A few months ago, I wrote this post about David's righteousness. I have since been thinking about Job. It says in the beginning of the book of Job that Job was righteous in God's sight. Prior to what the Lord showed me in the previous post about righteousness, I would have expected that this meant Job was perfect, that he never sinned and he never struggled, but I've been starting to wonder if that is really what it means.
Here is an interesting verse in regards to our righteous acts:
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:6
So, if we're all unclean and the righteous acts that come from our flesh are of no worth, what does it mean that Job was righteous? And when Job's friends came and assumed that Job's trials were a result of sin, how was it that Job was able to stand on the fact that he was righteous?
Clearly there is a different kind of righteousness that does not come from our flesh, that is not a result of our works at all. This righteousness is appropriated to us by faith. And the Lord would form faith in us to the point that even when others or the devil accuses us of sin, we can confidently claim the righteousness that we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ. As we put our faith in God and in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Lord will bear the fruit of righteous living in us. Which may not look a thing like we think it should or like others think it should, so we must continue to put our faith in the Lord even when we are accused of being sinful or wrong (while also being open to correction and conviction).
Here is an interesting verse in regards to our righteous acts:
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:6
So, if we're all unclean and the righteous acts that come from our flesh are of no worth, what does it mean that Job was righteous? And when Job's friends came and assumed that Job's trials were a result of sin, how was it that Job was able to stand on the fact that he was righteous?
Clearly there is a different kind of righteousness that does not come from our flesh, that is not a result of our works at all. This righteousness is appropriated to us by faith. And the Lord would form faith in us to the point that even when others or the devil accuses us of sin, we can confidently claim the righteousness that we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ. As we put our faith in God and in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Lord will bear the fruit of righteous living in us. Which may not look a thing like we think it should or like others think it should, so we must continue to put our faith in the Lord even when we are accused of being sinful or wrong (while also being open to correction and conviction).
whoo girl, AMEN and well said. Praise God!
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