The Survival of Faith (Job 6:29)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
19 January 2020
Christians live by faith in Jesus Christ but in a world which is against Jesus Christ will Christian faith survive? The answer is yes. Consider the man Job who was attacked by Satan, yet his faith survived.
Satan, being the great opposer of faith, set his sights on destroying Job, a man of faith. Satan also set his sights on Jesus Christ when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. If you live by faith in Christ you are a target of Satan. He does not target unbelievers (they are already under his dominion) but he seeks to devour believers.
God permits Satan to do his mischief. But Satan's power is limited. He can cause discomfort; but he cannot destroy. Job lost his health. He had a skin disease and used potsherd to scrap clean his sores.
The issue at stake in Job’s trial was whether Job in his hour of need would continue to trust God or whether he would curse God (as Satan had desired and Job's wife had suggested).
Job's reaction to his trial showed his humanity. He regretted he ever lived and desired death (3:3; 3:11). A momentary sign of weak faith does not signal the death of faith. A faltering faith is not a finished faith.
Job was not helped by human counsel. His 3 friends came to him. Friends may be well-meaning but they are not always right. People can utter formal truth but their utterance can cover a lack of discernment.
One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, said “Whoever perished being innocent?” His explanation of Job's sufferings was that Job was not innocent and that God was punishing him (4:7). Eliphaz failed to discern the higher purposes of God.
Note that Eliphaz appealed to a spiritual encounter with an unknown spirit for his explanation (4:12-21). By so doing he appealed to subjectivism as an authority for what he said to Job. Beware of trusting an authority other than the authority of the word of God.
Eliphaz was quick to pass judgment on Job (5:17-18). Beware of judging others. Do not play God. Jesus met such people and corrected them (John 9:1-7).
Amidst his testing Job could say “my righteousness still stands”(Job 6:29). Here is the triumph of faith! Despite all his pain; despite all the assaults of Satan; despite the false counsel of his friends, the faith of Job stood firm.
Jesus Christ gives faith to his people and what he gives will not perish. Faith will endure. It is God-given; God-kept; God-honouring. In your trials look prayerfully to the Lord. Your faith will stand.
Rest in God’s sovereign control. He was in control of Job’s life. He controls your life. Resting in divine sovereignty does not remove human responsibility. Therefore do your best to strengthen your faith. Pray for safe travelling but make sure you put on your seat belt! That is your responsibility.