Declared Innocent

Job 9:2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight? No one is innocent in God's sight on their own. Even the best of the best have blemishes that become obvious when placed before the holiness of God. Now I can find people to compare my righteousness with that leaves me looking pretty good, but righteousness isn't based on how good my neighbor is. There is a much higher standard than that, and our white robes look very dingy in His presence. So if blessings come through obedience and righteous living, how do any of us stand a chance? That' is Job's response to his friend Bildad. If living right excludes someone from tragedy, how can anyone be excluded? First of all, none of us are excluded from tragedy or loss because of our right living. As long as we live in a world under the curse of sin, we will see and experience tribulation. We will lose loved ones. We will hurt. The good news, however, is that condemnation has been destroyed in Christ. When "Bildad" tries to place the guilt upon us, we can rest assured in His grace that we have been declared innocent through Jesus.