In Luke 11:49, Jesus called Himself “The wisdom of God.” Paul wrote, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God…Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God…in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30, Colossians 2:3). Read or listen to this chapter from the Work and Rest God’s Way Family Guide to learn why Jesus is the wisdom of God.

Table of contentsJesus Is Wisdom IncarnateJesus Is Wiser Than SolomonJesus Is Wiser than the TeachersJesus is the Wisdom of the Book of ProverbsQuestionsFootnotes

Saying our children need the gospel is saying they need Christ. Work and Rest God’s Way and the accompanying Family Guide are meant to help you point your children toward Christ by giving them wisdom. Giving your children biblical wisdom is giving them Jesus because Jesus is the wisdom of God.

Consider these verses:

1 Corinthians 1:24—To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:30—You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Colossians 2:3—In [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Luke 11:49—Therefore the wisdom of God (referring to Jesus) said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute."

Notice, it doesn’t say some of the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Jesus. It says all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Him.

Jesus Is Wisdom Incarnate

When God became a Man in the Person of Jesus Christ, it was as though wisdom itself became a man; wisdom was incarnated. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This refers to Jesus, and then John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Greek word for word is logos, which captures the Greek idea of divine reason or the mind of God. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the wisdom of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Since the wisdom of God became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, we see wisdom manifested in Jesus’ life.

Jesus Is Wiser Than Solomon

It’s easier to appreciate Jesus’ wisdom if it’s contrasted with the wisdom of others. There were wise men in the Old Testament, such as Joseph and Daniel, but it doesn’t mean much to say Jesus was wiser than they were because they were not considered the wisest men in the Old Testament. That title belongs to Solomon, a man whose very name is associated with wisdom as much as Job’s name is associated with suffering. God told him, “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you” (1 Kings 3:12).

There had never been anyone as wise as Solomon, and there would never be anyone as wise as Solomon. “Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:30). Solomon went on to write most of Proverbs, which is the book of wisdom. When you’re the human author of the Book of Wisdom, you’re wise, but Jesus said: “The queen of the South will rise up in judgment against this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). If God told Solomon “nor shall any like you arise after you,” how can Jesus say He’s greater than Solomon? Jesus is in a class by Himself. While Solomon was wise, Jesus is wisdom.

Jesus Is Wiser than the Teachers

Jesus’ wisdom manifested itself at a young age. There’s almost nothing recorded about His early life. Following His birth, we only have one story about Him when He was in the temple with the teachers (Luke 2:41-51). This account is about—of all things—His wisdom. Two verses serve as bookends:

Luke 2:40—The Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom.

Luke 2:52—Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

In between these verses is the only account in the Bible from His childhood. Part of it reads:

After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers (Luke 2:46-47).

When Jesus was twelve-years-old, He was engaged in a theological dialogue with the teachers of the Law. These men, the wise men of the day, were amazed by what Jesus said. They recognized His wisdom. As Jesus grew, His wisdom continued to be manifested through His teaching: “They were astonished at His teaching…He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him?’” (Mark 1:22, 6:2). Jesus’ wisdom was also manifested through His life. Seeing Jesus’ life is seeing wisdom on display. Jesus’ actions were wisdom lived out.

Jesus is the Wisdom of the Book of Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs is written as a father speaking to his son: “My son, hear the instruction of your father” (Proverbs 1:8).124 We also repeatedly read, “A wise son makes a glad father” (Proverbs 10:1, 15:20, and 29:3). Jesus was the perfectly Wise Son who makes His Father glad. Think of Jesus’ baptism: “A voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17).

Since Proverbs is the book of wisdom, and Jesus is the source of all wisdom, teaching our children the Book of Proverbs is teaching them about Jesus. For our children to know the wisdom of proverbs is for them to know Jesus. The fourth paragraph of Chapter 3 of Work and Rest God’s Way, reads:

 In John 8:23, Jesus said, “I am from above.” James 3:17 says, “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Jesus is the embodiment of the wisdom from above, and only in looking to Him in the Proverbs can the sluggard’s life be remedied.

Work and Rest God’s Way draws heavily on the Book of Proverbs and, in doing so, points readers to Christ. Colossians 2:6-7 says, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” This is a good prayer for our children. As they receive Christ Jesus the Lord, they should walk in Him, referring to having a relationship with Him. They should be rooted and built up in Him, which is to say they should have roots that go down deep and produce growth in Him. As parents, our responsibility is to teach our children, so they’re established in the faith, having a firm foundation for the future. Children have the responsibility to remember that teaching, abounding in it with thanksgiving for Christ and what He’s done.

Questions

Look up wisdom in a dictionary and write it below. If you also have a Bible dictionary, look it up there and record it as well.

Explain what it means to you that all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Jesus.

Describe a time God allowed you to act in wisdom.

Describe a time you forsook wisdom.

How has God used your children to demonstrate wisdom to you? If you don’t have children, can you think of a time when God used a child? If you are a child or teen, can you think of a time someone younger than you had wisdom about something?

Find three verses from the book of Proverbs about wisdom that especially stuck out to you and write them down.

How can you help grow and cultivate deep roots in your child to have a relationship with Jesus? How would you explain to your child what having a relationship with Jesus means?

What additional things can you do so your children will be established in the faith?

Footnotes

All three synoptic Gospels record one of the most beloved accounts: Jesus blessed little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Learn why Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to infants and those like them.

Table of contentsJesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to ThemTwo Points About Jesus Blessing the ChildrenWhy Would the Kingdom of God Belong to Infants?Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because They Exemplify Salvation Apart from WorksWhat Have Infants Done to Be Saved?Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to People Like ThemTwo Reasons Humility Is Needed to Enter the Kingdom"Receiving" the Kingdom of God Like ChildrenThe Kingdom of God Probably Also Belongs to the Mentally HandicappedWhen We Were Told We Were Having a Down Syndrome ChildFirst, God Is Sovereign over DisabilitiesSecond, Disabilities Are not the Results of Parents' SinsThird, God Wants to Use Disabilities for His Glory

https://youtu.be/M-oi3bLugF4

In Luke 18:15-17 Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to infants. I preached four earlier sermons explaining why the kingdom of God belongs to infants:

Are Children Innocent?

The Biblical Age of Accountability

Sin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No Law

Do Babies Go to Heaven When They Die?

If you are reading this post, listening to the sermon, or watching the sermon, and you have questions, they were probably answered in these sermons.

All three synoptic Gospels record the beloved account of Jesus blessing little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). We will be focusing on Luke's version:

Luke 18:15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 

Jewish parents commonly sought out prominent rabbis, which Jesus was, to bless their infants. Not only did the disciples try to stop the parents from bringing their children, they rebuked them. It looks like the disciples rebuked the parents, but then Jesus rebuked the disciples.

This is not one of the shining moments for the disciples. If you ever wonder if God can use you, think of some of some of the things the disciples did, and you will be encouraged he can. When I look at the behavior of the disciples at times, I’m encouraged that God can use me.

In the parallel account Mark 10:14 says, "When Jesus saw [what the disciples did], HE WAS INDIGNANT." Based on what Jesus said, he seemed to be indignant because the disciples were destroying a spiritual truth he was trying to communicate. Infants were supposed to be able to come to Jesus physically, because it pictures infants being able to come to him spiritually, not just in this life but in the next. Preventing infants from being brought to Jesus could communicate they don’t have access to him.

Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to Them

Jesus made it clear infants have access to him with the words, “To such belongs the kingdom of God.” The words "to such" are incredibly important. In the NIV, NASB, and Amplified, it says, "such as these." These words show Jesus wasn’t only saying the kingdom belongs to the infants brought to him. The kingdom also belongs to EVERY infant.

I’m not alone in interpreting this as a guarantee of babies’ salvation. When preaching on this passage John MacArthur said:

I am convinced that the Scripture is absolutely clear that when babies die and children die before reaching the point of personal accountability, they go to heaven. And I have collected all that material in a book.

I have a copy of John's book, Safe in the Arms of God, which I referenced during these sermons. If you desire to understand infant salvation deeper than what I have taught, I highly recommend this book.

