Pressing Charges against God - Part 2

The Temptation to Press Charges against God

Most likely, every saved individual reading this post has been tempted to “press charges against God.” Nearly all of us have been tempted to blame or accuse God. Sadly, many of us have given in to such temptation. The temptation to accuse God is twofold.

The Temptation from Within

The knowledge we have about God produces a very real temptation to accuse Him. You see, life is hard. When hard times hit, they hit hard. Sicknesses make us uncomfortable. Because of physical illness, we have sleepless nights. Some struggle financially. Others deal with the death of a loved one. None of these trials are easy.

When the catastrophe hits, we are tempted to blame God because of our knowledge of Him. We who are saved know two things about God. First, we know from God’s word that He loves us. Second, we know that God is omnipotent (all-powerful). Here is where the temptation lies. If God really loves me, and He has the power to stop a calamity from happening to me, then why didn’t He stop it? God knew that this that has come my way is hurting me, yet He did nothing to stop it, and we know that He could have! Every child of God must resist the temptation to accuse and blame God. We must remember that if God saw fit not to stop something, then He has a plan greater than we are able to see.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

The Temptation from Without

The temptation to accuse God lies not only in our knowledge of God, but there is also a temptation from without.

In my previous post, I mentioned that we who have been justified enjoy two blessings. First, if you are justified, you cannot be condemned; second, if you are justified, no one can even bring charges against you.

However, there is someone who would love to bring you into condemnation and press charges against you. I am talking about Satan, whom the Bible calls in Revelation 12:10 “the accuser of the brethren.” Satan accuses us in two ways. First, He goes before God and accuses those who are saved. We see this clearly in the story of Job. Satan stood before God, telling God that the only reason Job served Him was because God had blessed Job so much. The devil accused Job to God. Second, the devil accuses God to those of us who are saved. We see this clearly in the garden of Eden. The serpent, speaking to Eve, asks her if she and Adam can eat of any tree in the garden. Eve replied that she and her husband could eat of any tree in the garden, except the tree in the middle of the garden. In Genesis 3:5, the serpent told Eve that the only reason God prohibited them from eating of that tree was because God knew that they would be like Him if they ate of it. In other words, Satan was accusing God of withholding something good from Adam and Eve. “God doesn’t want you to have this because He doesn’t want what’s best for you.” Satan accused God to Eve!

This is how the accuser of the brethren works. He goes before God, accusing us; then he comes to us, accusing God. Now, when the devil goes before God to accuse us, what does God do? From scripture, I know exactly what God does. Romans 8:33 says, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” God does not allow the devil to press charges against you! Because you are saved by God’s grace, covered by His blood, any charges brought by the devil is immediately dismissed. God will hear nothing of it.

Now, let me ask you a question. When the devil comes to you accusing God, how do you respond? Do you dismiss it as God does for you, or do you entertain it? Do you stand up for God as He stands up for you, or do you listen to the devil’s accusations? Many of us blame and accuse God because the devil put those thoughts in our mind, but we do not stand up for God as He stands up for us. When Satan brings charges against God to you, dismiss them! That’s what God does for you!

Pressing Charges against God - Part 1

Job 1:22 – “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

There is a whole lot of story behind those first three words of our text, “in all this.” The words, “all this” do not describe merely a bad day. Not one of my readers has experienced the “all this” of our text.

To what do the words, “all this” refer? Job had just lost all of his asses and oxen, as the Sabeans came and took them away. What devastating news this had to have been for Job. Job, like most in Bible times, most likely raised his own food. In order to tend to the tilling of the ground, oxen were used. But now, Job’s oxen were gone. Then, a servant came to tell Job that fire from heaven had devoured his sheep.

As if this were not enough, a servant came to Job to inform him that the Chaldeans had come and had taken away the camels and had slain Job’s servants. Camels, in Bible times, were used for transportation. Camels could travel for miles in the desert without a drink, carrying heavy loads. But now, they were gone. Job had so much property that he needed servants to work for him. Now, those servants are gone.

