Quote the Whole Scripture, and Rest in God's Grace

Many people trust God for eternity, but they believe that they are on their own on earth once they are saved.

Many Christians today are like Job, who was an upright man, but tried to maintain his own righteousness:

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (Job 1: 1)

Unlike Abraham, who had a covenant with God based on faith, Job was merely an "upright", or ethical man, one who trusted in his own efforts to maintain his right standing before God:

 "And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them [his children], and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." (Job 1: 5)

When tragedy struck, losing his livelihood, his family, and even his health, he maintained that he was still righteous. Like Job, many Christians love to quote Job 13: 15:

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."

Most Christians focus on the first par, but neglect the second part.

“But I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

Believers trust God for salvation, but they continue to have faith in themselves or their faith when it comes to trials and troubles in daily living.

Yet Paul puts asunder such self-righteous presumption:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)

“The life I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God.” For the believer, it is God’s faith that sustains us – this is the gift of God, along with the grace to believe on Him for salvation and sanctification (Ephesians 2: 8-9).

In the Church today, too many people are ignorant of the scriptures, and thus they are slow of heart to believe (Luke 24: 25), because the Word in its growing fullness is not taking root in their hearts. By quoting part of scripture, while holding onto one’s own integrity, believers are missing out on the awesome power of God’s grace in their lives. To the extent that we trust in our efforts, then we are under law, and therefore we end up under the curse, for to earn God’s blessings through the law leaves us open to attack, cursing, weak and beggarly elements all. God’s grace cannot function to the extent that we insist on trying on our own.

Hence Job suffered terrible at the hands of Satan, and today many Christians fall into temptations and frailties, all in attempting to keep the law, which no man can keep.

Read the Scripture in its entirety, receive the revelation of God’s love and good pleasure in your lives, and watch your faith connect with God and His good promises for us.