Total Depravity: 3. Counter Example of Jobs Piety

Counter Example of Jobs Piety

In this post we example how Job’s righteousness was declared by God to Satan, and Satan did not presume it to be “all of God”, but God attributed it to Job’s will and actions. The piety of Job (Jobs Piety) is a problem for Calvinists because in God’s eyes, Job was just. Not just to get into heaven, but just in his life before God.

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 

The Calvinist’s position is so illogical and unbiblical that it is ridiculous that anybody should even try to teach the total, absolute depravity of all men. What do they do with Job? Again, they fall back when Scripture contradicts them and say that this holiness of Job was not Job’s doing but God working in Job. Already, that is great. We’ll take that and run with it for a minute. If this is so, then why didn’t Satan counter God with “God, Job is not a holy servant, it is completely beyond Job’s control, and you are pulling the strings and Job’s will has nothing to do with his holiness.” You see, the issue here is again what we dealt with above in why this is important. It is important that understand the error of Calvinism here because personal holiness comes through God working in a person’s life through the Holy Spirit, and all of that is dependent on God’s offering it to us (as being God’s will), and our will in accepting and obeying God’s will.

The issue here boils down to the fact that Job, in his personal life, pleased God and walked in his will and ways. Satan’s argument was that Job willed to be holy simply because God blessed him when he was walking holy before God. Notice that holiness is just as much a pursued cause in the life of the individual as it is a gift of God? This is where Calvinism wished to attack and destroy the desire, motive, and energy in pursuing holiness as a way to please God.

Jobs Piety

Remember, according to Calvinism, even if you dedicate your life to being holy, YOU CAN NEVER PLEASE GOD WITH ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE IN ANY WAY. Isn’t that the teaching of Total Depravity? Calvinists are experts at the bait and switch methodology, and they teach or say one thing, then substitute another meaning for it later on. Let’s hold the Calvnist’s feet to the fire, which is it? Can we do something pleasing to God or not? Total depravity in its purist sense says no. The Bible says yes. When you wade through all the garbage the Calvinist throws at this, it comes back to a simple yes or no. Which is it? How does that answer agree with the Bible?

Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. See Phil 4:18 also “a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.“

There are sacrifices (good works and giving) that please God. So there are some things that do please God. Why would the Calvinist teach that there is nothing that pleases God? A man’s life can be pleasing to God if he fills it with these things that God says pleases him. Job was a living example of this. Why denounce this as false doctrine? Why say everybody is totally to the extreme unacceptable (displeasing) to God? This is a doctrine from Satan.

Continue with Daniel’s Righteousness