Finally one of Job’s friends speaks. For most of the remainder of the book we will eavesdrop on conversations between Job and his friends. What we believe about God and life and fate and chance cannot help but leak out when we discuss those deep aspects of life.
Eliphaz, likely the oldest of Job’s friends, offers a telling comment in verse 6. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope? Think about that for a moment. On the one hand it sounds okay, even right, but there is a subtle flaw in that line.
As ‘good people’ we often slip into this sinkhole… Yes our piety (our religious living) and our blameless ways (our godly way of life) should point to a life that is different, a life that has been touched and redeemed by God through Jesus Christ alone. Our lives should bear the fruit of repentance and faith, absolutely. BUT our confidence should never be in ourselves or our piety or our blameless ways or anything else we do… our confidence always rests in Jesus Christ our Lord. In what he did for us on the cross, where He took our sin and gave to us His righteousness.
You see, no matter how good I am or you are, we can never be good enough because we cannot be perfect. Only when Jesus Christ gives us His perfect righteousness during that faith exchange when we believe in Him can we have confidence before God Almighty.
I hope and pray and live so that my life will point to God, will honor God and will please God, but my confidence in is God, not my life and that is a paradox of the Christian faith.
Think about that this today… what is your confidence in? Only faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is safe and secure and guaranteed!
Wow, God, I didn’t expect this lesson today. What a joy! What a life-reordering truth You have fed me today! I love You, Father. I love You, Jesus. I love You, Holy Spirit. And I bless and thank You for saving me, for redeeming me and for guaranteeing my inheritance in You.
To God be the glory great things he has done,
So loved he the world that he gave us his son.
And purer and higher and greater will be,
My wonder my transport when Jesus I see.
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord let the earth hear my voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord let the people rejoice.
O come to the father through Jesus the son
And give him the glory great things he has done. AMEN!
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