Pastor John,
The Spirit-filled believer’s clear conscience toward God is a must. Real faith in God lives in having a clear conscience. Yet, the apostle Paul (1Cor. 4:4) said the following: “I am conscious of nothing against myself; however, by that, I am not justified. The Lord is the one who judges me.”
A clear conscience in the Lord is everything, yet, in many ways, it is nothing. Both statements are true. I believe our study of the Lord’s judgments in the book of Job has helped me to understand this.
Just as Job was a perfect man according to every standard established by God on earth – yet that was nothing in the sight of God – so is a clear conscience toward God, if we understand Paul rightly: a clear conscience is required, but it in no way justifies us.
The lesson of Job to us has been that our glorying is in Jesus, not in our deeds. It is not in our righteousness. Nor is it even in our perfect response to the Father and His Son.
Our being is in Jesus. Our mercy is in Jesus. It is because Jesus accepts our deeds that we live, not because they themselves are anything to Him who created it all. He has granted us life through these mercies. They do not carry us to him or make us worthy.
Our clear conscience is not our glory. Our glory is in Him who will accept it.
The revelation we have recently experienced in learning so much more about God through the book of Job is making the Father and Son so much greater in everything – and it makes man so much smaller. It makes His every mercy to us so big.
Thank you,
Jerry
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Amen, Jerry.
It is as I have often said, Jesus’ perfect sacrifice did not accomplish redemption for us; his Father’s acceptance of that perfect sacrifice did. Jesus had to be perfect, and he was, but the Father alone decided it was sufficient. His acceptance of Jesus is what “sealed the deal”. And, thank God, He has made us acceptable in His sight, through Jesus.
Ephesians 1:1, 7. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of His grace.”
Pastor John