[This] passage gives Kingdom citizenship to both children and those who are like children. [They] have not yet any understanding to desire His blessing but when they are presented to Him, He gently and kindly receives them and dedicates them to the Father by a solemn act of blessing. It would be cruel to exclude that age from the grace of redemption. It is an irreligious audacity to drive from Christ’s fold those whom He held in His arms and shut the door on them as strangers when He did not wish to forbid them.

John Calvin (2013). “Commentary on Matthew”, p.388, Ravenio Books.

I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them!

C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Vol. 1, ch. XVI, “A Defence of Calvinism,” Passmore and Alabaster, 1897, p. 175.

Two Points About Jesus Blessing the Children

Mark 10:16 [Jesus] took [children] in his arms AND BLESSED THEM, laying his hands on them.

The parallel account in Mark’s gospel adds that Jesus blessed them.

First, Jesus only blessed the saved, which makes sense. How blessed could people really be if they went to hell? How bad it would it look if Jesus blessed people and then they didn’t go to heaven?

Second, Jesus blessed these babies, and if paedobaptism, or infant baptism, was biblical, we would also expect him to command the parents to have them baptized. But he didn’t.

Why Would the Kingdom of God Belong to Infants?

What is so commendable about infants that they get to receive the greatest possible gift?

First, infants can be very loving. Typically, they are happy to be held, hugged, kissed, sometimes doing these things even at very young ages.

Second, infants are forgiving. Even if infants are angry because they didn’t get what they wanted, they don’t hold grudges. When you return to an infant a little while later they are not upset with you about whatever it is they didn’t get. They do not keep a record of wrongs or harbor bitterness.

Third, infants are very trusting, and trust is synonymous with faith. Infants are so trusting that as they get older we must teach them to be LESS trusting. We say things like, “Don’t talk to strangers. You can’t trust everyone.”

Fourth, infants have sincere motives. When they smile, laugh, or giggle, it is completely genuine. They do it for no other reason than the joy they are experiencing. They don’t worry about how they appear to others. They don’t try to impress, which leads to the fifth thing about them...

Fifth, infants lack pride:

Ephesians 2:8 By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is NOT YOUR OWN DOING; it is the gift of God, 9 NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no one may boast.

Our salvation is not our own doing and not a result of our works. As we get older we can start to become proud and believe we contributed something to our salvation. But infants don’t have this problem.

Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because They Exemplify Salvation Apart from Works

Considering there is no effort or merit on our parts to be saved, infants exemplify this incredibly well. They are the best example of the gospel’s recipients demonstrating divine grace and unconditional election.

When I use the term unconditional election, I’m not even using it in a Calvinist versus Arminian way. I am using it in the most generic way possible to describe people being elected independently of anything they have done or could do. There's no better example than babies. They have done nothing to be elected, yet they are. They have done nothing to deserve the kingdom of heaven, yet it belongs to them.

Luke 18:9 He also told this parable TO SOME WHO TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS, and treated others with contempt:

Jesus preached this parable to the religious leaders. Because they believed the kingdom of God belonged to those who were good enough, the idea that infants could be saved was detestable to them. When Jesus held these infants and said the kingdom belonged to them, it flew in the face of the religious leaders’ teaching that the kingdom of God belonged to those who did enough.

What Have Infants Done to Be Saved?

Some people struggle with infant salvation, because they don't think infants have done enough. But if we understand the gospel, what have any of us done to be saved? Nothing. We haven’t done more to be saved than infants. Or another way to say it is, infants haven’t done less than us to be saved.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are THE POOR IN SPIRIT, for THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

In Luke 18 Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children. Here he says the kingdom of God belongs to the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit know they have nothing with which they could earn their salvation. They don’t trust in their own righteousness. So, it is fitting that the kingdom of God belongs to infants. They don’t think they are spiritually rich. We must get older to become proud and believe we deserve to go to heaven.

A true Christian is poor in spirit, and MORE LIKE A LITTLE CHILD, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior.

Jonathan Edwards, Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections, Yale edition, 339.

Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to People Like Them

After making the point that the kingdom of God belongs to children and those like them, Jesus presents the other side: The kingdom of God does NOT belong to people who are not like children:

Luke 18:17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

If we are not like infants, we don’t even get to enter the kingdom. The Kingdom of God so clearly belongs to infants,

People ask, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" This applies to people who have lost babies, but all believers should be able to answer this question to be equipped to minister to others. In 2 Samuel 12:23, when David lost his child, he said, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me." There are Bible verses about unborn babies going to heaven. Read on, watch, or listen if you want to know, "Do unborn babies go to heaven?"

Table of contentsThere Are Babies Who Were Going to Go to HeavenDavid Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyThe Prophet Jeremiah Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyJohn the Baptist Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyDavid's Child of Adultery Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyDavid Knew His Baby Would Be in HeavenFour Reasons It Is Wrong to Think David Was Only Saying He Would Die tooFirst, David Wouldn't Simply Acknowledge His DeathSecond, David Knew He Was Going to HeavenThird, David Comforted Himself with His WordsFourth, David Responded Differently to Absalom's DeathDavid Never Said He Would Go to AbsalomDavid Wanted to Die in Absalom's PlaceBabies Can Go to Heaven Without Exercising Personal FaithStriving to Understand How Babies Go to Heaven Without Saving FaithWayne Grudem Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithGotquestions.org Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithJohn Calvin Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithGod Can Save Those Unable to BelieveJesus’s Sacrifice Is Sufficient for All to Be SavedUnderstanding a Wonderful but Confusing TruthThose Who Can Exercise Saving Faith Must Do So

https://youtu.be/6TwBoxL7Epk

People ask, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" In 2 Samuel 12:23, King David said, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

There Are Babies Who Were Going to Go to Heaven

This post answers the question, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" by building off the previous posts:

Are Children Innocent?

The Biblical Age of Accountability

Sin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No Law

Because babies are innocent, they haven’t reached the age of accountability, and sin is not imputed to them, we see examples of saved babies in the Bible. Don’t focus on the fact that there are few saved babies in the Bible. Instead, focus on the fact that there ARE saved babies in the Bible. If there was only one saved baby in the Bible, that would be significant, because it demonstrates that a baby can be saved.

David Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby

Psalm 22:10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

David didn’t say he knew God or had faith in God, as those are impossibilities for babies. But he did make two points. First, he said he was cast on God from his birth. This sounds like he was saved when he was born. Then he backed up even further and said God had been his God when was in the womb. To say God is someone’s God is Old Testament salvific language. David said he was saved before he was born.

The Prophet Jeremiah Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby

Jeremiah 1:5 [God said,] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God said two things to Jeremiah and the second doesn’t necessarily mean he was saved. God said he "consecrated," or some translations say "sanctified" (KJV and NKJV), which means "set apart." That’s how it’s translated in the NIV. This can simply mean that God set Jeremiah apart as a prophet as it said right after that.

But at the beginning of the verse God said he knew Jeremiah. Again, this is Old Testament salvation language. This language is carried forward in the New Testament. Speaking to believers Paul said:

Galatians 4:9 Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God,

When people are unbelievers, on the day of judgment Jesus will say to them:

Matthew 7:23 “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Also, God said he knew Jeremiah BEFORE forming him in the womb. This is foreknowledge, which we also see in the New Testament:

Ephesians 1:4 [God] chose us in [Christ] BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Or…

1 Peter 1:2 Those who are elect…2 according to THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD the Father,

The idea is just like God foreknew and chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, he foreknew and chose Jeremiah unto salvation before he was even in the womb.

John the Baptist Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby

Luke 1:15 [The angel Gabriel said, “John] will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and HE WILL BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB.

If you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re saved, and John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born:

We might say that John the Baptist was ‘born again’ before he was born!

Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, page 500.

We are not saved by works, but works are evidence of salvation, and we are given evidence of John’s salvation:

Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth [John’s mother] heard the greeting of Mary, the baby [referring to John] leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Salvation always produces fruit, and John’s leaping was evidence of his regeneration.

David's Child of Adultery Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby

More people cling to this account when they have lost a child to be encouraged they will see their child again, than any other in Scripture. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and tried to hide his sin by murdering her husband, Uriah. Bathsheba became pregnant and God told David the child would die:

2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.”

