Entertaining sin will eventually bring failure in life. It is true that all men sinned and that believers too become imperfect if not for the blood of Christ. However, men that entertain sin do so deliberately. They predetermine in their hearts to work against morality. All people that sin without Christ fearlessly continue to do so since they equip themselves for it through many desires and experiences. The more unwillingness to restrain sin the more desire to perform it and the more skill they attain to continue in it. This makes them wicked. Wickedness is not merely sin, it is sin exemplified. In other words, it is the building up of an exorbitant evil life having sin as basis. All men become wicked when sin is not curbed. Hence, we have laws of the land and norms for societal living set as bench mark. But they too are malleable in that people find ways to outdo them through their indecencies. In other words, they are not always effective in restricting sin. And wickedness still thrives to the harm of many and to the dishonor of God. It almost seems it is invincible. But wisdom in Job speaks on the contrary. “But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And there will be no escape for them; And their hope is to breathe their last” (11:20).
Those suffering because of wickedness wish the works of the wicked are quickly annulled. While in that state wickedness can appear impregnable. Though they may have heard wickedness terminated by an act of God, it still appears invincible to them when they themselves haven’t experienced it. Experience helps, since it builds hope against wickedness. Yet, it is not the key, but believing that God is just is. This viably helps realize that the desire of the wicked will surely fail and leads to experiencing it. Job’s friend Zophar spoke the truth, but from observation. He has seen the wicked fail and that the wicked had no hope for them beyond the last breath they take. He saw it because God is just, although he erred in judging Job. A beauty of God being just is that our knowledge of justice from experience does not launch or discharge His justice. It is because this experience, a result of His act, does not necessarily indicate His justice that is or is to come. This is where Job’s friends failed regarding him, since God judges sinners’ alone. To them verifying a person as sinner was subjective. They saw his condition and affirmed him to have sinned. Yet, the truth that neither the wicked nor their works will last does not change. Hence, it is more right to believe that God is just than merely feeding on observations and experiences. That belief helps us understand if God acted to judge; for He exempts the righteous.
When God has acted to judge the wicked with their works, then the saying “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!” (Ps. 107:31) is personified. It is true for all the righteous and they behold it throughout their dwelling on the earth. So, gathering from what has been said the most important thing for us who seek God is to not lose courage. We will see His lovingkindness through His wonders toward us! Job had gone to the edge of life and then saw it, and his friends had to relinquish the way they applied wisdom. If the eyes of the wicked prevail against the righteous, it is absolutely because God had a purpose designed. Each one of His trusted servant is an instrument for His glory. Our suffering does not speak of His glory, but His lovingkindness when appears speaks of it. The righteous that see us suffer await the day of His lovingkindness. On that day His purpose for us is made clearer indicating His choice of us bringing joy and strength to those beholding. Consider the man Daniel.
“Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” (Dan. 6:23). I am sure no exposition surrounding this whole event is required at this juncture, except to consider if we are that trusted servants of God. In view of it the first and foremost aspect to be made right is the state of our mind. Jesus calls for it and without it no progress can be made toward becoming God’s trusted servant. “And saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:15). A total change of mind is necessary, i.e. transformation in the way we think. To make it even clearer we must be able to think apart from sin and flesh. The moment we repent and believe in the truth about God we begin viewing all things from God’s perspective or by being inside the Kingdom. For context sake, we cannot think and act like Job’s friends but believe in God to embrace His mind. Once we enter the Kingdom our conscience begins to work for God and against flesh and sin. This is the standard to judge and see if we are in His kingdom. We not only hate sin, but also fear works of the flesh. Our conscience is empowered! What has become the cause for it? “Saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7).
This onetime event became the cause for the empowerment of our conscience. It is so matchless that it constantly empowers our conscience. We neither deny Him nor call ourselves sinless. We know the price for our sin, whether past, present or future has been paid for. What repentance, belief in the gospel and the subsequent empowerment of the conscience does is keep us in the presence of God. We are never apart from Him! It is for this reason Jesus after receiving the sour wine said, “…‘it is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). Such is God’s plan toward us to make us His trusted servants. Unspeakable! The more we accept it the more invincible our life on earth shall be. We will witness the fruit of our empowerment appear in various forms.
Paul unreservedly said, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). When Christ is our only foundation we do not wish to lay any other. The taste of His salvation is such that we only wish to continue in it. This is the trait of a trusted servant of God. God has finished the works He purposed in and for us long before the creation saw light. They will happen no matter what! The wicked that suffer us will come and go; their actions will inflict us with pain and sorrow, but what follows these will tremendously glorify God. All this has been prepared for each of us through the work that Christ finished, which is our foundation. So, it is time you remove any discouragement that is obstructing you to embrace God’s mind and see the days become productive.