As if this were not enough, another servant came to Job, stating that Job’s seven sons and three daughters were eating and drinking in their oldest brother’s house, when the house collapsed, killing them all. I personally believe that one of the hardest trials of life is the loss of one’s children. Every parent knows that life is hard. Every parent expects life to throw things at them that are hard to take. But no parent ever expects to bury one of their children. Every parent hopes that their children will outlive them. But sadly, it is not always the case. I feel terribly saddened for any parent who has had to lay a child to rest. But Job did not lose one of his children. He lost all ten of his children, after losing his material possessions.

After all of this transpires, then we come to our text – “In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” After all this, Job never shook his fist in the face of God. The truth is, many of us have charged God foolishly over a lot less than what Job faced. But Job, who was tried like no other man was tried, did not charge God foolishly.

What Does it Mean to “Charge God Foolishly”?

To understand the meaning of “charging God foolishly,” allow me to change the subject momentarily. What a blessing it is for the believer to be justified! The term “justified” is a legal term. When I say I am justified, what I am saying is that I have been to court, and I have been found not guilty! Even though I am indeed guilty of breaking the law of God, I have been found not guilty. I have been declared legally right, or righteous. This is possible because Jesus Christ, who was perfectly innocent, died the death of a guilty criminal that I might be justified! The opposite of justification is condemnation. “Condemned” is also a legal term. It means that I have been to court, and I have been found guilty. At one time, I was condemned; but now, I am justified by the blood of Christ!

There are many blessings of being justified, but I will name just two. First, Romans 8 speaks specifically regarding our justification. Notice verse 30:

Romans 8:30 – “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

This verse speaks of those who have been predestinated, called, justified, and glorified! Concerning this bunch, Paul goes on to give two blessings. First, he says in verse 34, “Who is he that condemneth?” You see, if you are justified, you are not condemned. John 3:18 states plainly, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned.” The one who has been justified by faith will not be found guilty! John 5:24 makes the matter even plainer where Christ says, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and SHALL NOT COME INTO condemnation.”

Paul, in Romans 8, speaks of yet another blessing that the justified ones possess.

Romans 8:33 – “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”

It is overwhelming to think that the justified cannot be condemned; but there is another blessing that belongs to the justified believer. Paul also brings out the truth that, not only can the justified believer not be condemned; but also that, if you are justified, no one can even bring charges against you! Any charge brought against the justified will be dismissed by the judge of heaven!

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” That is the question Paul asks. Of course it is rhetorical – no one is able to charge the justified with any accusation. That is what is meant by the term “charge” – a formal accusation of a person of a crime.

Let us return to our text in the book of Job. “In all this,” we are told, “Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” This is a remarkable statement because so many do charge, or accuse God. I wish I could say that only those who are lost accuse God foolishly, but that is simply not the case. Sometimes God’s children, under the weight of temptation, accuse, blame, and get bitter at God. Let me ask you; are you one who blames God? If so, let me tell you with all the love I can, that Job went through far more than you have, and he did not accuse God in any way.

Job’s attitude toward God is described in two ways; first, by what he didn’t do – he didn’t blame God; and second, by what he did do. Instead of blaming God, what did Job do?

Job 1:20 – “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.”

Job worshipped God. No doubt, he had questions. No doubt, there were things he could not understand. No doubt, Job knew that God could have prevented everything that had happened. Yet, he chose to worship rather than to get bitter. He chose to give glory to God rather than to blame God. Today, when many think of worship, they think of standing in a church with their hands in the air, swaying to the beat of a contemporary song. I am not interested in whether your hands are in the air in a church house; I am interested in what your attitude is toward God when He takes away rather than gives. I want to know, when things are looking bad, do you blame God? If so, then all your singing and dancing in church is not true worship. When Job lost all, there was no charge of accusation toward God from his lips.

James 5:11 – “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

The Day of Redemption

Ephesians 4:30 – “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Having looked at the subject of redemption, we saw that “redeem” means “to purchase back.” It is true that we have been redeemed by being purchased by the blood of Christ. But it is equally as true that there is coming a day when we will be redeemed. There is a day of redemption coming for every child of God, though we have already been redeemed.

One such verse that shows this clearly is found in Paul’s writings.

Ephesians 1:14 – “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

“Until the redemption of the purchased possession.” We have already become the purchased possession, for the Lord bought us with His own blood! But there is a day coming when those who have been purchased will be redeemed.

