What Do We Deserve?

Read Job 34:1-35:16
 
I would like to focus your thoughts on one passage out of the 53 verses I have you reading today. It is verse 11 of chapter 34: “He repays a man for what he has done; he brings upon him what his conduct deserves.” These words fall into the second or third speech of Elihu, the young man who had remained silent until now. After reading what he has said it may have been better if he had continued to remain silent. (As I am fond of reminding myself, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open the mouth and remove all doubt.”)
 
These words in verse 11 got me to thinking about my life. What do I deserve? What characteristics have defined the 32 (now 34) years of my life? What have I been about? What have I accomplished? What have I done? What does God really think of my life and my mission? When I honestly evaluate my life and answer these questions truthfully I can say, in agreement with the apostle Paul, that I am the worst of sinners. When I think about it there is nothing even remotely salvageable about my life. If Paul writes that the wages of sin is death then I deserve to be dead many times over.
 
What does God have to say about this? What does he have to say about my life? What does he think about my sinful, filthy rag righteousness? How does the Holy, Almighty, Creator of the Universe respond to my plight?  Does God give me what I deserve? Praise be to God that He does not give me what I deserve. This is the entire point of the entire Bible. God does not give man what he deserves.  Elihu says, “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” I have news for Elihu: God did the unthinkable at least as far as we are concerned he did because he did pervert justice to an extent when the innocent Jesus was crucified in the place of the guilty Jerry.
 
You see once upon a time God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world that the Son might take upon himself the just punishment of our iniquity. If that is not perverted, I do not know what is. I do not want to act like the substitutionary death of Christ on my behalf is a pleasant thought or that it conjures up sublime images. No. In fact it is a terribly disgraceful thing that the Son of God was crucified in my place. It is shameful that he had to. Don’t get me wrong. I am eternally grateful and forever His indebted slave. This remains true: I am glad that I did not get what I deserved. Not even in the end: because of Christ we do not receive the wrath we deserve, but grace.
 
“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:15-17)
 
Prayer Thoughts on Job 34:1-35:16
 
Pray thankfully today that you did not get what you deserve. It is called grace.