This was part of my reading from Job today. Job feels his suffering is unfair. From a human perspective you can entirely understand his feelings. He is an upright man. From a deeper heavenly perspective Job knows no-one is righteous before God (Job 9v2) . In his confussion and pain he dispairs. As he says here, there is no-one to stand between God and himself. There is no-one to bring them together who can plead his case. That is he knows of no-one.
Job 9:33-34
33 Nor is there an arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both,
who would take his rod away from me
so that his terror would not make me afraid.
Job sees an arbiter/advocate is required. An arbiter that can not only speak to God on our behlaf, but also take God's anger at our sin away; sin that seems so small on earth, but that would see us consumed if we approached heaven without mercy. Without acquittal arbitration is powerless.
Into the picture strides Jesus.
1Jo 2:1-2
1 ...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, 2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...
In one man God has become for us the advocate and purifier, that we need. His atoning sacrifice for our sins means he can now, and does, stand before the Father and plead our case by God's own faithfulness & justice. The mercy of God is extended to his people in faithfulness & justice. It does not remove us from the consequences of our sin, or the consequences of evil actions by other earthly or heavenly beings. But it does guarantee the security of the soul forever & raising up at the last day.
As Job suffered for the sake of righteousness and would not curse God, Satan was defeated. As Christ suffered for the sake of righteousness and took God's curse on sin, Satan and sin and death were defeated. In Christ we have the saviour and the advocate we need to rescue us for time and eternity. May we, like Christ like Job be willing to suffer for righteousness sake, and so pile defeat upon defeat on our ancient enemy to the glory of God and his Christ, our advocate.
Blogged from my Samsung Galaxy S2
Job 9:33-34
33 Nor is there an arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both,
who would take his rod away from me
so that his terror would not make me afraid.
Job sees an arbiter/advocate is required. An arbiter that can not only speak to God on our behlaf, but also take God's anger at our sin away; sin that seems so small on earth, but that would see us consumed if we approached heaven without mercy. Without acquittal arbitration is powerless.
Into the picture strides Jesus.
1Jo 2:1-2
1 ...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, 2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...
In one man God has become for us the advocate and purifier, that we need. His atoning sacrifice for our sins means he can now, and does, stand before the Father and plead our case by God's own faithfulness & justice. The mercy of God is extended to his people in faithfulness & justice. It does not remove us from the consequences of our sin, or the consequences of evil actions by other earthly or heavenly beings. But it does guarantee the security of the soul forever & raising up at the last day.
As Job suffered for the sake of righteousness and would not curse God, Satan was defeated. As Christ suffered for the sake of righteousness and took God's curse on sin, Satan and sin and death were defeated. In Christ we have the saviour and the advocate we need to rescue us for time and eternity. May we, like Christ like Job be willing to suffer for righteousness sake, and so pile defeat upon defeat on our ancient enemy to the glory of God and his Christ, our advocate.
Blogged from my Samsung Galaxy S2
