What does Job 15:14 reveal about human nature compared to God's holiness? The Verse in Focus Job 15:14: “What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?” What Job 15:14 Says About Us • Every descendant of Adam is born with a bent toward sin. • Purity and righteousness are not innate human qualities; they must come from outside ourselves. • The rhetorical form—“What is man…?”—underscores the obvious answer: no human can claim moral perfection. Supportive texts • Psalm 51:5: “Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” • Romans 3:10: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” • Romans 5:12: “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” What Job 15:14 Implies About God • God’s character is flawlessly holy—completely set apart from sin. • His standard never shifts; what He calls pure is pure, what He calls impure is impure. • By contrast, even the best human efforts fall short of His blazing holiness. Supportive texts • Isaiah 6:3: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills all the earth.” • 1 Peter 1:15–16: “Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” Bridging the Gap in Scripture • Salvation is necessary because our impurity disqualifies us from fellowship with a holy God. • God meets His own standard for us in Christ: – 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” • Through faith, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to those who believe, answering Job’s haunting question with divine provision. Living in the Light of This Truth • Humility: we approach God aware of our unworthiness, yet confident in Christ. • Gratitude: we thank Him for a righteousness we could never earn. • Pursuit of holiness: empowered by the Spirit, we align our daily choices with the character of the God who saved us (Philippians 2:12–13). |
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