Righteousness by wretchedness

"Just persons, which need no repentance." (Luke 15:7).

A friend recommended this title be, Righteousness or Wretchedness, which is a good title, too. But I prefer it like it is because no one can be saved without going through the agonizing experience of Romans 7.

 

The hardest thing for righteous people is to be saved. Probably the best example of this is the subject of the first biblical book written. The all-important lesson learned by Job.

Jesus declared Job righteous. Job had made great strides in sanctification. He was keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He was walking closely with Jesus like his contemporaries, Abraham, Isaac, and Isreal.

But Job had one deficiency--he knew that he was righteous. His eyes were not completely on Him who saved His child from his sins. He was not consumed by eternal indebtedness to his Lord. That self-awareness left him unfortified against accusing heaven of having it out for him. It left him convinced that God was arbitrary in His justice by giving him the common treatment of runaway slaves, cutting his heels.

"Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; Thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet." (Job 13:27).

After the first three workers of iniquity only hardened Job inpenitence, a young man of God spoke up. Elihu single-handedly did what all three couldn't do. They couldn't convince St. Job of sin,

when ganged up against him because they were bigger saints than Job was. Their self-made righteousness was bigger than his. "Compared to our righteousness, we declare you guilty."

"So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job." (Job 33:1-3).

So Elihu commenced to saving his elder by the Spirit of Jesus.

"Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

Behold, He findeth occasions against me, He counteth me for His enemy,

He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths." (Job 33:8-11).

"There are some who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the cross and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and sacrifice. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they cannot enter there. Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 118.