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The story of Job has always intrigued me for a variety of reasons. Here he was, the man that God himself was impressed with. “Have you seen my friend Job?” It almost sounds as though God himself were boasting. “Look around. Try to find anyone that is more stable, more blameless than he is! Try to find someone. I dare you!”
Apparently, God had reason to boast (If God boasted). Job had it all together. He was the poster child for spiritual living. Job had it all. A great church, a great family, well behaved kids and although Scripture says little about her, I’m guessing his wife was a knock-out.
If Job were alive today he could probably have whatever he wanted. The evangelicals would flock to him as the one who could do away with all the social ills. Those on the other side would have to admit he was a class act. Besides, he had money, and money always speaks loud and clear.
Try looking at Job from a human perspective. Look at his story without the advantage we have of the backstage drama between God and Satan. At the peak of his career Job suffers the trifecta of disasters. Economically he loses all his livestock. In his day, livestock = $$. Secondly, he loses everything relationally. The one thing every man hopes for is to leave a heritage behind him. Job lost any hope of passing on his good name that day when, due to natural disaster, every one of his children was killed. But, he still had his health, right? A man can suffer lots of adversity if he’s healthy. Not so fast. Job loses his health too.
So here he is, this man of greatness wallowing in a burnt out campfire scraping his sores with a dirty, broken piece of an old dish.
Enter the church…well, maybe not exactly the church, but close. Three of Jobs ‘closest friends’ come to hold an intervention. Perhaps Job’s demise was casting a dark shadow on their ministry. Give them the benefit of a doubt. Maybe they were there with good intentions. Whatever their motives, the men all had the same message for Job. The message was worded differently, and arguments were made rationally, from our perspective. The bottom line to these ‘friends of Job’ was that adversity comes as a result of sin. Job suffered adversity. Therefore Job sinned.
It’s a simple equation that has been handed down through the centuries. Sin = adversity. Spirituality = Blessing. We have to explain things. We have to give reasons for those times when our Theology about a God of Love falls short. We all have the tendency to explain those times when ‘good people’ suffer and ‘bad people’ are victorious.
Eventually, Job had his wealth and position restored, and a new family to carry on his good name. But Job learned a valuable lesson that each of us needs to learn and I have to admit I’m not good at this yet. That lesson is this. God is God. He is sovereign in all he does.
While I’m not advocating that when trials come we need to don the sackcloth and grab the nearest broken plate on our way to the burnt-out campfire, each of us needs to take the time, during the tough times, to stop and evaluate what got us here. Sometimes it is our sin. Sometimes it’s the sin of others. Sometimes we won’t know.
I appreciate the fact that Job questioned God. He didn’t question YAHWEH’s existence. He evaluated himself and could find no sin. But he shows each of us a couple valuable lessons.
First, God is God and is of another world. We have no idea of the future. We have no idea what is going on in the spiritual realm involving our lives. It takes faith, but each of us must look first to see if there is sin that needs to be dealt with. If so, deal with it. Ask repentance and work towards a cure with the help of the Holy Spirit. If not, faithfully trust that God will eventually make His way plain. It may not be until heaven, but He will reveal Himself.
Secondly, it’s okay to question God, to ask for answers. To share frustrations. To cry. Our Heavenly Father isn’t an emotionally weak old man that can’t handle adversity or argument. He’s a loving, understanding Heavenly Father that only has our best in mind, and He knows better than us what is best for us.
Lastly, stay true to yourself. There are many people out there that will tell you exactly why you are going through this trial and what you need to do to get out of it. Before you jump on some ‘quick cure’ bandwagon spend some time with the Master. Then listen with a Godly wisdom to that others say.
(From ‘Sifted as Wheat’)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 NIV
It seems everyone in the world knows John 3:16. What a great promise. God loved the world. He sent us His Son. Through belief in him we have eternal life. Great stuff! I wonder how many people have noticed an even greater truth that lies in Jesus’ next statement.
Before you spend too much time thinking about 3:17, place yourself in the mind of the woman caught in adultery (John 9). You are drug through the streets of the city. You are guilty of adultery and soon everyone will know it. What’s worse, in a matter of minute’s rocks and stones will shower down on you. There will be no place to hide. No chance to defend yourself. You’d manage, you think, to deflect the first few. But it would be a losing battle.
You kneel before the feet of a great teacher. You are surrounded by your accusers. Hope is gone. You decide your best defense is no defense at all. You kneel and cover your head with your hands. Perhaps your hands will at least deflect some of the pain for a time. You brace yourself for the first stone and wait. But it doesn’t come. Imagine the agony and the knot in your stomach.
“Woman, where are your accusers?” A gentle voice breaks the silent anguish that grips your very soul. Cautiously, you look up and to your shock, you are alone with the teacher. Gathering your thoughts, you speak.
