After the first round of talks finished, each friends is going to go again - making the same arguments, only pressing harder and being more rude. Job has had enough of it "Miserable comforters are you all!".
When we're trying to comfort someone we shouldn't talk just for the sake of talking, we shouldn't sermonize and give pat answers, we shouldn't accuse or criticize. Instead, we should put ourselves in the other person's place and offer help and encouragement.
In 16:19ff we see Job appealing to a witness and advocate - sitting on this side of the NT we have the advantage of knowing that Jesus Christ is that advocate, interceding for us on our behalf.
In our 1 Corinthians passage this stood out to me...
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified,you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Similar to his comments in Chapter 5, Paul is not expecting believers to be perfect. We still struggle with sin. But it no longer defines us, it no longer controls us. Those who persist in sin with no sign of remorse are not genuine Christians. As Christians, we need to be careful not to tolerate more "acceptable" forms of sin (greed, drunkenness, etc) while remaining outraged at others (homosexuality, adultery, murder, etc). We need to have high standards - Jesus sets the standard at perfection.
That being said, there are bigger consequences for some sins then for others. Sexual immorality is not only destructive to those involved in the sinful activity themselves. It has devastate countless lives, destroying families, churches, and communities. God's laws against sexual immorality (and all other sin for that matter) are for our own good.
When we become believers we no longer own our bodies. They were bought at a price. Christ's death frees us from sin, but we are now His, and because our body belongs to God we need to use it for His glory and not violate His standards for living.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Job 17-19; 1 Corinthians 7:1-19
3 comments:
One verse that to me says a lot about how Eliiphaz thinks is found in 15:9
What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that is not clear to us?
Job's friends just don't understand, and don't seem to be listening to what Job tells them.
1Corinthians 6:12a - everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.
Good words to live by. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.
I had the exact same verse from the NT stand out for me:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous[b] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
and I thought the "were" is important. "And such WERE some of you..." were, as in, not any more. Even if we once were consumed by the sins mentioned, we can have the grace and forgiveness if we repent.
This too stood out for me as a parent of teen girls who have trouble shopping for modest and appropriate length skirts and dresses:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
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