamond is then cleaned, cut into its desired shape, and finally polished into the beautiful diamond you can now admire and enjoy!
There are four main ways to determine the carat weight of a diamond:
- The first way is by using a jeweler’s scale. This scale will give you an accurate measurement of the diamond’s weight in carats.
- The second way to determine the carat weight of a diamond is by using a measuring device called a caliper. This device is placed around the diamond and then the measurements are taken.
- The third way to determine the carat weight of a diamond is by using a special tool called an eyepiece graticule. This tool is placed over the diamond and then the measurements are taken.
- The fourth and final way to determine the carat weight of a diamond is through x-ray fluorescence analysis. This method uses high-energy x-rays to excite the atoms in the diamond and then measures the light that is emitted from them.
There are four main ways to determine the “FAITH WEIGHT” OF A CHRISTIAN:
- A weighty, profound, deep faith always trusts in (relies on) God’s promises! During the hardest, most challenging times one might face, a heavy dense faith will always look beyond the circumstances and see the Sovereignty God and the Lordship of Christ. God never stops being Sovereign and Jesus never stops being Lord of the universe and everything in it.
Romans 4:18-22: Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
- A heavy, dense faith will always act on God’s promises!
James 2:14: What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?
James 2:17: Unless faith produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.James 2:26: Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.
- A heavy, dense faith will always be persistent and keep seeking God and trusting God (or die In the process) until He meets our need, answers our prayer, or uses us to help someone else in need (spiritually, emotionally, physically, or financially).
Matthew 15:21-28: Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging. ”Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
Job 13:15: Even if He kills me, yet will I trust Him.
- A heavy, dense faith will always keep waiting upon the Lord. We will not get up and walk away or turn our backs on Him.
Isaiah 40:31: But those who wait upon (for) the Lord shall renew their strength.They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
...There are two ways to wait. Those who are waiting for a phone call until the call comes. Those who are waiting upon tables at a restaurant will do whatever they can to serve the needs of their customers. WAITERS UPON THE LORD will do both. We will wait for God to fulfill His promise and/or His will in our lives, like Abraham waiting 25 years for God to give him the promised son (Isaac) through Sarah. And we will serve God in any way we can as we wait.
Now that you have committed all of the interesting details of the carat weight of a diamond to memory, let us apply those principles to the faith and character in our Christian lives.
When it comes to the weight of our faith as a Christian, it is the most objective grade of a Christian’s 4 Cs. The weight of our faith won’t be measured in physical weight (pounds), but rather by spiritual weight or spiritual pounds. So...what would it mean to have a heavy faith?
Faith is substance...Faith has substance > Hebrews 11:1
www.merriamwebster.com defines substance as:
- Substance is the essential nature of something.
- Substance is the ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change.
- Substance is a matter of particular or definite chemical constitution.
When we have Christ, we have His substance and we have His faith. He is the essential nature of our faith. He is the substance of our faith. He is the confidence of our faith. It is His faith that begins living in us the day we meet Him in the experience of salvation.
- The faith of Christ is IMMOVABLE (Unmovable)!
- The faith of Christ Is UNSHAKABLE!
- The faith of Christ Is UNWAVERING!
- The faith of Christ is UNCANGEABLE!
- The faith of Christ Is UNSWAYABLE!
- The faith of Christ Is UNBREAKABLE!
- The faith of Christ Is UNDESTROYABLE!
- The faith of Christ is CONSTANT!
- The faith of Christ is INALTERABLE!
- The faith of Christ is FIXED!
- The faith of Christ is IMMUTABLE!
- The faith of Christ is INFLEXIBLE!
- The faith of Christ is IRREVESIBLE!
- The faith of Christ is RESOLUTE!
- The faith of Christ is ADAMANT!
- The faith of Christ Is UNBENDING!
- The faith of Christ Is UNCOMPROISMING!
