RIGHT LIVING IN A WRONG WORLD
In The Toronto Star, Sunday 15th August 2004 a survey was released regarding western nations response to God being a moral God – in the U.S.A. only 60% surveyed thought that God was moral, in Canada and Western Europe only 30% thought God was moral. That means most people thought that God was not righteous in His actions. With a belief system like that no wonder we live in such an immoral society. But what of the Church what is her responsibility? Whether we like it or not believers reflect God to this world. With all the scandals plaguing the church today no wonder we are confused about right and wrong.
This sermon looks at right living in a wrong world. The believer has righteousness in Christ that they do not and cannot earn. This is an imputed righteousness. In other words we all have right standing before God through the confession of our faith in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
There is another righteousness that is required of the believer and that is a sanctified life or a right acting life. Is this possible in a world that has gone so wrong? In the book of Job we read these words that God says about his servant - Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
We will look at the life of Job from Job chapter 31 and see what constitutes right living in a wrong world and what motivated to live as he did.
Jobs righteous life can be seen in his relationships in four main areas:
Right Relationship with God – this was based upon Job’s reverential fear of the Lord and his faithfulness to Him - Job 31:3-4 is it not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps? - Job 31:23 For destruction from God is a terror to me, and because of His magnificence I cannot endure. - Job 31:28 (NIV) then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
Right relationship with God is always the start for right living and right relationship involves entering into the covenant of God – Job says “How can I be Unfaithful?” Faithfulness is a result of love. Fear is also a deterrent to wrong living. The question we ask ourselves is do we fear eternal consequences more than giving into wrong acting. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7) If you are here today and know your life has been lived with wrong acting – whatever that maybe now is the time to consider Jesus who will not only make you instantly righteous before the Father but will give you the ability to live in a right way.
Right Relationship with People – Job 31:9-32 - Job talks about living rightly with people in this passage he defends his actions with his neighbors, v9, his employees, v13, the disadvantaged in life, v 16-21, his adversaries, v 29, and the stranger, v32.
Right relationship with others is a supernatural consequence of right relationship with God – “For God so loved the world …Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Right Relationship with Possessions - Job 31:24-25 “If I have made gold my hope, or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’; if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gained much;
Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Job was the wealthiest man on earth it is not so much the quantity of the possessions we have but the stewardship of them. Job’s righteous living resulted in ability to bless others and realize that all he had came from God. How about us? Where is your heart? Have a problem with giving – it is a sign of wrong actions in a wrong world. 1 John 2:16,17 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Right Relationship with Creation - Job 31:38-40 “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or caused its owners to lose their lives; Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, And weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
This is not a new age concept but a biblical one – God planted a garden in Eden and man was put there to take care of it. Whether we like it or not right living will result in a right relationship with our environment – this does not mean the worship of creation – Job referred to that in Job 31:26-27, but rather the right attitude towards creation. On a practical level what do we do with our garbage throw it on the street or in a bin, how do we manage the resources God has given us are we purifier’s or polluters – just a thought! Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Job’s Righteous Life was motivated by three areas:
1. A fear of and faithfulness to God – as already mentioned
2. An understanding of the value of human life – Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
3. Right choices despite wrong crowds – Job 31:34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? Job did not let the wrong crowd or peer pressure influence his right decision making
Job made a covenant with himself regarding righteousness, a decision to walk uprightly, a decision that could only be fulfilled with the power of the Holy Spirit in him, yet a decision he had to make -
Job 31:1-7 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman? For what is the allotment of God from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps? “If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed on honest scales, That God may know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, or my heart walked after my eyes, or if any spot adheres to my hands,
The eye is the way to the heart and the heart governs where we walk and what we touch – be careful then what we look at – Decide today for Jesus and right living.
Rev. 15:4 (NIV) Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness (right acts) of saints.