How Can This Be?

How can it be that we who have been redeemed in the past will be redeemed in the future? It must be first understood that there is more than one definition of the word “redeem.” We looked the definition of redeem, “to purchase back,” in my previous post. But “redeem” has another definition. I think when we understand this, any confusion will be cleared up.

The word “redeem” can also mean, according to Noah Webster, “to perform what has been promised; to make good by performance.” Notice the word “promised.” The word “redeem,” in this definition, carries with it a sense of “trading.”

Suppose I have a McDonald’s coupon for a free beverage. McDonald’s promises that, upon use of that coupon, I can have a free beverage. I can keep the coupon until it expires, and I shall not enjoy the beverage. The only way to enjoy the free beverage is to redeem the coupon. By redeeming it, I actually trade the coupon for a beverage. I give them the coupon, and they, in turn, give me a free beverage, making good what they promised.

God has made promises to the believer, and they will be fulfilled on the day of redemption.

Our Final Salvation is Promised

Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

This “day of Jesus Christ” is the day of redemption, where God fulfils His promise! On the day of redemption, God will, in every believer, finish the great work He has begun.

A New Body is Promised

It is true that I have been saved (past tense). This is justification. I’m not trying to be saved; I am saved! God saved me! It is equally true that I am being saved (present tense). This is sanctification. It is just as true that one day I will be saved (future tense). This is glorification.

It can also be stated in this fashion: My soul has been saved (past tense); my spirit is being saved (present tense); and my body will be saved (future tense).

I would do no harm in stating the same truth this way: I have been saved from the penalty of sin; I am being saved from the power of sin; I will be saved from the very presence of sin.

The day of redemption is a day when my promised final salvation will be a reality. I will, on that day, be saved from the very presence of sin, never to be tempted again. On that day, God will redeem my old body by changing it to a new one! My old body will be resurrected, but it will be changed.

Let me give a note concerning this. Some teach that, when we are resurrected, our old bodies will not be raised from the dead; that we will just receive a new body. That we will receive a new body is true enough; but we will receive it by having our old body changed (I Corinthians 15:51-52)! When Christ came out of the grave, He came out with the same body that was crucified (Luke 24:39; John 20:27). However, that body was changed into a glorious body (Philippians 3:21), never to die again. This is the manner in which you and I will redeem our old bodies for a new! Our old bodies will be redeemed by one of two ways. Either our old bodies will be raised from the dead, and will be immediately changed; or, if we are alive at the rapture, our bodies will be immediately changed into a glorious body. Either way, our present earthly bodies will be changed into a heavenly body! We will trade this body for a new one!

A new body! What a thought! Our bodies, in so many ways, hinder us in this life. This truth becomes more real the older we get. But be it known, there is a day coming, a day of redemption, in which we will trade this old body for a new one!

God’s promise in giving us a new body is sure! Look at Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

II Corinthians 5:1 – “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

“We have a building of God!” That is what Paul said! He does not say, “I’m trying to get a building of God;” he says rather, “I have a building of God!” This building is our new body! It is reserved in heaven for me! It is mine! It is waiting for me! We are trying to earn a new body; we HAVE a new body! God will one day make good His promise, and this old body will be changed into the body that is reserved for us!

We are waiting for that glorious day, at the rapture, when our current bodies will be redeemed, or traded, for a new one!

Romans 8:23 – “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

Eternal Redemption

Hebrews 9:12 – “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Redemption! What a word! While I am sure that my understanding of such a word is insufficient for exposition, I yet intend to speak of it briefly. The word “redemption” is amazing enough; and to place the word “eternal” before it makes it infinitely more amazing still. Attempts have been made to describe its wonder. Fanny Crosby, overwhelmed by the truth of having been redeemed, writes:

Redeemed – how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy –
His child, and forever, I am.

Redeemed, Redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, Redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.

The Wonder of Redemption

What makes the subject of redemption so breath-taking? What is it about this subject that leaves the observer in awe? The word “redeem” means, according to Noah Webster, “to purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage.” Notice the first two words – “to purchase.”