When the child was alive David fasted and spent all day and night on the ground praying. His servants were thinking: “If David was that upset about the possibility of the child dying, he might really do something drastic if he finds out the child is dead.” It doesn’t mean David was suicidal, but his servants thought he might be! But when David received the news:

2 Samuel 12:19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” 20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.

A child’s death might be the most painful experience for anyone to go through. I remember when my brother died, my assistant principal said it’s a parent’s worst nightmare to have to bury a child. That’s what David had to do, but interestingly if I had to use one word to describe David it wouldn’t be anguished, suffering, or afflicted. Instead, it would be the word peace. David looks like he is at peace. He did the opposite of what his servants expected. Instead of doing himself harm he cleaned himself up, ceased fasting, and had something to eat. 2 Samuel 12:20 even says David worshipped. This confused the servants…

2 Samuel 12:21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? "I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

David Knew His Baby Would Be in Heaven

Look at the certainty with which David spoke: "I will go to him." He didn’t encourage himself with these words as though they were a possibility. To him they were a certainty.

Four Reasons It Is Wrong to Think David Was Only Saying He Would Die too

Instead of thinking David would go to be with the child in heaven, some people think David meant, “I shall go to the grave, like he went to the grave” or, "I will join the child in death." There are four reasons that this argument is wrong, and I want to go through them so we can be confident if we are ever in David’s place and lose a child, or we must counsel someone who has lost a child. This way we will be equipped to do so.

First, David Wouldn't Simply Acknowledge His Death

It doesn’t make sense that David only meant that he would die someday, like his son. There’s no reason for him to say something so blatantly obvious. Of course, he’s going to die someday too.

Second, David Knew He Was Going to Heaven

One of the main reasons some people think David was only saying he would join his son in the grave is the next life was veiled or shadowy in the Old Testament. People commonly said they were going to the grave or Sheol, without saying that they were going to heaven or hell. But few people in the Old Testament, if any, had as much revelation as David. He understood that for him the next life meant going to heaven:

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I SHALL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.

David knew death wasn’t simply going to the grave. For him, it was going to heaven,

One of the reasons babies go to heaven is sin is not imputed to them. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not imputed where there is no law." The law brings sin, and sin brings death. If there is no law, there should be no sin. There was no law between Adam and Moses, but people still died because of original sin: "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam" (Romans 5:14). Babies die in the womb because of original sin.

Table of contentsBabies Have Not Disqualified ThemselvesBabies Are Not "Without Excuse""These People Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God"We Have Committed the Listed SinsBabies Have Not Committed the Listed SinsBabies Would Not Know Why They Were in HellWhat About Original Sin?Sin Nature Is Different than SinningSin Is Not Imputed to BabiesSin Is Imputed When People Have Knowledge of SinSin is NOT Imputed When People Lack Knowledge of SinSin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No LawSin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No LawDid God Really Not Impute People's Sin Where There Is no Law?There Should Have Been No DeathBabies Die Because of Original SinThree Ways Adam Is a Type of JesusFootnotes

https://youtu.be/d41QGwfEtXQ

One of the reasons babies go to heaven is sin is not imputed to them. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin is not counted where there is no law."

Babies Have Not Disqualified Themselves

By disqualifying, I mean disqualifying from heaven. Babies haven’t committed sins that disqualify them from heaven, such as those in Romans 1:20-21. We will start at Romans 1:18 for context.

Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron’s Way of the Master's strategy involves helping people recognize their sinfulness, so they see their need for the Gospel. Paul takes this approach in Romans. He explains the Gospel in Romans 3 and 4, but before that he shows us our need for the gospel by convincing us of our sinfulness:

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

This helps us understand what the gospel does: it delivers us from the wrath of God. The end of the verse says people "suppress the truth." People can only suppress truth that is known to them. If they were ignorant of the truth, they would not be able to suppress it. The truth they suppress is that that there is a Creator. They deny that God exists.

Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

The truth that God exists "is plain" or obvious. It is not difficult or complicated to believe that God exists. Instead, it is difficult or complicated to believe that God does NOT exist. God plainly revealed his existence through creation:

Romans 1:20a For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

"Have been clearly perceived" is similar to "is plain to them" (verse 19). Creation makes the evidence for God overwhelming:

The painting is evidence there is a painter.

The building is evidence there is a builder.

The invention is evidence there is an inventor.

Similarly, creation is evidence there is a Creator. Because of the greatness and majesty of creation, it is evidence that the Creator is great and majestic. The verse identifies two things we can learn about God from his creation: he has "eternal power and [a] divine nature," because only a being with these qualities could create a universe like ours.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

The universe gives God’s glory. Creation is the display case for his beauty and attributes. When Isaiah received his famous vision of the throne room of God immediately before his commissioning, he described what the angels were saying:

Isaiah 6:3 One [Angel] called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!”

The angels recognize that creation itself reveals God’s glory and they worship him for it.

Babies Are Not "Without Excuse"

Because the evidence for God is so strong, when people deny it, they [have no] excuse:

Romans 1:20b So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

The verse says "they knew God" because creation revealed it to them. There are no atheists. The problem is not that man does NOT know God. The problem is that man does know God, but as verse 18 says, he "[suppresses] that truth." He pushes it down and tries to deny it.

Man does this because he does not want to give God two things in verse 21 that he deserves.

First, he because of God’s greatness he deserves to be honored, or worshiped.

Second, because of what God has done for us, he deserves to be [given] thanks. It is unbelievable that people are not thankful to God. He has given us life, families, children, a beautiful world to live in, and most importantly, a Son who will take the punishment we deserve. Ingratitude is one of our worst sins.

When man rejects God, he becomes futile in [his] thinking. He believes absurd things like we came from fish and apes and/or the universe created itself through an explosion. This is futile, or [foolish], thinking:

Romans 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

I recently watched Evolution Versus God. One of the common themes with many individuals who were interviewed who claim to be atheists is they also "[claim] to be wise." But in the process, they revealed their [foolishness].

In Romans 1:20-21 man is condemned if he doesn’t recognize creation has a Creator, honor or worship God, and give him thanks. But it’s hard to argue that babies could do these things, especially while they’re still in the womb! Babies don’t move around in the amniotic fluid thinking, “Wow this is amazing. Somehow I was created and that Creator must be amazing!”

"These People Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God"

Numerous places in Scripture reveal people don’t inherit the Kingdom of God because of sins they commit. For example, this verse describes people in hell:127

Revelation 21:8 The cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Similarly:

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

We Have Committed the Listed Sins

Just like the people in 1 Corinthians do not inherit the Kingdom of God because of the sins they committed, these people find themselves in the lake of fire because of the sins they committed. This is pretty concerning considering all of us, if we are honest, recognize we have committed many of these sins. We are the people described in these verses. That means if we don’t repent and stop being these people then we also will not inherit the kingdom of God. We also will find ourselves in the lake of fire. That’s why 1 Corinthians 6:11 goes on to say:

1 Corinthians 6:11 And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Through repentance and faith in Christ, we stopped being these people. We were born again. As the verse says, we were washed, sanctified, and justified. We have become new creations:

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Babies Have Not Committed the Listed Sins

The verses in 1 Corinthians 6 and Revelation 21 are not just saying these people DID these things. They are saying these people ARE these things. God sends people to hell not just for committing these sins, but for being these sinners. But I can’t imagine anyone arguing that a baby IS one of these sinners.

When babies scream and keep us up all night, we might be tempted to look at them and say they are lots of things, such as difficult, trying, exhausting, wearying, draining, and fatiguing. But nobody ever looks at babies and says they are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, drunkards, sorcerers, extortioners, or revilers. In other words, babies haven’t committed sins disqualifying them from inheriting the kingdom of God.

And these verses complement Jesus’s words well. These verses are about people who will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. But Jesus said babies WILL inherit the kingdom of God:

Luke 18:16 “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

The kingdom of God belongs to babies and those like them.

Babies Would Not Know Why They Were in Hell

If an infant went to hell for no other reason than original sin…it would know suffering but it would have no understanding of the reason for its suffering…the whole meaning and significance of its suffering would be to [the baby] a conscious mystery…Such an infant would know it was in hell, but it would not be able to explain why it was there.

R.A. Webb, The Theology of Infant Salvation, p. 42.

