Job 34:12-23 – NAUGHTY AND NICE AT CHRISTMAS

Job 34:12-23 – NAUGHTY AND NICE AT CHRISTMAS

“… He's making a list, and checking it twice; gonna find out who's NAUGHTY AND NICE. … He knows if you've been BAD OR GOOD, so be good for goodness sake!”

You better watch out! But I wouldn’t worry too much.
Santa overlooks a lot of the naughty part anyway. Except of course in third world countries. No gifts. Must have been very naughty. Lots of pouting. Certainly crying.
Perhaps “naughty” equates with poverty and “nice” with commercialism and money in our bank account. Doesn’t seem all that JUST. I once saw a cartoon of Santa in the manger adored by bankers and businessmen.

Some people see God like Santa… old, white beard, overlooking the naughty and rewarding the nice. Afterall Romans 3:23 and 6:23 says we have ALL been NAUGHTY but we all have the opportunity of receiving A GIFT from God. What we water down and call “naughty” God calls “sin”. “For EVERYONE has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard… the wages of sin is DEATH, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).

In Job 34, Elihu is speaking to Job and his friends and he runs a short course in GOD’S CHARACTER 101. Among other things he says about God, he states “The Almighty will NOT TWIST JUSTICE” (Job 34:12). God is absolutely and TOTALLY FAIR. His character is JUST. 2 Chronicles 19:7 (NIV) says “… with the LORD our God there is NO INJUSTICE OR PARTIALITY OR BRIBERY."
Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT) says “... Everything He does is JUST AND FAIR.” Romans 2:11 (NLT) says “For God does NOT SHOW FAVOURITISM.” Santa + us may discriminate by overlooking sin for the sake of a bank balance and commercial enterprise, but not God. Rich or poor. Third world or Westerners. He is just and fair to everyone.

Since He claims to be fair, I ask God “Why do You allow people to starve in India and live in poverty in Cambodia?” But I am interrupted mid sentence by God who is asking me the very same question! He’s provided all the resources. Since you have more, give more. What am I doing about it? Am I NAUGHTY OR NICE? Nothing FAIR about starvation and poverty, especially if I’m part of the problem!

Ever since the garden of Eden we seem obsessed with thinking that this world would be a better place if we ate the tree of the knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL rather than the tree of LIFE. In a childish flashback we say “I’ve lived a pretty good life. No Santa, I haven’t been naughty” rather than with childlike faith say “How can I live LIFE to the full? Yes God, I want to have significance and purpose in my life?”

And what about when I enter into eternity? You’ve heard the question AD NAUSEUM “How could a loving God send people to hell?” My wife met some monks in Cambodia who had never heard about Christ. Do they go to hell? At this point Elihu jumps in and says “Could God govern if He hated justice? Are you going to condemn the Almighty Judge?” (Job 34:17 NLT). “We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment.” (Job 34:23 NLT). John 3:18 (NLT) says “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him (Christ). But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s One and Only Son.”

“But God, what if I’ve been more NICE than NAUGHTY and don’t think that I DESERVE to be judged? And what if I don’t want anything to do with Jesus?” Elihu says “Must God TAILOR HIS JUSTICE to your demands? But you have REJECTED Him! The CHOICE is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us. (Job 34:33 NLT).

Our wisdom – the Santa principle - NAUGHTY AND NICE, is tenuous at the least. Think about it. A person’s good is only RELATIVE to other people. What about God? Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and COME SHORT of the glory of God.” I don’t measure up to the PERFECT CHARACTER of God. Habakkuk 1:13 (NLT) declares of God “You are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.”

That’s where Christmas comes to the rescue. Enter Jesus. (Galatians 4:4). He lives a perfect life and dies upon a cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says “God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.” The righteousness of God goes WAY BEYOND “NICE”. Romans 3:24 (NLT) says “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that WE are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He FREED US from the penalty for our sins.”

Romans 3:22-26 (NLT) says it all. “This sacrifice (of Jesus) shows that God was being FAIR when He held back and did not punish those who sinned … God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is FAIR AND JUST, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight WHEN THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS.” Being good or evil is not the point. Believing in Christ enables us to live LIFE TO THE FULL, beyond just keeping a set of rules of my own making and trying to avoid or keep God’s justice at bay. In Christ I can make a worthwhile difference.

The gift of eternal life has nothing to do with the SANTA TREADMILL of naughty or nice (Ephesians 2:8-9)! We do not work for it by not being naughty. We do not earn it or deserve it by being nice. It doesn’t need batteries to keep on keeping on and it makes an eternal difference starting from now. It is FREE to us but like most things which are free, someone pays for them. In this case, Jesus Christ has PAID THE PRICE. And He is the gift, the life. John 10:10 (NIV) says “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The invitation is to you. God bless you as you receive the gift of His life this Christmas.

Pastor Ross

Created 6 months ago