The Sunday News
Itai, Chapunza
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
FROM the onset of the story of this great man, we are told what sort of person he was. We are told he is a man that was blameless and upright. Not only that, he shunned evil and feared the Lord.
For the average Christian of the twenty first century fear of the Lord is going to church every Sunday and maintain constant offering of a dollar and a tithe with the church finance office, of cause not forgetting the nice suit or dress with a couple of shoes to alternate Sundays and a consistent choir or other association membership. To others it is literally being afraid of God.
Doing what is good because we believe God may open the heavens and strike us with a bolt of lightning for lying or stealing. Although this is not entirely true concerning what the fear of the Lord is, at least it keeps a few souls in check, reducing the risk of ending up in hell.
In actual fact the fear of the Lord is reverence. Reverence of God is to have deep respect and regard for him, regarding him as sacred and understanding the good work that Christ performed on the cross. It’s coupled with deep wonder and awe of the greatness of God and his role in each and every human being’s life, especially your own.
It’s having a mindset that always seeks to know God’s thoughts on every matter of your life and making every effort to get closer to him by avoiding sin. Where when you think of doing anything, the next question that comes to mind is, what God thinks of your choice.
God was so important to Job that he did not want to be found in any kind of wrong with him. To ensure right standing with God Job would make offerings and ask for forgiveness just in case his children may have wronged God without his knowledge.
I have noticed that most people do not understand the concept of being taken to hell, sin and grace. When Jesus died, he died as a substitute for you. He was killed like a common criminal because our sins — as common criminals — were placed on him.
By accepting him, God looks at you, he sees a man with no sin.
Once you have been born again, it is for life. For as long as you continue to confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will not go to hell no matter how much you sin. Sin will not take you to hell when you are born again.
Instead sin will bring hell to you on earth. Let me explain, when you are a thief and the police catch you stealing, they will send you to prison. You being in prison does not mean you won’t make it to Heaven when you die. However, for now you will be in prison because of your sin.
If you had the gift of preaching, that gift is not taken away because of sin. You may actually begin to preach and win more souls in prison because God’s gifts are irrevocable. If he gives it to you, it is yours. However, it is not God’s desire for you to be in a jail cell, you are there because of sin.
On the contrary, if you refuse to do what God has instructed, like soul winning yet you have accepted Christ. It does not mean you will be in hell either, you will be in Heaven yet you will be in great suffering as the word says. Because while others are fellowshipping with Christ and sharing their experiences with him, you will have nothing to contribute to the conversation.
Not forgetting also the crown that has been promised to be given according to or works. It is a nasty experience to have your loved ones with you and you cannot contribute a single thing to the conversation they are having. And when you make a comment no one responds because what you are saying is irrelevant to the conversation.
Grace is a cure for sin. God’s grace was given to us through his son Jesus Christ who was the perfect sacrifice. The Holy Spirit ensures that those sins that you previously enjoyed doing will begin to be pushed out of your life. This He does by constantly talking to you through the word and the small voice within you.
We must understand that sin will not take you to hell as a believer. But sin will bring hell to you on earth. Shunning evil will ensure a good life on earth free from demonic oppression and poverty.
Job 1:5
5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
Feasting is normally characterised by drinking and eating and people talking. This normally brings about an attitude of freedom in people. And sometimes say things we do not mean. Also it is very normal that the devil takes advantage of such a situation to push his agenda. Most sins of speech take place when people are either intoxicated or are in a joyful mood. Thus Job made it a habit to sacrifice to the Lord and ask for forgiveness on behalf of his sons for the sins they may have committed.
Job not only asked for forgiveness on their behalf but he also asked them to do the same, thus he sent for them to be cleansed.
It was very important to Job for them to remain in right standing with God.
The word says honour the Lord with substance and then it says Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice. When he died on the cross he died for past, present and future sins. Jesus also died for the sinful nature that every human being is born with.
That is why we do not offer burnt offerings and sacrifices of animal blood to God because there is no higher sacrifice than Jesus. All we have to do is just accept him as our Lord, confess it with our mouth and believe it in our hearts that indeed there is no better sacrifice than Jesus.
Jesus was so perfect that soon after baptism performed by John, before Jesus did anything, God was well pleased in him. As he was without any major work history, God was already well pleased in him.
The word then says we should honour God with our substance. We sacrifice what we have worked for so that it is used for the advancement of the kingdom of God here on earth, in turn God has promised to increase the blessing on our lives.
You are already blessed by accepting Jesus Christ, but once you give of your tithes and offering, you then unlock a special blessing that is reserved for that can only be accessed if you give. Clothing the naked and feeding the poor also has its own blessing attached to it. Because the word also says what so ever that you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.
So it is important that as you manage money, assets or anything the Lord may have blessed you with, you always honour him with your substance. It not only increases the value of your assets, but gives you the much need spiritual protection.