R.A. Webb’s point is because an infant hasn’t consciously engaged in sin, there would be no understanding of having disobeyed God; therefore, there would be no understanding of God’s judgment and why it’s in hell.

What About Original Sin?

R.A. Webb mentioned original sin,

Is work a blessing or a curse? Genesis 3:19 says, "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground.” Life is very different because of the fall. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God's Way to see why work is still a blessing.

Table of contentsWork Is a Blessing Because God WorksGod’s Work Brings Him GloryOur Work Should Bring God GloryWork Is a Blessing Versus a CurseGod Put Adam to Work in the Garden Before the FallOur Work Can Be Satisfying and FulfillingThe Fall Can Make Work Feel Like a CurseOur Workplaces Don't Feel Like EdenThe Immorality of Laziness

Most of us probably feel like we could have a good argument with ourselves about whether work is a blessing or a curse. Bob Black, an American anarchist and author, wrote in his essay, The Abolition of Work:

No one should ever work. Work is the source of nearly all the misery in the world. Almost any evil you’d care to name comes from working or from living in a world designed for work. In order to stop suffering, we have to stop working.

Bob Black, The Abolition of Work and Other Essays (Port Townsend: Loompanics Unlimited, 1986).

Not only does Black think work is curse, he thinks it’s the cause of all suffering.

How do we determine whether this author is correct in his assessment? How do we know if work is a blessing or a curse? We look to the Bible because it is the authority. The question is not, “What does Bob, or me, or you, or anyone else think?” The question is, “What does the Bible teach?”

Work Is a Blessing Because God Works

Morality (or goodness) is defined by God:

For the Lord is good.

Psalm 100:5; see also 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 25:8, 34:8, 86:5, 135:3, and 145:7.

Good is what God does, and what God does is good.

Just as listening and speaking are moral, so is work. The Bible opens with God working: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Then:

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Genesis 2:2–3

The words “His work” occur three times in two verses. God is the first worker, revealing work is good and moral!

God’s Work Brings Him Glory

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows the work of His hands.” God’s work is creative, purposeful, thorough, and it benefits us: “For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands” (Psalm 92:4). Jesus said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17).

Isaiah 6 showcases the wonderful vision of God sitting on His throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Angels fly around Him, and Isaiah 6:3 says, “One cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” Creation is the display case for God’s work.

Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” The greatness of creation reveals the greatness of the Creator. God reveals Himself to the world by His creation because work reveals something about the worker. Work speaks of character, motivation, and skills. God’s work is of the highest quality because it is an expression of who He is.

Our Work Should Bring God Glory

We should work because we want to be like God. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We are made in the image of God with some of His attributes. We work because we are His image-bearers! Ephesians 5:1 commands us to “be imitators of God.” To work is to be like God because it reflects what He does.

In Isaiah 43:7, God said, “Everyone…I have created for My glory,” which is why in 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul said, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Giving glory to God means representing Him well; therefore, what we do should give others an exalted view of God. Since God’s work is of the highest quality, ours should be of the highest quality. We strive for excellence because our work says something about the God we represent. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Why do we work as though our labor brings God glory? Because it does! People look on, see what we do, and when it is done well, it gives glory to God.

Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Why do we work as though we’re laboring for Christ? Because we are! Ephesians 6:7 says that we work “with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.” Even when performing jobs that might seem menial or insignificant, we should do our best because we’re doing them for the Lord. Our work ethic is one of our greatest testimonies. We must view our occupations as ministries, and our workplaces as mission fields, whether we’re in an office building, school, or our home. Our work is done God’s way when it’s done for His glory!

Work Is a Blessing Versus a Curse

We might have expected Jesus to spend all His time in the temple worshiping, praying, discussing Scripture, and doing other things that seem spiritual. Instead, He labored as a carpenter with His earthly father, Joseph, before beginning His public ministry (Mark 6:3). The Son of God Himself worked, and so did other great men in Scripture. Paul was as a tentmaker (Acts 18:1–3). Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14).

God called people to serve Him when they were working. Moses was caring for sheep (Exodus 3:1). Joshua was Moses’ servant before he became his successor (Exodus 33:11). Gideon was threshing wheat (Judges 6:11). David was caring for his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 16:11). Jesus called four men to serve as His disciples while they were fishing (Luke 5:1–11).

For others, their professions aren’t listed, but they worked so hard for God’s kingdom that Paul named them in his letters! For example, Tabitha “was full of good works and charitable deeds” (Acts 9:36). Euodia, Syntyche, and Clement were praised because they “labored with (Paul)” (Philippians 4:2–3). Epaphroditus worked so hard he nearly died (Philippians 2:30). Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis were commended for their effort for the Lord (Romans 16:12).

God Put Adam to Work in the Garden Before the Fall

God created us to work. Genesis 2:15 says, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” God gave Adam the job of dressing and guarding the garden. What does this original mandate mean? To “tend” means to foster growth and to improve. To “keep” means to preserve from failure or decline.

Genesis 1:31 says, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So, the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” God gave Adam work to do on the sixth day, which means it is also “very good.” The timing is important: sin hadn’t been introduced. Since this is prior to The Fall, it demonstrates work is not part of the curse. Instead, it is part of God’s perfect creation.

“Tending and keeping” Eden was designed to be a pleasant experience for Adam. He was meant to find his job fulfilling, purposeful, and rewarding. God created man to enjoy work so that He could enjoy watching him, just as parents enjoy watching their children do something positive and productive.

Our Work Can Be Satisfying and Fulfilling

Just as God observed His work and was satisfied with it, we can have the same experience. Few things are more fulfilling than accomplishing a lengthy task or finishing a difficult job. Animals are motivated by instinct and physical need, but we have higher motivations than simply surviving. We crave meaning, significance, and purpose. We want reasons to get up in the morning. Our jobs give us these reasons and helps fulfill our desires.

We should embrace the work God has given us, and express gratitude to Him because it allows us to:

Provide for ourselves and our families

Experience satisfaction and fulfillment

Develop character and endurance

Make discoveries about God’s creation

Advance the kingdom through our talents

Work is an important part of life. Remembering the above truths allows us to view work as a blessing. Then we can labor joyfully and without complaint, finding pleasure and giving thanks.

Second only to Jesus, Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. In Ecclesiastes 2:24, he said, “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.” Solomon makes the same point four other times, in Ecclesiastes 3:12, 5:18, 8:15, and 9:7. God does not use highlighting, italics, underlining, or bold for emphasis, but He does repeat Himself when He wants to make sure we don’t miss something. He wants us to know that along with eating and drinking (or the simple things in life), “nothing is better” for us than that “(our) soul enjoy” our work.

The Fall Can Make Work Feel Like a Curse

Unfortunately, over the centuries, work has developed a negative reputation. We often view it as something that we are forced to perform that is difficult or unpleasant. How did something positive become viewed negatively? If we take our minds back to The Fall, God pronounced several judgments. To man He said:

Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability. Isaiah 7:15-16 twice states that until a certain age a baby will not know, "how to refuse the evil and choose the good." Similarly, Deuteronomy 1:39 says, "little ones...have no knowledge of good or evil." This post will allow you to read, watch, or listen if you want to learn about the age of accountability in the bible.

Table of contentsAdam and Eve Knew It Was Wrong to Be Naked Because of Their ConsciencesJews Are Guilty Because of the LawGentiles Are Guilty Because of Their ConsciencesBabies "Have No Knowledge of Good or Evil" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability The Famous Sign to AhazThe Child Is Named Jesus or Immanuel?Babies Can't "Refuse Evil and Choose Good" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of AccountabilitySo, What Is the Biblical Age of Accountability?Two Other Thoughts About the Biblical Age of Accountability...Babies "Cannot Discern Between Their Right and Their Left" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of AccountabilityBabies Are IgnorantFoolishness Versus IgnoranceGod Is Merciful to the Ignorant (Such as Babies)Examples of God's Mercy to the IgnorantJesus's Mercy to the Ignorant Crucifying HimGod's Mercy to the Ignorant Jews Who Crucified JesusGod's Mercy to Paul Because of His IgnoranceGod's Mercy to Babies Who Haven't Reached the Biblical Age of AccountabilityGod Is Less Merciful to the KnowledgeableBabies Are Innocent, But We Are NotFootnotes

https://youtu.be/xM4W5BO1VGM

Until babies reach the biblical age of accountability they can't, "refuse evil and choose good" (Isaiah 7:15-16 and Deuteronomy 1:39).

Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they could not choose between good and evil. The evidence of this:

Genesis 2:25 The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

They had so little knowledge of good and evil they didn’t know there was something wrong with being naked. They ate and then:

Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

This marked the end of the Dispensation of Innocence, and the beginning of the Dispensation of Conscience.

Adam and Eve Knew It Was Wrong to Be Naked Because of Their Consciences

Romans 2:12-14 discusses two groups of people: the Gentiles and Jews. They both think they are innocent for different reasons:

The Jews think they are innocent because they have the law. They thought having the law made them good.

The Gentiles think they’re innocent because they didn’t receive the law. They think they are not accountable because they didn’t know better!

Paul wants to convince both groups they are sinners, so they see their need for the Savior:

Romans 2:12a For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law,

These are Gentiles and they’ll perish because they’re sinners. Paul elaborates on this in verses 14 and 15.

Jews Are Guilty Because of the Law

Romans 2:12b and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

These are Jews who have the law, and they’ll be judged because it’s not enough to have the Mosaic law. The Jews had to obey it. This might seem obvious to us, but it wasn’t obvious to them. Having the law actually made them MORE accountable before God because it gave them the knowledge of good and evil, but they still chose evil. When the Jews received the Mosaic law, it was like Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then they had knowledge of good and evil.

Gentiles Are Guilty Because of Their Consciences

The Gentiles didn’t have the law telling them right from wrong, but they did have something else:

Romans 2:14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

Gentiles do not have the Mosaic law, but they still obey parts of it. People who have never heard the Ten Commandments or read the Bible still recognize certain things, such as lying, stealing, and murder, are wrong. These people can choose between good and evil. They have this knowledge passed on to them from Adam and Eve. Notice it says "they are a law to themselves." Their conscience serves as a law for them.

Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARS WITNESS, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

These are the two things our consciences do:

Accuse us when we choose evil.

Excuse us when we choose good.

When Gentiles disobey their conscience, which serves as a law telling them not to do things, they are as guilty as Jews breaking the Mosaic law. Babies don’t have either: the Mosaic law or a conscience to tell them right from wrong.

Babies "Have No Knowledge of Good or Evil" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability 

In Numbers 14 the nation of Israel rebelled when the 12 spies come back with a report that the enemies in the land were too great for them. God told the people they would not get to enter the land because of their unbelief, but he added something interesting:

Numbers 14:31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.

If these little ones were as guilty as their parents, why weren’t they judged? Why did they get to enter the land? We aren’t told in Numbers, but when Moses recounted Israel’s history to the nation in Deuteronomy, right before they entered the land, God revealed why the infants were able to enter:

Deuteronomy 1:39 And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who TODAY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD OR EVIL, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.

They were able to avoid the judgment their parents experienced, because they couldn't choose between good and evil. Notice the way it’s worded: it says TODAY they have no knowledge of good and evil. It won’t always be that way. At some point they’ll have that knowledge.

The Famous Sign to Ahaz

Ahaz is the king of Judah and he’s terrified of being attacked by two kings, Rezin and Pekah. God gives Ahaz a sign that within a few years both kings will be dead, so he has nothing to worry about. The sign that God gives Ahaz is one of the most famous in Scripture:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Even though the word "you" is singular, it can be used plurally, like if someone said to a group of people, “I am talking to all of you,” which is the case here. In other words, the prophecy isn't just for Ahaz.

We know how the prophecy is for others: There was a virgin, Mary, who gave birth to a Son, Jesus. But this verse says his name would be Immanuel, so how do we explain that? Listen to Isaiah 7:14 quoted in the New Testament…

Matthew 1:21 [Mary] will bear a son, and you SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS.”…22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL” (which means, God with us). 

The Child Is Named Jesus or Immanuel?

These verses state his name would be Jesus and Immanuel. We know his name was Jesus, but how do we explain the Immanuel title? Immanuel means God with Us. Jesus didn’t fulfill this by being given this name. He fulfilled this by literally being God with Us.

Isaiah said, the Lord Himself will give YOU a sign, referring to Ahaz. Ahaz lived about 700 years before Jesus was born, so how could Jesus’s birth be a sign to Ahaz, who was long dead when Jesus was born? Prophecy often has a future, complete fulfillment, and a near, partial fulfillment. The future, complete fulfillment is Jesus, the true and greater Son born of a Virgin.

The near, partial fulfillment took place in Ahaz’s day. There would have been a young woman who was, at the time of this prophecy, a virgin. She would get married, cease being a virgin, have a child, and name that child, Immanuel. To be clear, there was nothing miraculous about this child's birth, other than God predicted it.

David Guzik wrote, "Many commentators think this was fulfilled when a young woman in the royal household shortly married, conceived a son, and unknowingly named him Immanuel.” When Ahaz saw this child named Immanuel, he would think of Isiah’s words and be convinced God would deliver Judah. That’s how the child would serve as a sign.

Babies Can't "Refuse Evil and Choose Good" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability

Regarding the child:

Isaiah 7:15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

The child can’t choose between good and evil UNTIL He can eat curds and honey, or solid food. What age would a child have to be to eat curds and honey? Whatever age that is, it seems infants can’t choose good and evil before that. The point is made even clearer in the next verse:

Isaiah 7:16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.

Before this child is old enough to "refuse evil and choose good," the 2 kings Ahaz feared, Pekah and Rezin, would be killed. Clearly, until a child is a certain age it is unable to do two things: refuse evil and choose good. When children can refuse evil and choose good they:

Become like Adam and Eve when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

Develop consciences.

Are no longer innocent.

Have reached the biblical age of accountability,

So,

We repeatedly see Jesus Christ in the book of Job. Read or listen to this chapter from Enduring Trials God’s Way to see Job as a type of Christ.

Table of contentsJesus Christ in the Book of Job as MediatorJob Looked Forward to His Mediator by FaithWhat Can We Learn from Job?Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as AdvocateJesus Christ in the Book of Job as RedeemerThe Typology of Jesus Christ in the Book of JobFirst, Job as a Type of Christ in His Sacrifice and IntercessionSecond, Job as a Type of Christ in that God Accepted HimThird, Job as a Type of Christ in His Rejection and ExaltationFourth, Job as a Type of Christ as an Innocent, Righteous SuffererFifth, Job as a Type of Christ in Saving His Friends

Job longed for Someone during his trials, and his words provide some of the greatest revelation of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Although Job did not have the revelation of Jesus that we have, he still looked forward to Him in faith. Centuries later, Jesus would reveal Himself to be the reality and substance of Job’s words.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as Mediator

Job longed for a Person to stand between him and God:

Job asked: “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God?”

Job 9:1-2

This is the most important question people can ask, because it determines where we spend eternity. Job answered his question and explained why “a man [cannot] be righteous before God":

If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

Job 9:3-4

Nobody can stand before God and respond to His questions. Job learned this the hard way when he was finally given his audience.

At the end of the chapter, Job explained the problem and necessary solution:

For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both.

Job 9:32-33

He needed a Mediator to stand between God and him. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” The words “lay his hand on us both” refer to bringing people together, which is how it is translated in some Bibles. Job was looking for Someone to reconcile him to God, and 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.”

Let Him (the Mediator) take His (God’s) rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.

Job 9:34

A rod administers punishment, and Job wanted the Mediator to take away the judgment he deserved. But if God took it from him, He would have to administer the punishment to Someone else. Sins can't go unpunished or God wouldn’t be just. Job expected his Mediator to receive his punishment. Isaiah 53:5 says Jesus “was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.”

Then I would speak and not fear Him, but it is not so with me.

Job 9:35

Job could approach God confidently if the Mediator did what he described, but he knew that had not been done for him. Jesus has done this for us though: “We have boldness and access [to God] with confidence through faith in [Jesus]” (Ephesians 3:12).

After the Mediator took God's rod away from Job, he would no longer "fear God." But the words “it is not so with me” mean he knew it wasn’t within his power to accomplish this.

