There Is Therefore Now No Condemnation

Job 27

In the big picture of this book, we still have the same story going on. Job is justifying himself and his friends are condemning him. He is still teetering on vilifying God at times. I have stepped away from that view for a while hoping to focus on some truths found in the book. I hope I have not gone off course with the text. Don't get me wrong, the truths I have talked about are indeed true, but I hope they I have applied them legitimately to this text. Chapter 26 began Job's final address to his friends. His speech will encompass 6 chapters (26-31). After this, a new character speaks for six chapters (32-37). Then God speaks for 4 chapters (38-41) and then we conclude with chapter 42. With that, let's get to our text.

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Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment;

And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

3 All the while my breath is in me,

And the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

4 My lips shall not speak wickedness,

Nor my tongue utter deceit.

5 God forbid that I should justify you:

Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go:

My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked,

And he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Job 27:1-7

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Like Job's friends, the world tries to point out the faults of Christians. Just like Job's friends, they will go as far as to even make up sins to condemn us by. Take Coronavirus for instance. There are those who want to blame churches for the spread of the virus. Some have even gone as far as to make rulings that ban singing in services. This is nothing new, Nero burned Rome and blamed it on Christians. It gave him reason to persecute them; not that he actually needed a reason.

Job says in verse 2 that God has taken away his judgment and has vexed his soul. In verses 3 and 4, he says as long as he lives he will not speak wickedness. He says in verses 5 and 6 that he will not admit to something that he has not done. He will not allow them to condemn him with false accusations. Finally, in verse 7, he prays that his enemies will be judged for their wicked accusations.

It is hard to be accused of wrong doing by an unrelenting adversary. When you try to explain yourself, or justify your actions, they claim that you are self-righteous. You literally have no recourse. Their minds are made up and nothing will change that. The more you speak, the more they feel justified in their accusations. Just as with Job's friends, you eventually reach a point where you quit speaking to each other. I have been there.

Paul tells us about a great truth for those who know Christ as our Savior.

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There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1

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Though Job's friends were trying to condemn him, Job was not in condemnation. We have already read his profession of faith in his Redeemer. Job has already stated sound theology on end time events concerning resurrection, heaven, and the judgment of the lost. He is now refusing to allow his friends to condemn him when he should not be condemned. There is a time to plead our case and there is a time to stop pleading. On the one hand, I think Job should have stopped answering his friends a long time ago. On the other hand, had he not continued to speak, we would not have the great truths he spoke recorded. Though he felt victimized by God, God still used his words to share a message. Still, we must be careful and know when to allow God to fight for us. David said, "Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me" (Psalm 35:1).

Job refusing to allow his friends to condemn him and God using his words to share such a great message, though they also claimed that God was being unfair, reveal exactly what Paul was talking about in Romans 8:1. As Christians, we are not sinless, but our sins do not condemn us. We are still sinners. We should do our best to walk in the spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh to sin (Galatians 5:16). However, we will sin at times. Paul wanted us to understand that though sin hurts our relationship with God, he will not cast us away. Jesus said this too: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

Hebrews chapter 11, known as the Hall of Faith, talks about a lot of Old Testament saints. In it, there are no sins mentioned. Why? Because "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus". Just as God redeemed their stories to tell His story, he redeemed Job's speech to tell of his truths. He wants to do the same for us as well. People who committed sins that we would write them off for, God redeemed and made "heroes".

Father, thank you for redeeming my soul from Hell. I pray that you redeem my life, that it would tell your story. I know that only you could take this life and make it something worthy of honor. Take my life and use it for your honor and glory.