Job’s Self-Confidence

Synopsis     Job 30:27-31:23     7/9/2021 

Job described how his soul and body were failing. As he examined his physical body, it became clear that his body was dying.  

And so, he cried out to God for justice. He went so far as to challenge God to judge him. And he invited God’s judgement should it be discovered that he had committed any of the most common forms of injustice. He went so far as to list the categories of his righteousness. For him, the categories included lust, injustice toward a servant, abuse of widows and poor, and persecuting the innocent.  

Job’s Self-Confidence 

Job expressed his willingness to accept God’s punishment for his sins. But his willingness to face justice was based on his belief that he had done nothing wrong. In this way, he accepted the possibility of punishment. But really, he wanted restoration to the joy’s of his past life.  

My Human Confidence 

Prior to “being born-again”, I simply feigned confidence before God. I pretended that I didn’t have anything to worry about. I thought, “It will all work out”. Rarely did I spend more than a few seconds thinking about my relationship with God. And I consoled myself by reckoning that I wasn’t much worse than the people around me.  

But in reality, my assessment of my own righteousness is worthless. As a part of the human family, I come to this world delusionally, repressed. I come wanting my will to be done. And my soul’s demand to be in control is indifferent to God’s will. In this way, I’m born blind to my own unrighteous dispositions. Accordingly, I’m born actually thinking that building up my kingdom is righteousness – the very definition of righteousness. 

And so, it is far past time for me to wake up. 

“For everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”  Eph 5:14