Attributing Hardship to Sin

Scripture:
Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
Job 4:7

Observation: Eliphaz is the first of the friends to speak to Job in his misery, and he actually begins with some good observations and truth. He correctly points out that no person can truly be righteous before Yahweh. He discusses how the Lord is faithful in grace and mercy, lifting us out of hardships and providing all kinds of blessing and provision. He encourages Job to simply surrender to God and seek his redemption.

However, his first statements introduce a significant error in understanding ... that there is a judgment that involves earning rewards or receiving punishment based on our righteousness. He calls this out directly, asking if anyone has ever seen a righteous person punished by God. Of course the answer is 'no', but not because of the implied cause-and-effect. Rather, no righteous person has ever been punished because there are no fully righteous people.

We know Job is not being punished, but he is the victim of evil that has infested the world. His condition has nothing to do with any sin, which is not to say he is sinless. It is to say that the circumstances of this world, and our relationship with the Lord, are independent paths that influence our lives.

Application: I see this attitude toward Christians from others ... that if our faith were real, we would have better lives. By this logic, the fact that we have hardships means that, at best, faith in Jesus has no value. However, often the conclusion is that there are actually dire consequences to believing but sinning.

Yes, our sin may be evidence of a failure of ours to fully accept, follow, and obey the Lord. But we are not punished because we have forgiveness through faith in Jesus. Our hardships and our faith are independent, except where the Lord chooses to demonstrate his love by assisting us out of trouble and then using those issues for good in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, I see your hand in the goodness of my life, and I feel your love when it is with me during the troubles and storms of life. Please forgive my sin and help me to be better at obeying you. I cannot be fully innocent and upright, and my life will not be without troubles. I thank you that these two statements are not directly tied to each other. Amen.