Therefore, we live by faith (His faith), not by our faith or our sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When people push against us, all they can do is push us right up against Jesus Christ Himself! They cannot go any further. This is a heavy faith...a weighty faith! Because your faith is His faith, all of those adjectives about Christ in the list above are true of you. As you rest in Him, you will be any one of those adjectives, as the situation arises where you need to be. How exciting is that!
This is why Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to: “Stay steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Galatians 2:20 clarifies this further when Paul wrote, “I have been co-crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (in my body) and the life which I now live in the flesh (in my body), I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.
...Paul did not depend on his own faith to live or to carry on all of his ministries. He lived by the faith of Jesus and this is our calling...to live life, carry on our responsibilities, and minister to others by the faith of Christ...live in the faith of Christ!
Colossians 3:3-4: For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
As in each of the parts in this series, we have emphasized how the life of Jesus Christ is our model, our example, and the demonstration of what our lives will be in and through Him. So let us consider these examples, which all point to the weight and substance of His faith, which is the weight and substance of our faith.
The Lord Jesus Christ grew up as a human being learning to trust His heavenly Father at every step of the way. As He grew up and learned and lived out life in this fallen world, His faith grew, matured, and was made perfect and complete, as He trusted His Father from childhood all the way to the cross. His faith was perfected in and through all of those temptations, trials, and suffering that He endured for our sake and yet He never sinned even once.
Luke 2:52: And Jesus kept growing in wisdom and physical stature, and in favor with God and men.
Hebrews 4:15: For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.
Hebrews 5:8-9: Although He was a Son (the Son of God), He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect (in His faith, trust, and obedience), He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation
As He was taking His last few breaths on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive those who were doing this to Him and He committed His life and spirit into the hands of God. His faith had been perfected. His trust had been made complete. His faith lacked nothing. It was as weighty and heavy and dense as it could ever be.
Again - this is supernatural news for you and I, because of how we can live out our lives through His perfect faith (His heavy and dense faith that could not be moved). As we saw above in Galatians 2:20.
A story is told by a great man of God who had the misfortune to fall into the hands of robbers. They held him at gun point and commanded him to get out of his car with the intention of robbing him. He got out of the car and told them that they were too small to hold him at ransom. He proceeded to command that they each report to the police station and hand themselves in.
His words carried so much authority, it caused the men to do exactly as he had ordered. He found them at the police station having done as he had directed. That is an example of what it means to have spiritual weight. {The point of this story is to always give God a chance to show Himself strong on your behalf – 2nd Chronicles 16:9}
...This spiritual weight far surpasses physical weight. A man may have physical weight, but if he does not have spiritual weight, then he cannot ably fight his adversaries. Physical weight might be wealth, body size, or political influence. All these are nothing when compared to a man who knows his God. That spiritual weight is the reason you cannot be robbed, bewitched or touched by those that seek to destroy you. God has called you to be as dynamite, He is with you. Greater is He (Christ) that is in you than he (Satan) in the world (1 John 4:4). {https://phaneroo.org/devotion/spiritual-heavy}
To consciously experience the Christian life God planned for you, with the substance (spiritual mass, spiritual weight, spiritual volume, spiritual density, and spiritual specific gravity) of Jesus Christ, it starts as you say yes to His plan, yes to His will, and yes to His purpose as your reason for being here even one more day on this earth.
This is the kind of diamond (gem) He is refining you into...a perfect spiritual and moral diamond...that reflects the majestic and glorious light of Christ in every direction. Your character will become an unmovable spiritual mass. Your godliness will become a tsunami of spiritual volume. Your faith will become impenetrably dense. Your spiritual gravity will be impossible to overcome...drawing those the Father is drawing to Himself and turning away those who have rejected Him (Many are called, but few are chosen...Matthew 22:14).
The process of sanctification is exciting. To become conscious of this process and enjoy it, just pray right now out loud what the Lord Jesus prayed...NOT MY WILL, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE IN MY LIFE...no ifs, ands, or buts!!! Can you do that? Will you do that?
Thanks again for your precious time!
Gene
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