Untitled Sermon (2)

Maintaining your integrity

Job 2:3 NIV

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

Integrity is something that everyone wants to see in other people. People that walk with integrity are those that actually pay attention to the way the walk , to the way they live. Job was a man that was known by the way he lived his life. Job was not only known by his peers how he lived his life but God knew what kind of person Job was. I also believe that Satan as well because the the text says that Satan considered Job. Webster’s Dictionary defines Consider as “matured by extended deliberative thought or viewed with respect or esteem.” We see here that Satan possibly thought and examined his Job’s life for an extended time. It is true that someone is always watching , and you better believe the enemy of your soul is always watching. He is plotting and planning ways to ruin your walk before God and before people. There are few things that we can see in this text .

matured by extended deliberative thought 〈a considered opinion〉

People are always watching how you live.

God is watching how you live .

Satan is watching how you live. He isn't just watching ,but plotting and planning and attack on your integrity . The enemy is inciting the Lord not to just put you through a trial , he wanted to ruin his life without any reason.

Job was a man that lieved

It’s interesting that Job was a man that wasn't influenced by his culture, he was influenced by his God. Job maintained his integrity in a few ways .

He was kingdom minded and not influenced by his culture . it didn't matter that no one in his generation was living godly , it matter toJob to lived godly , and therefore it made it point to maintain his integrity. The maintain is key word in this text. Maintain doesn't mean he lived perfect , maintain in Hebrew means to seize , grasp, keep hold of, to be,grow or make. Maintain means that we are alway growing in our integrity . Job was a person that was alway growing in his integrity therefore this made him a person that was like no other on earth.

He was blameless and upright. To call someone blameless seemed to something that is far fetching. I know no one that is considered blameless , and I know for sure I am not blameless. I really like what the Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology says on the word blameless. “The Old Testament concept has two different ideas. The first `refers to sacrificial animals that we “without defect”. Only animals that were undefiled physically were worthy of being offered to the Lord. Sacrificing blemished animals was a violation of biblical law and a demonstration of brazen disrespect for God (). From this religious ritual idea comes the notion of moral perfection for individuals. “Blameless” people are those who cannot be accused of wrongdoing before people or God (; ). David prays, “Keep your servant also from willful sin.… Then will I be blameless” (). David is seeking blamelessness not in a physical but in a moral sense. The is the standard that God requires in his kingdom , everything short of these standards is nothing less than sin. The New Testament’s raises the standard on the topic of being morally blameless. The sacrificial terminology is applied to the work of Jesus Christ when he is described as “a lamb without blemish or defect” (), who “through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God” (). The blameless character of Christ is seen in his continuing work as the believer’s high priest who “meets our need—one who is holy blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (). When applied to Christians, the quality of blamelessness is both a positional benefit of salvation and a moral character to be achieved

When applied to Christians, the quality of blamelessness is both a positional benefit of salvation and a moral character to be achieved

Only animals that were undefiled physically were worthy of being offered to the Lord. Sacrificing blemished animals was a violation of biblical law and a demonstration of brazen disrespect for God ().

From this religious ritual idea comes the notion of moral perfection for individuals. “Blameless” people are those who cannot be accused of wrongdoing before people or God (; ). David prays, “Keep your servant also from willful sin.… Then will I be blameless” (). David is seeking blamelessness not in a physical but in a moral sense.

The sacrificial terminology is applied to the work of Jesus Christ when he is described as “a lamb without blemish or defect” (), who “through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God” (). The blameless character of Christ is seen in his continuing work as the believer’s high priest who “meets our need—one who is holy blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” ().

Brown, W. E. (1996). Blameless. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 66). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Brown, W. E. (1996). Blameless. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 66). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

He was a man that feared the Lord

Brown, W. E. (1996). Blameless. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 66). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Shuns Evil .

Shuns Evil .

Shuns Evil .

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.