Devotion 458

“Righteousness Comes By Faith”

Reference: Job Chapter 22

God is right, man is wrong.

For man to be right (righteous), he has to be  in unity with God.

The prophets could not unite man and God. The prophet brought the judgement of God, declaring to men and women what they deserve.

The law could not bring man to God. The law only exposed sin, declaring to men and women what is right and what is wrong.

Righteousness therefore comes not by the prophet or the law but by Grace.

Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

The Grace of God is Jesus Christ the Sacrificial Lamb. He is the One that unites God and man.

Job was righteous not because of what he did but because of where his faith rested.
His faith was in the blood sacrifice.

His accusers failed to see that.

Let’s read:

Job 22:1-3 “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, [2] Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? [3] Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?”

There are no other perfect men or women. There is a perfect Sacrifice of the only perfect man (Jesus Christ).  Faith in the perfect sacrifice makes the sinner perfect. This is Grace.

Job was perfect because of the grace of God.

In Christ, we are perfect because of the Grace of God.

We continue our reading:

Job 22:4-19 “Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? [5] Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? [6] For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. [7] Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. [8] But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. [9] Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. [10] Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; [11] Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. [12] Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! [13] And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? [14] Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. [15] Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? [16] Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: [17] Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? [18] Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. [19] The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.”

The wicked is the one who like Cain rejects the blood sacrifice.
Men and women are wicked because they reject the Grace of God which is the blood sacrifice.

We are not wicked by what we do, neither are we righteous by what we do, we are wicked or righteous by what we believe. For what we believe causes us to do what we do.

We conclude our reading:

Job 22:20-30 “Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. [21] Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. [22] Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. [23] If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. [24] Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. [25] Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. [26] For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. [27] Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. [28] Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. [29] When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. [30] He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.”

Hands are purified only by the blood sacrifice.
Hearts are purified only by the blood sacrifice.

Our hands are directed by our hearts. A purified heart will have purified hands.

A wicked heart will have wicked hands.

Purification is only be faith in the blood of the Lamb.

Let the blood of the Lamb unite us with God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Righteousness is by faith, in Christ!