Job longed for the Mediator during his trials, and He is available to us when we suffer. Jesus allows us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Job Looked Forward to His Mediator by Faith

Job couldn’t see his Mediator. He didn’t know who He was, but he could look forward to Him in faith. This is Old Testament salvation, and it’s just like New Testament salvation: justification by faith. Consider the ways Job is described: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1; see also Job 1:8 and 2:3).

As far as earthly righteousness goes, nobody could do better than Job. But God says, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:2-3, 53:2-3, quoted in Romans 3:10; see also Ecclesiastes 7:20, 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, and Psalm 143:2). Job was arguably the greatest man in the Old Testament, but he wasn’t righteous enough in God’s eyes.

What Can We Learn from Job?

Job teaches there’s no righteousness man can attain that's “good enough.” The religious leaders were the picture of self-imposed righteousness, but Jesus said:

Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 5:20

If Job and the religious leaders couldn't attain a righteousness that’s acceptable to God, nobody can. Our hope comes from the righteousness that’s freely available by grace through faith in our Mediator:

The righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

Romans 3:21-22

Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as Advocate

He longed for an Advocate to plead his case:

“Surely even now my witness is in heaven, and my evidence is on high.”

Job 16:19

A witness (or advocate) speaks on behalf of someone else, and that is what Job wanted. He knew there was Someone to testify on his behalf, and he even knew this Person was “in heaven…on high.”

“My friends scorn me; my eyes pour out tears to God. Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleads for his neighbor!”

Job 16:20–21

Job lost everything. Even his “friends” became his accusers. It would not be too much to say that he was the loneliest man in the world. In the face of so much desertion and criticism, he wanted someone on his side. He knew there was an Advocate to defend him the way “a man pleads for his neighbor.” When Job knew he did not have anyone else, he knew he had this Person.

Even if we feel as though we have lost everything, we “have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). When we suffer, He “is even at the right hand of God, [making] intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). If we feel as though we do not have anyone or anything else, we still have Jesus.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as Redeemer

He longed for Someone to deliver him out of his suffering:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19:25–27

Job knew his Redeemer was alive and He would stand on the earth at the end of time. Satan “struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). Job said, “My flesh is caked with worms and dust, my skin is cracked and breaks out afresh” (Job 7:5). His flesh was in terrible shape, but he knew after it was “destroyed,” he would “see God in [his] flesh.” How could Job see God in his flesh if his flesh was destroyed? He expected to receive a new body:

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (earthly bodies) must put on incorruption (glorified bodies), and this mortal (earthly bodies) must put on immortality (glorified bodies).

1 Corinthians 15:51-53

Job said he would see his Redeemer with “[his own] eyes,” and he knew this meant “[seeing] God” Himself. Jesus, the Redeemer, is God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Following the Incarnation, Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Our flesh will be destroyed, but we too will receive new bodies and see God for ourselves.

Despite Job’s suffering, these thoughts were still enough to cause “[his] heart [to] yearn within [him].” He was overwhelmed as he looked forward in faith to being redeemed. Our joy should be even greater considering we have been redeemed:

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

1 Peter 1:18-19

Even during the worst trials, the redemptive work of Christ should cause our “hearts to yearn within [us]” for Him.

The Typology of Jesus Christ in the Book of Job

After Job suffered, he served as one of the clearest shadows and types of Christ the Old Testament. He longed for his Mediator, Advocate, and Redeemer throughout his trials, and then he became a picture of the Person, Jesus Christ, to his friends in five ways.

First, Job as a Type of Christ in His Sacrifice and Intercession

Job 42:7–8 records:

And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

Job 42:7-8

God said His "wrath was aroused against his friends." How could God's wrath be turned away? This was hundreds of years before the Mosaic law instituted the sacrificial system,

Do you wonder, "Are children innocent?" There are many bible verses about children's innocence, such as Jeremiah 2:34 Jeremiah 19:4, 2 Kings 21:6, and Psalm 106:38. Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability.

Table of contentsEven Babies Wouldn't Go to Hell as BabiesThe Dispensation of InnocenceAdam and Eve's Lack of ShameHow Shame Is CreatedAdam and Eve Had to "Trust and Obey"Adam and Eve’s Innocence Was LostThe Connection to Children Being Innocent...Jeremiah 2:33 and 19:4 Teach Children Are InnocentGod Is not Too SeverePsalm 106:38 Teaches Children Are InnocentSecond Kings 21:6 Teaches Children Are InnocentFirst Kings 14:10 Teaches God Is Pleased with ChildrenEzekiel 16:20 Teaches Children Belong to GodJob Thought Children Escape SufferingChildren Are Made HolyOur Older Children Are Not InnocentFootnotes

https://youtu.be/b9X-WfijBGU

Do you wonder, "Are children innocent?" There are many bible verses about children's innocence, such as Jeremiah 2:34 Jeremiah 19:4, 2 Kings 21:6, and Psalm 106:38.

Many people’s beliefs about babies going to heaven come more from wishful thinking or sentimentality than Scripture. We all want to believe babies go to heaven. We would probably all say that it seems right for babies to go to heaven. But the question is NOT, "Do we think babies go to heaven?" or "Does it seem right that babies go to heaven?" The question is, “Does the bible TEACH that babies go to heaven?”

Even though I want to believe that babies go to heaven, and it seems right to me that babies to go to heaven, that is not why I believe that babies go to heaven. I believe this because that’s what the Bible teaches.

If you have experienced a miscarriage, I don’t want you wondering what happened to your child and whether you will see that child again. I also don’t want you saying things like, "I believe my baby is in heaven because that’s what so many people have told me,” or “I think my baby is in heaven because the alternative is too terrible to imagine.” I want you saying, “I know my baby is in heaven because that’s what the Bible teaches.”

If you read this as a young person, you face the very real possibility of experiencing a miscarriage, or miscarriages, yourself. But even if, by God’s grace you never have to know the loss of a baby, you are going to meet people who have lost a baby. Few things cause people as much heartache. I want you equipped to minister to people experiencing that trial.

I want you to be able to comfort these people, not with clichés and platitudes, but with a biblical defense for their baby’s salvation. When those parents say something like, “How do I know I will see my child again?” I want you to be able to share Scripture with them.

Even Babies Wouldn't Go to Hell as Babies

Everyone, believers and unbelievers alike, receive resurrection bodies. Nobody spends eternity in their earthly body. Here are a few verses making the point that our earthly bodies are much different than our resurrection bodies:

1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown (referring to our earthly bodies) is perishable; what is raised (referring to our resurrection bodies) is imperishable. 43 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in dishonor; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in glory. It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in weakness; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in power. 44 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown a natural body; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body (referring to our earthly bodies), there is also a spiritual body (referring to our resurrection bodies).

We can tell there are considerable differences between our earthly bodies and resurrection bodies. From what I have learned, most scholars don’t believe that our resurrection bodies will be the same age as our earthly bodies. This means that if a 90yo Christian woman dies, she doesn’t spend eternity looking like a 90 year old. If people thought they would spend eternity at the age they died, they might not want to live as long.

So, for lack of a better way to say it, what age will we look like for eternity? Many scholars believe we will be the age Adam and Eve were when they were created. We don’t know exactly what age that was, but we know they were old enough to work and reproduce. If I had to guess, I would say twenties or thirties.

If a baby dies, the baby doesn’t spend eternity looking a few months old. Or if we back up even further, if a woman miscarried early in the pregnancy, the baby would not spend eternity in that undeveloped condition. Instead, that baby would receive a resurrected body and look like a mature, developed adult. We hate the thought of babies going to hell, but a baby would not go to hell like we imagine. 133 Instead, that baby would become an adult for eternity.

So, again, the point is we can’t hold on to sentimental, philosophical thoughts about babies going to heaven simply because we don’t want to think of them going to hell…because babies don’t truly go to hell anyway. Let’s make sure we’re holding to Scripture’s teaching.

