It is not your Job

Forgive the play on words. I mean, of course, the 'Job' of the Bible. The one Bible hero none of us want to be like, except at the end of his story. The one too many of us think our lives reflect.

I often include in my sermons some statement that God is not causing or allowing suffering in our lives to build character. After a recent message a woman came forward for prayer. She had a list of trials that she was going through that were very difficult. I assured her that God did not send these trials into her life to test her. Especially the sickness she and her son were experiencing. She asked, "What about Job?"

In the weeks that followed I had several conversations in which the same question came up, "What about Job?" It was not difficult to figure out that people have questions about how the story of Job relates to our present standing in Christ. This is no small issue.

Let me begin by stating the obvious, Job is an Old Testament story. This alone should make us think differently when we draw application to our position as New Testament saints, but many Christians seem to miss something here. They think the only transition between the Old Testament and the New is a blank page in their Bible.

Everything changed at the cross!

I cannot take the proper time in a 'blog' to explain the theological implications of that one statement. I only wish to assure you here that God is not allowing satan access in our lives as he did in the book of Job. (Job 1:6-12) Instead He has positioned us in Christ with a real protection from the enemy that includes 'healing all our diseases' not putting them on us.

Job wanted a mediator, someone to come to his defence. (Job 9:33.) We have Jesus as our mediator. (1 Timothy 2:5) Romans 8:33-34 asks, "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?" No one. We are justified before God through the blood of Jesus Christ!

In Job 1:6 satan appeared before the throne of God. This cannot happen any longer. Jesus is there! (Hebrews 9:24) He is there "on our behalf!" Can you imagine satan standing there next to Jesus? I don't think so! The Bible teaches us that satan has been thrown down, cast from the presence of God. In fact satan cannot even accuse us before God because he has no weapon of accusation. (Col.2:13-15)

He is the 'accuser' only when we listen to his accusations in our thoughts. His only weapon is deception. We can only believe his accusations when we believe the lie that God has not taken the "bond that stood against us" away "nailing it to the cross."

There are many stories in the Old Testament that we must interpret through the 'light' of the cross. Job is certainly high on that list.
It is not your 'Job.'

(I intentionally do not capitalize 'satan'...his is not a proper name.)