I Am Clean
Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words. You say, I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
Job 33:8–9
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I Am Clean
Elihu summarizes, as he sees it, what Job is claiming. That he is not guilty of any wrongdoing on his part. As Elihu restates, “I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.” Elihu seems to be falling into the trap of youth. Speaking without fully understanding or contemplating. Hyperbole for emphasis. Throughout Job defends himself against the accusations of his friends, but he does not claim to be sinless. For us, this is not always the case. We do put forth our innocence as if we were blameless and without fault. We ignore or explain away sins, we justify and qualify them. So that when we look in the mirror, we see an innocent person staring back. Yet when we use God’s mirror of the Law it becomes quite obvious that we are guilty. Our sins reflect back on us the distorted image of God, an image distorted by our own sins. In these moments we can do nothing but plead guilty and ask for forgiveness. And it is in these moments when forgiveness is given. For innocence and sinlessness have saved us, but not our own. Christ’s innocence and sinlessness were given to us in a great exchange. Our sin, our death, our abandonment for God was taken by Jesus and He gave us His innocence, His life, His righteousness before God. So that we can declare ourselves clean, not on our own account but on account of Christ. In His Baptism He took our sins upon Himself and carried them to the cross, so that in our Baptism we would put on His righteousness (Galatians 3:27). We are washed clean through the blood of the Lamb. Made whole by His sacrifice.
Job 33:8–9
+
I Am Clean
Elihu summarizes, as he sees it, what Job is claiming. That he is not guilty of any wrongdoing on his part. As Elihu restates, “I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.” Elihu seems to be falling into the trap of youth. Speaking without fully understanding or contemplating. Hyperbole for emphasis. Throughout Job defends himself against the accusations of his friends, but he does not claim to be sinless. For us, this is not always the case. We do put forth our innocence as if we were blameless and without fault. We ignore or explain away sins, we justify and qualify them. So that when we look in the mirror, we see an innocent person staring back. Yet when we use God’s mirror of the Law it becomes quite obvious that we are guilty. Our sins reflect back on us the distorted image of God, an image distorted by our own sins. In these moments we can do nothing but plead guilty and ask for forgiveness. And it is in these moments when forgiveness is given. For innocence and sinlessness have saved us, but not our own. Christ’s innocence and sinlessness were given to us in a great exchange. Our sin, our death, our abandonment for God was taken by Jesus and He gave us His innocence, His life, His righteousness before God. So that we can declare ourselves clean, not on our own account but on account of Christ. In His Baptism He took our sins upon Himself and carried them to the cross, so that in our Baptism we would put on His righteousness (Galatians 3:27). We are washed clean through the blood of the Lamb. Made whole by His sacrifice.
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