The Dispensation of Innocence

Adam and Eve were created during what’s commonly called the Dispensation of Innocence. We say that Adam and Eve were innocent because they hadn’t sinned yet, but it’s also true they were innocent because they couldn’t choose between good and evil yet. And God wanted to preserve Adam and Eve’s innocence:

Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

As long as Adam and Eve didn’t eat from this tree, they would not have the knowledge of good and evil. And think about what that means: as long as Adam and Eve didn’t eat from the tree, they wouldn’t have to choose between the two. Their innocence would be preserved.134

Adam and Eve's Lack of Shame

Adam and Eve were innocent. They didn’t have knowledge of good and evil:

Genesis 2:25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

They had so little knowledge of good and evil they didn’t know there was anything wrong with being naked. This is interesting to read, because many verses in Scripture reveal this is the OPPOSITE of how they should have felt. The verse says they were not ashamed, but many verses associate nakedness WITH shame:135

Micah 1:11 Pass on your way…IN NAKEDNESS AND SHAME.

Nahum 3:5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at YOUR NAKEDNESS AND KINGDOMS AT YOUR SHAME.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me…white garments so that you may clothe yourself and THE SHAME OF YOUR NAKEDNESS may not be seen.

Something making this even more interesting is these are prophecies of judgment against ungodly people. Yet even ungodly people, who were not accustomed with experiencing shame, experienced shame when naked. So it is surprising that Adam and Eve did not.136

How Shame Is Created

Shame is created by knowledge of doing something wrong. Imagine you enter the home of people who always take their shoes off, but you don’t know that, so you enter with your shoes on and start walking around. You don’t feel ashamed, but when the owner of the house says, “We always take off our shoes” you feel ashamed, because now you know you were doing something wrong. Or imagine you started eating, but then someone says, “Okay, let’s pray for the meal”? You weren’t ashamed, but now you are…so you try to hide the large amount of food in your mouth.

I have been speeding before, not feeling any shame, but then one of my kids points out that I’m speeding and I feel ashamed. We feel shame when we realize we did something wrong, but until we have the knowledge we did something wrong we don’t feel any shame.

Adam and Eve Had to "Trust and Obey"

Most of what God commands us not to do, we know is evil, so we know we shouldn’t do it. For example, God tells us not to commit murder, adultery, or theft. Because we have knowledge of good and evil, we don’t wonder if these are behaviors are evil or not

But because Adam and Eve didn’t have knowledge of good and evil, when God said not to eat from the tree, they had to obey God in faith that it was wrong to eat from the tree. Think of the famous hymn, Trust and Obey. They had to trust and obey because they couldn’t tell that eating was wrong. Satan came and undermined their trust in God, which is the same thing he attempts to do with us:

Genesis 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan was telling the truth, because he deceives people by mixing truth with lies. That’s why Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons will always be greater threats to Christians than Buddhists or Hindus. They have so much truth mixed into their false religions. And when Adam and Eve ate, they experienced the truth Satan said to them:

Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED. AND THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER AND MADE THEMSELVES LOINCLOTHS.

Adam and Eve’s Innocence Was Lost

Just like Satan said, their eyes were opened, they developed knowledge of good and evil, and they knew that it was wrong to be naked. The NLT says, "They suddenly felt SHAME at their nakedness." So, they clothed themselves:

Genesis 3:11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked?

The tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," and went home justified, or declared righteous (Luke 18:13). How do we explain this when he didn't offer any sacrifices? He offered what God wanted: "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:16-17).

https://youtu.be/BCLWCeepQhc

The tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" and went home justified, or declared righteous (Luke 18:13 and Psalm 51:16-17).

Table of contentsThree Things to Observe about the Tax CollectorWhy Did the Tax Collector Beat His Breast?The Most Significant Difference Between the Pharisee and Tax CollectorGod's Grace to the Humble (or Those Who Pray, "God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner")Justification Is Receiving Forgiveness and RighteousnessIf We Were Only ForgivenWhy Was Jesus Baptized?“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Embodies the Beatitudes“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Requests PropitiationPropitiation Is Turning Away WrathPropitiation with AchanPropitiation with the GibeonitesPropitiation with the PhilistinesPropitiation in the New Testament“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Receives JustificationWhere are the Sacrifices?God Didn’t Want Physical Sacrifices as Much as Spiritual OnesThree Reasons God Wouldn't Want Animal Sacrifices...After Commanding Them"God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner" Is the Sacrifice God WantsHow Did This Parable Sound to Pharisees? What About to Tax Collectors?Footnotes

Last post discussed the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. Now we will discuss the tax collector.

Eight times in the synoptic Gospels it says "tax collectors and sinners," instead of murderers and sinners, or adulterers and sinners. Why is it written this way, as though being a tax collector is the worst sin imaginable? Because to the Jew, it pretty much was!

The Romans severely taxed the Jews, and the tax collectors who collected the taxes for Rome were Jews. The Jews hated the Romans and the Jewish tax collectors who worked for them were traitors to their own people.

Tax collectors were wealthy and it was a wealth made off the backs of their already oppressed Jewish brethren.

Tax collectors had to collect a certain amount and anything they collected over that amount they were able to keep for themselves. They had Rome’s support, which prevented Jews from resisting them.

Tax collectors were notoriously dishonest. When they came to be baptized by John they said, “Teacher, what shall we do?” [John] said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” (Luke 3:12-13). John said to stop stealing because that was their major sin.

Three Things to Observe about the Tax Collector

Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

There is so much to learn about the tax collector just from this verse. I don’t want to miss anything so we will break it up one part at a time. First, it says he was standing far off. Let me ask you a trick question that reveals the tax collector’s brokenness: Did he want to approach God? You want to say he did because "[he] went up to the temple to pray" (Luke 18:10), but you also want to say no, because he was standing far off. You can see the struggle: he wanted to have a relationship with God, but he also felt too sinful to approach God.

Second, it doesn’t say the tax collector DID NOT lift up his eyes to heaven. It says he WOULD NOT even lift up his eyes to heaven. He was so aware of his sin that he felt unworthy to even look up to heaven where God dwells.

Third, he hit himself. More than likely he did this because he was angry about his sin, and he knows he is the source of it. He wasn’t blaming anyone or anything other than himself. He hit his heart, because that's where sin comes from:

Matthew 15:18 What comes out of the mouth proceeds FROM THE HEART, and this defiles a person. 19 For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

All this comes out of the heart!

Why Did the Tax Collector Beat His Breast?

The only other place in Scripture we see people beat their breast is at the cross just after Jesus died:

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last...Luke 23:48 And ALL THE CROWDS THAT HAD ASSEMBLED FOR THIS SPECTACLE, WHEN THEY SAW WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE, RETURNED HOME BEATING THEIR BREASTS.

We want Scripture to interpret Scripture, which means when we see something in Scripture and want to know what it means, we look elsewhere in Scripture where we see the same thing. If we consider why they were beating their breasts it helps us understand why the tax collector did the same. John MacArthur said:

“There has never been a more horrific event than the cross. Therefore there could never be a place [of] more profound anguish…and men and women who were there to see that reacted in this dramatic way. So here is [the tax collector] doing a gesture that demonstrates [the same] extreme anguish.”

The tax collector demonstrated the extreme anguish over his sin that people experienced over Jesus’s death. It would not be too much to say that nobody in Scripture is shown to experience as much grief over sin as this tax collector.

The Most Significant Difference Between the Pharisee and Tax Collector

The Pharisee and tax collector couldn’t be further opposites:

The Pharisee is the most righteous, respected man Jesus could portray.

The tax collector is the most sinful, hated man Jesus could portray.

The differences continue with their actions:

Even though we aren’t told where the Pharisee stood, the mention of the tax collector standing afar off, implies the Pharisee was near the front.

Similarly, it doesn’t say the Pharisee raised his eyes to heaven, but because it points out the tax collector would not even lift his eyes to heaven, we can assume the Pharisee probably did.

The Pharisee was aware of those around him, such as the tax collector, to compare himself with them. But the tax collector wasn’t comparing himself to anyone. He probably thought he was worse than those around him.

But the most significant difference is:

Luke 18:14a I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.

Can’t get a bigger difference than that! One is going to heaven and one is going to hell.

Luke 18:14b For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

This is the Pharisee and everyone like him who prays, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” The phrase exalts himself is synonymous with trusted in themselves that they were righteous in Luke 18:9.