I have a message that I preach entitled, “The Carpenter.” In this message, Christ is the carpenter. What is He building? He is building a church. However, He is not building just any church; but He is building a magnificent church; a church that, when He is finished, will be perfect, without blemish; a church that is completely holy.

Now, think with me momentarily. If you set out to build a building, and that building was to measure up to absolute perfection, what kind of building material would you purchase? No doubt, you would settle for none other than the best!

But it is not so with Christ. When He builds a church, He finds lost souls – building material that is twisted and good for nothing. He uses scraps. He finds material that the other carpenters have thrown out! The outcasts, the down and out, and the leftovers! The ones that no other carpenter will use. As for this type of material, most carpenters wouldn’t use it if you donated it to them! But listen – Christ bought it! Not only did He buy it, but He paid a dear price for it! He poured out His blood to purchase this good-for-nothing material that no other carpenter would use. This is redemption! What a thought, that Christ would purchase lost souls like you and me! But on the cross, that is exactly what He did!

Eternal Redemption was Obtained for Us

Notice the last words of our text – “having obtained eternal redemption for us.” It was obtained FOR US, because we could not obtain it for ourselves. Many are the ministers and churches who do not understand this. “Do this,” they say, “and you will obtain redemption.” “Change your ways,” they preach, “and you will obtain redemption.” “Quit sinning,” they insist, “and redemption will be yours.” Ministers like these place such a low price on our redemption! The price of “changing your ways” is too low – redemption costs much more than that! “Quitting your sinning” will not purchase your redemption – it is far more costly than that! Peter insists in I Peter 1:18-19 that we were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold – but with the precious blood of Christ!

Christ is the Redeemer! Good works cannot redeem. Cessation of sin is incapable of redemption. Reformation of one’s ways will come short of the price for the redemption of the soul. Only the precious blood of Christ can redeem – it is the only payment that the Father will accept.

For this reason I preach that Christ is the only Redeemer. Christ, because He shed His precious blood, is able to pay the price of redemption. This is why I preach that faith in Christ is the only way to be saved. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” That is my message for salvation. It is a great irony that those who preach another method of salvation – good works, cessation of sin, or something else – accuse me of preaching a “cheap gospel.” Their gospel is actually the cheap gospel. The reason I preach Christ is because your “cessation of sin” is not enough! The price for our salvation is higher than that! I preach Christ because your good works and self-reformation will cause you to “come short!” It is simply not enough! It will take far more than that to redeem your soul! The blood of Jesus was accepted by the Father, and anything short of it will not redeem. If you preach any other way to be redeemed, then you are the one preaching a “cheap gospel!”

The Implication of Redemption

What does redemption imply? When you say, “I have been redeemed,” what are you saying exactly? What does that mean to you?

It means that you have been purchased! You have been bought! It means that you are not your own!

I Corinthians 6:20 – “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Women who are pro-abortion proudly proclaim, “It’s my body!” First of all, the body inside your body is not your body. The body in the womb is another human body with his or her own heart beat. That’s not your body! Furthermore, if you are a Christian, you cannot be pro-abortion for the simple reason that the body that your spirit dwells in is not YOUR body; it is HIS body – Christ bought it with His own blood. I belong to Him! I am His and He is mine.

In a sense, I am not free. I am a slave to Christ. I do not have the freedom to do as I please; I must do as He pleases, for I belong to Him! I have no right to decide where I will preach, where I will serve as pastor, or how long I will serve there. I belong to Him, and He must make those decisions. He redeemed me! He bought me! I am His servant.

“What about freedom?” you ask. “Did not Christ die to make us free?” Absolutely, for this is what Christ Himself declares in John 8:36 – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” There is no contradiction with this verse and others that declare that we are servants of Christ – servants of righteousness. Romans 6:18 explains it all:

Romans 6:18 – “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

There is no real freedom until you are the servant of Christ. If you are not His servant, bought by His blood, His possession, then you are in severe bondage of sin. Romans 6:20 tells us that while we are the servants of sin, we are free from righteousness. You may be free from righteousness, but that is not freedom; that is bondage! Christ paid the price to redeem you, to make you His own! Come to Him, for He gives the only existing freedom in this world.