Does God EVER Afflict? Elihu’s Final Answer to Job:
Only what God’s word says has any authority. You cannot allow your experience to speak with more authority than God’s word. You cannot allow someone’s teaching or common Christian consensus to speak louder than God’s word. In the book of Job, there were many opinions expressed as to why Job was suffering but young Elihu in Job 33:23 gave the final answer from God.
Job 37:23
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
After listening to Job’s complaints and his comforters’ accusations, Elihu gives the answer. In this one statement we see that regardless of many who believe God put Job through what he faced – that was NOT the case:
Note that the verse says that God WILL NOT AFFLICT. If you are afflicted it is not God who originates it FOR ANY REASON. To believe otherwise is one of the most widespread errors in Christian culture. To believe God does do these things is bad teaching. Human nature wants to believe our suffering counts for something but ONLY the suffering of Jesus counts for anything in the eyes of God.
Do you believe God put you through something or “allowed” something other than “life and life more abundantly”? Then you are believing a lie taught by others for centuries. The plain testimony in both the Old and New Testament is summed up in Elihu’s answer in Job 37:23 and Jesus’ declaration in John 10:10 speaks completely to the contrary. Is cancer life and life more abundantly? Then it didn’t come from God. Is hardship, poverty, or loss life and life more abundantly? Then it didn’t come from God. Don’t consult your opinion, consult the word of God. Do you believe the Bible? Would you allow the Bible to correct your long-held cherished beliefs?
If you think God is doing something outside the parameters of John 10:10 you must reconsider. As Elihu declares – God does NOT afflict. To insist otherwise is to accept an authority outside the scriptures in defiance of scripture.
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