Luke 18:14c but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This is the tax collector and everyone like him…who prays, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”148

Can’t get a bigger difference than this! One is going to heaven and one is going to hell. This is the Pharisee and everyone like him who prays, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”

God's Grace to the Humble (or Those Who Pray, "God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner")

When God wants to make sure we don’t miss something, he repeats it. This verse communicates one of the most repeated truths in Scripture:

Proverbs 3:34 To the humble he gives favor.

James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

We know justified means declared righteous. Justification is the act by which God declares sinners righteous by their faith in Christ:

Romans 3:28 A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Romans 5:1 Having been justified by faith

Galatians 2:16 A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ.

The great paradox in Scripture is:

People who justify themselves – like the Pharisee – and declare their righteousness will not be declared righteous.

People who pray, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” – like the tax collector – and declare their unrighteousness will be justified or declared righteous.

Justification Is Receiving Forgiveness and Righteousness

When I first read this parable early in my Christian life, I didn’t like the way it was worded. I didn’t know why it said the tax collector was justified instead of forgiven. If he was such a terrible sinner, wouldn’t it make sense to say he was forgiven, because that’s what he needed? I was confused because I didn’t know that justification is greater than forgiveness.

Even after I had been a Christian the situation didn’t improve. People would say, "Justification means just as if I had never sinned.” I know this sounds good, but this is only half of what justification does because we receive both forgiveness AND righteousness at conversion. It’s known as double-imputation:

Our sins are imputed to Christ’s account. We are completely forgiven.

His righteousness is imputed to our account. We are perfectly righteous.

It’s the most unfair, but also the most beautiful transaction in history.

If We Were Only Forgiven

If Jesus forgave our sins, but didn’t give us His righteousness, we would be forgiven and innocent, but that isn’t the same as righteous. To be righteous, we have to do righteous things. The clearest example of this in Scripture is with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were innocent when they were created, because they hadn’t done anything wrong. But they weren’t righteous, because they also hadn’t done anything right. Sometimes people mistakenly say Adam and Eve were perfect when they were created.

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector reveals how righteousness is and is not attained. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-12 shows that righteousness is not attained by works. The tax collector shows that righteousness is attained by grace through faith.

Table of contentsOur Works Can’t Make Us Righteous Before GodEven Job Was Not Righteous EnoughEven the Pharisees Were not Righteous EnoughThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches How Righteousness Is and Is not Attained“I’m a Good Person” Is the World’s Most Common LieWe Need the Law to Reveal Our SinfulnessThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Leads Us to Look Down on OthersThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Comes from Thinking About What We Don’t DoThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Comes from Thinking About What We DoWe Can Do the Right Things the Wrong WayOnly One Person Was Righteous EnoughPaul Said, "I Count It All as Loss"

https://youtu.be/DnAtVJhcnxw

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector reveals how righteousness is and is not attained. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-12 shows that righteousness is not attained by works. The tax collector shows that righteousness is attained by grace through faith.

Job asked the most important question:

Job 9:2 (NKJV) How can a man be righteous before God?

The question comes up again later in the book…

Job 25:4 (NKJV) How then can man be righteous before God?

This is the most important question we can ask because it determines where we spend eternity. There can’t be a more important question than this one.

This is the question that every religion asks. This sounds good at first, because it means religions are asking the most important question. But the problem is, every religion outside of Christianity gets the answer wrong. Every religion believes we are righteous, or right before God by being good, or by works. But the Gospel is that we are righteous, or right before God by grace through faith.

Our Works Can’t Make Us Righteous Before God

Job continued wrestling with being righteous before God:

Job 9:15 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.

Job said he couldn’t even be righteous enough to ANSWER God. Instead, he would have to beg for mercy.

Job 9:20 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.

Job said even if he was righteous, his mouth, or his words would still condemn [him] and show him to be perverse.

Even Job Was Not Righteous Enough

It is interesting that Job, of all people, recognized he couldn’t be righteous before God, because if there is anyone who looked righteous before God, it is him. Consider how God himself described Job to Satan:

Job 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL?”

Can you imagine a better description of someone, from God himself? Satan told God that Job only feared God because of how much God blessed him, so God let Satan remove almost every blessing Job had, and then again:

Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”

Job was so righteous, even Satan himself couldn’t turn him from God! Yet he still couldn’t be considered righteous before God.

Even the Pharisees Were not Righteous Enough

Consider what Jesus said to the people in his day who thought they could be righteous enough:

Matthew 5:20 I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The religious leaders were the picture of righteousness attained by human effort. Everyone knew it was impossible to be more righteous than them.

When Jesus said this people would’ve said, “There is no way we can, not just match, but EXCEED the righteousness of these men.”

At this point it should be obvious we can’t be righteous in our own effort, but is there a sacrifice we could bring that would allow us to be righteous before God? Is there an offering we could bring that would allow us to be in God’s presence? The prophet Micah asked this:

Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

In other words, "Will this allow me to come before God? With this unimaginable number of animal sacrifices? Or tons of oil? What about the most extreme sacrifice: human sacrifice?"

Micah asked about human sacrifice, not because he thought it would please God, but rhetorically to demonstrate that even THIS would not allow us to be righteous before God. Sadly, this is the approach many cultures have taken throughout history in their attempts to be righteous before God. Wonderfully God doesn’t expect this of us, but it looks to him being willing to sacrifice his "Firstborn for [our] transgression and sin."

In the Old Testament we read:

Psalm 143:2 No one living is righteous before [God].

We know Job’s friends were off, but they weren’t completely off. Eliphaz was right when he argued that we can’t be righteous:

Job 15:14 What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

In the New Testament:

Romans 3:10 There is no one righteous; no not one.

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches How Righteousness Is and Is not Attained

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector demonstrates the danger of self-righteousness better than any other narrative in Scripture. By the time Jesus preaches this parable he is far into his earthly ministry. But he is still dealing with people who trust their self-righteousness, so he preaches this parable to show how righteousness is and is not attained.

Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Although Jesus didn’t mention the Pharisees in this verse, he has them in mind. But the parable applies to anyone who does what the verse says: "[trust] in themselves that they [are] righteous." And every person is born believing the lie that we are right, or righteous before God by being good.

“I’m a Good Person” Is the World’s Most Common Lie

Consider these verses:

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes

We are self-righteous. We think our ways, or actions, are pure!

Proverbs 30:12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.

How bad is this: we are so self-righteous we think we are clean in our eyes, but we are not washed of our filth. Think of the Laodiceans:

Revelation 3:17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

This is not a physical description, but a spiritual one. The Laodiceans were so self-righteous they thought they were great when they were terrible. It is like the apostate northern kingdom of Israel. God sent the prophet Hosea to rebuke them at one of the spiritually lowest points in their history, yet they were saying about themselves:

Hosea 12:8 [Israel] said, “Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors THEY CANNOT FIND IN ME INIQUITY OR SIN.”

They were so self-righteous, God was about to wipe them out with the Assyrians, but they thought there was no iniquity in them. God judges us, not just for our sin, but even for the self-righteous that leads us to say we are without sin:

Jeremiah 2:35 You say, ‘I am innocent; surely [God’s] anger has turned from me.’ Behold, I will bring you to judgment FOR SAYING, ‘I HAVE NOT SINNED.’

God said he would judge them for being so self-righteous that they would say they were innocent and without sin. Why would God be so upset when we deny our sinfulness? Because he said we are sinners, so we are calling him a liar:

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Declaring we are righteous is also declaring God is a liar.

We Need the Law to Reveal Our Sinfulness

Because we’re deceived about our righteousness, we need something to show us we are sinners. God has graciously provided the Law. Despite what most of the world thinks, the purpose of the Ten Commandments, or the purpose of God’s Law, is not to show us how to be righteous. The purpose is to show us we’re not righteous:

Romans 3:20 By works of the law no human being will be justified (or declared righteous) in [God’s] sight, since THROUGH THE LAW COMES KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.

The Law gives us knowledge of our sin as we see how incapable we are at keeping it.

Romans 5:20 The law came in to INCREASE THE TRESPASS.

This doesn’t mean God gave the Law so we would sin more. This means God gave the Law so our sins would be increased TO US.

Romans 7:7 If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

The Law revealed Paul’s covetousness to him.

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Leads Us to Look Down on Others

In Luke 18:9 Jesus said those who trust in themselves are "treat others with contempt.