“There are none, sir.” You pause to let that sink in. “Th-there is no one here.”
“Then, neither do I condemn you. Go, and leave the life of sin you are living.”
I don’t think any of us can fully grasp the relief the woman felt that day. Death was literally moments away. The stones were in hand. The verdict was in. The law and sentence were clear. Yet, at the last possible moment, the pardon rang loud and clear. NO CONDEMNATION!
All of us find ourselves, at some point, where the woman found herself that day. We become grossly aware of our weaknesses and failings. We suffer the pain of the consequences that our poor choices bring to fruition.
Three times in the book of John alone, Jesus references His mission on earth in relation to condemnation. In John 3:17 Jesus tells us that he came to bring life. He didn’t come to condemn us. He didn’t come to burden us with the law. He came to release us, to free us, to deliver us from condemnation. He came to bring us life!
In John 9 He demonstrates that principle in the account of the woman caught in adultery. Later, in John 12:47-48, in some of Jesus’ last teachings on earth He repeats the fact that he did not come to judge those who rejected him. They would be condemned for that rejection, for sure, but it would be their own words that would condemn them and they would be judged by another [Father God] for their actions.
Condemnation will come to those who reject Jesus. Romans 3:23, and other passages speak clearly to the fact that we, as mankind fall far short of God’s standard. Romans 6:23 teaches that our sin nature will lead us to death without a Savior.
But Romans 6 & 7 teach us something else about condemnation In this section of Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he reveals his own inner struggle with sin. The things he desires to do, he fails to do. The things he attempts to avoid, he finds himself doing. What truth does this ‘wretched man’ find in his struggle?
Romans 8:1 gives us the answer. ‘There is therefore, NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus.’ There are many out there that will be willing to point out our faults, question our motives, and mock our sincere intentions.
There will be times we fail miserably, and deliberately and we condemn ourselves. It is in those darkest moments, when we realize our guilt and huddle in a fetal position before the Lord, waiting for the rocks to fall, His gentle, soft voice beckons us: ‘Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more.’
(excerpt from ‘Living GRACE-fully with Sin’)
He walked slowly up the stairs. He didn’t really want to go into that room. He didn’t want to face them. But he had nowhere else to go. It was dark, cold and the Jews may be out for more blood. What a difference a few hours had made. It seemed like just minutes ago that he’d left this upper room with his buddies and the Teacher. He could still smell the aroma of the roasted Lamb, he could still see the Teacher’s shadow in the distance as he prayed. How could he have fallen asleep? If only he’d known.
He tried to open the door quietly, but the rusty hinges gave him away. The others in the room looked up when he entered. Not one said a word. The air had been filled with celebration earlier, but now it was heavy, full of grief and sadness.
He found a corner and slid down the wall. He buried his face in his hands. He began to cry again. This time, there were few tears left. He sensed a shape near him and heard John’s voice.
“Did you hear about Judas?” John’s face was full of grief and fear when he looked up.
“They got Judas too?”
“No,” there was a heavy pause, “he hung himself.”
Peter placed his face back in his hands “When will it end?”
He may have slept a bit. If so, it would be the first sleep he’d had in two days. But his rest was shattered by a rattling gate. Instantly everyone was up. They were here. At any moment soldiers could break through.
John looked carefully through the drawn window. “It’s only Mary. Let her in.”
Mary bust through the door. She was breathless from running and could barely speak.
“He’s not there. The tomb. He’s gone. They took his body!”
Peter broke through the crowd. “What are you talking about?” He demanded.
“I went to the tomb to mourn. The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty Peter!”
Peter hesitated to try to understand. Then he bolted from the room and ran down the steps. He hurried through the streets. ‘It couldn’t be,’ He told himself. When he and John got to the tomb it was just as Mary had told them. The grave clothes lay in a neat pile. The small room smelled of fresh burial spices. But there was no one there.
Peter’s mind was racing. He was angry at the Jews for taking his body. But what if they hadn’t taken it? “What if….NO! I saw him die.” He got back to the room before the others returned. He didn’t know what to make of things. So many questions. What was it he said? The Son of Man must be lifted up? What did he mean? Where was his body?
A thousand other questions went through his mind when suddenly the cool, dark room was warm and full of light. He looked up to see the Teacher. Peter fell to his knees and hung his head. A hand reached down and pulled him to his feet. The Teacher gently lifted Peter’s head so that he could see his eyes.
Peter didn’t understand completely, but looking into Jesus’ eyes he knew everything would be okay.
I am publishing this excerpt from my Built with Grace topic, ‘The Day Peter Learned Love’, to remind all of us on this Resurrection Weekend that it doesn’t matter what you have done. There is nothing in your past, present or future that can keep you from experiencing the life-changing love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Find a house of worship this weekend and make or renew a decision to follow Him completely.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 