Gods Sabbath

296

E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

wicked as a consequence of their wickedness and the righteous because of their righteousness. Job stated his convictions in this way: “It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’” Job 9:22, 23. Job’s certain knowledge that sickness, suffering, bereave ment, and death are not reserved for the wicked alone, but have a very important purpose in the Christian warfare, enabled him to rest in the assurance of his standing with his heavenly Fa ther. Despite the incessant urging of his so-called friends that his suffering could only indicate that he was an exceedingly wicked person, Job steadily testified to the contrary, for he was a righteous man who had kept God’s commandments. Some may interpret his testimony as self-righteous boasting, but this was not the case. It was a sweet and living testimony of what God had done for, in, and through him. It was not self-praise, but vin dication of God’s work. “And Job continued his discourse: ‘As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bit terness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit. I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not re proach me as long as I live.’” Job 27:1–6. The story of Job plainly demonstrates that while it is vitally important to confess sin when it is a part of us, it is equally im portant to refuse to confess it when it is not there. Satan de lights in bringing before us sin we have already confessed and put away, urging us to confess it all over again. To do this is to disbelieve those promises by which God assures us that He has forgiven and cleansed us of our sin, taken it and placed it far away in the sanctuary. Every Christian needs to know what Job understood; namely, that while sin brings sickness, suffering, and death, it is not the only cause of such problems. We need to accept that Satan is able to inflict these things on even the most righteous person, and there are times when God permits him to do so, granting us the privilege of suffering with our Master.