The Snare of Self-Righteousness

Believers are to be angry at attacks on the character of God ()

Explanation: Job’s three counselors are out of words. They have talked, discussed, and accused for 3 rounds, and have not made any progress. Job has weathered their attacks, and is steadfastly maintaining his integrity. He firmly stands on the position that he has not committed any wrong-doing, and that his downfall is not based on his actions. (The reader knows this to be the case after reading the first 2 chapters)

However, Job has gone too far. In maintaining his innocence, Job has come right up to the point of declaring God to be in the wrong for allowing this to happen. When the 3 friends no longer have anything to say, the reader is abruptly introduced to Elihu in chapter 32. Elihu is a younger man who has been listening in on the conversation. Out of respect for his elders, he has waited patiently for them to finish making their points. When the four are finally finished, Elihu jumps in with a vengeance!

Elihu is upset at the 3 friends because all 3 have accused Job of sin, but have failed to make a case for Job’s sin. Elihu is also mad at Job because Job is so full of self-righteousness that he is pretty close to making it look like God is in the wrong. Listening quietly is no longer an option, so Elihu speaks out

Illustrate: There have been Christians who stood against slavery, there have been Christians who stood against abortion, and there are Christians who are standing against the sexual revolution of attempting to make perversion acceptable

Argument: There are situations that call us to move ourselves from the sidelines onto the playing field. When we see or hear things that take away from the character of God, we should have the moral courage to stand up and speak up. NOTE: We need to make sure it is an issue that involves the character or God and is worth fighting for.

Application: Being a Christ-follower is not about blending in and going along to get along. You don’t need to go out looking for a controversy, but when an issue comes your way that involves an opportunity to represent God in a positive way, be willing to get involved.

Believers are to oppose self-righteousness in others ()

Explanation: Elihu calls Job out with in a way that does not allow for misunderstanding. Elihu is not mean-spirited, but he is specific. He uses Job’s own words against him when he reminds Job that he has claimed to be pure and to be clean and to have no iniquity.

Let’s remember the situation: Job is an older man who has been well respected and has lived a model life. He has suffered great loss, and is in the midst of pain and suffering. Many would give him a pass, and not bring correction, simply stating that his talk is the result of his pain. Elihu may not have handled this in the best way, but he did address the issue without side-stepping.

Argument: While Job was not at fault for his misfortunes, he was still a sinner. No human being is free from the taint of sin (, ), and not a single one of us can claim to be pure and clean in God’s sight through our own efforts. Job was not right when he made this declaration about himself, and he needed to be called out.

Application: Talking to another person about sin in his or her life is a difficult, but necessary thing. Having this conversation requires a gentle but firm approach. It is hard for others to admit they are sinners, and believers are to approach this conversation with much prayer and humility.

All of us need to ensure we are not trusting in our own self-righteousness ()

Explanation: As Elihu continues to scold Job, he also begins to highlight the majesty and power of God. Elihu teaches on how awesome God is, and how little we actually know about Him (). We only hear the thunder of His passing, and we cannot see Him.

Elihu proclaims (truthfully) that God has supreme knowledge of men. God “sees all our steps” and no one is able to hide from Him. God is instantly able to examine any man or woman and He knows that all are unrighteous before Him.

Argument: It is easy for sinful man to hold back the truth of his condition. Not many of us are able to truly admit that we are rebels who have defied a Holy God with our sin. We like to think that we are basically good people who may occasionally do a bad thing. We make ourselves comfortable by thinking about God as someone who is like us, but a whole lot stronger, and wiser, and morally better. We like to believe that God is going to weigh our many good actions against the relatively few bad things we have done, and based on that we will be allowed to enter heaven. After all, we haven’t killed millions of people like a Hitler, and we certainly haven’t raped anybody or robbed banks!

Biblically, the above is a terrible argument that will send people to Hell! God is in a totally different category than us, and His standard is 100% perfection - no sin at all! That is an impossible standard for any human to reach, and it requires a supernatural miracle for any sinful person to make the grade. It requires Jesus!

Application: As we prepare to move to the LORD’s Table, I want you to consider your spiritual status before God. The Table serves as a reminder of the Sacrifice of Jesus, the perfect payment, and the only payment which was able to satisfy the wrath of a Holy God against sin.

Participation in the Table is reserved for those who have realized they have no standing in God’s presence apart from what Jesus has done on their behalf. We who come to the Table have confessed our sin and unrighteousness; we who came have repented of our own sad attempts to justify ourselves and plead nothing but the blood of Jesus.

If the Holy Spirit is convicting you this morning; if you sense the Spirit of God is revealing to you that you are still trying to justify yourself through your seemingly good actions, I encourage you to surrender your life. Quit trying to make it on your own, and come to Jesus for cleansing and justification. During the response time come forward and let us share how you can be redeemed today.

Many of us are redeemed, and we have come to Christ through faith, and we are already trusting in His payment on our behalf. How wonderful and sweet to know that we belong to Him! We can come to His Table rejoicing in what He has done for us, and we can look forward to His Return. But we need to partake of His table with clean hands and a pure heart. For the Believer who needs to come and pray, asking for His grace to lay a burden down, to release bitterness, or to just be held - this time is for you as well