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"How then can a man be justified with God" [Job 25:4]
While the author of this book is not known he was a well educated person schooled in the Israelite tradition. There is no definite date given or known for the writing of this book although there are some dates proposed. There are three points of views aired in this book. One is that the righteous always prosper and the wicked do not. The second view is that the righteous do not always triumph in this life and the wicked do not always fail. Then we see God's stance towards the end of the book
The question we noted in scripture comes from a speech by Bildad the Shuhite. Bildad maintains that no one is righteous in God's sight and is posing the question how can a person be made righteous in God's sight. How can we who are born in sin be made pure?
Now there are many difficult words often used in preaching such as Redemption, Salvation, Reconciliation, Atonement, Assurance, Sanctification,
Separation and so on.
Many of these words are not used and understood by the general public and even some who go to church .
Here is another in our verse. As a Young Christian this is how it was explained to me. In Christ "I am just as if I'd never sinned.
Bildad asks , How can this be?
There are four things we can say about this question.
[1] It is a universal question Wherever men have a God to believe in.
Whatever God it is? the want an answer to the question. How can we humans be right with the God we worship?
Men are right to want to know the answer BUT
[2] It is a spiritual question
That is to say that Gos is involved in answer to the question "How can a man be justified with God." This means that there are two sides to the question and the answer. Man's side and God's side.
For man to say "Well the way I see it" is utter folly especially when manis satisfied with his own answer. Yet many men and women adopt this position.
BUT what about the way that God looks at it? This more important than how we look at it because the answer we get might be the wrong answer.
[3] It is a personal question
Everyone of us knows that we are unworthy to meet God. We don't even need the Bible to tell us that"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" We know this already. David in the Psalms says "my transgressions, my sins, my iniquity" he prays "Purge me wash me" [Psalm 51]
You and I know we are sinners and are deeply concerned that we need to be right with God before it is too late. "How can a man be justified with God"
[4] This question is a vital question
The whole problem of living is one of relationships.
Between man and man - Employer and employee - Husband and wife - parent and child - neighbour and neighbour - our relationship with our environment.
The vital relationship and the Bible makes it quite clear is our relationship with God. Unless that relationship is right no other relationship can ever be right.
How can a man be justified with God? It is surely time that ever man and women sorted out that relationship. How can a man or woman be made right with God?
Because we are sinners there is nothing that we can do to help ourselves.
"Justified freely b y His grace" [Rom. 3:24]
WE must begin with grace THE FREE UNMERITED FAVOUR OF GOD!
There is absolutely nothing in us that can ever constitute a claim upon God apart from our need.
A right relationship will only be brought about only by the grace of God.
UNMERITED FAVOUR. God reaches down to us in our sin.
"But God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us,. Much more then being justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through him" [Rom 5:8/9]
Justified by His blood. What does that mean?
"Finished" [John 19] Two things must be stressed.
[A] Necessity "As moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up" [John 3:]
[B] Sufficiancy "Finished " "One sacrifice forever" [Heb]
"Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God" [Rom. 5:1]
God will not force His justification on man therefore it is conditional on man's acceptance of God's offer. To include all and exclude none it is by grace, Blood and faith. will you accept God's forgivness tonight.
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