Spiritual Control Specimen (2)

In the first article I have defined what control specimen is from the perspective of the scientists and from the knowledge of that take us to God’s ways of dealing with man after the fall of man from the garden of Eden. In this concluding part of this article, I will want us to see the man Job, how he has become a control example for us all and believers today as control examples.

Patriarch Job has also become a control specimen for the people of his days and by extension everyone living in the world today in some ways

The man Job by his lifestyle proved Satan wrong though unknown to him that he was doing that, that it was not only blessings that draw people to God.

“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?

“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

“But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” (Job 1:8-11)

Satan had alleged that it was because of God’s blessings on the man that makes the man to be worshiping him, thus he asks that he be tormented, and God would see that the man would not follow God again.

He was grossly mistaken because the man did not change his decision of following God despite the arrays of troubles and trials and the losses that he suffered.

Another thing that we shall discover in all that the man Job passed through is the ancient teachings as stated by Job’s friends when they went to console him that what could only bring suffering and punishment to saints or believers is sin.

This kind of preaching is what is still in place today when many people especially preachers and teachers of the gospel see anyone (I mean believers) who is suffering, who finds it hard to make ends meet, who could not make progress in their endeavors, who everything it touches turns bad like Jabez (1 Chro 4:9-10) and Obed-Edom (2 Sam 6:11) the conclusion they would draw is that the person’s suffering is based on his sins.

Even when the person is claiming his innocence like Job was claiming his innocence with his friends, yet they still pulled out their hammers and nails to nail him to death that he was lying. That is what those preachers do today too. Sometimes they will even send such people out of their midst allow them to suffer depressions, abuse them because he or she is a liar that should not be associated with.

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” (Job 13:15)

It is not surprising that we hear now that some believers commit suicide, because of the depressions they have suffered from their fellow believers, those whom they hoped would be their cushion, who would be their sock absorbers in the times of crisis they are those who rejected them and send them to the hands of wolves to be devoured.

One good news that we all could discover in this book is that God did not allow the man Job to die while passing through these trials and difficulties. I was telling some brethren that assuming he died during the process of his travails and trails the people would have said that serves him right, have we not been saying that it was sins that caused his calamity, and what the Lord wants the world to see from what befall the man we would not be able to see.

But God preserves the man’s life to show all and sundry that it is not only sins that cause calamities to righteous people most especially believers.

Though, this does not mean that sins do not bring calamities upon people, but I am saying what God wants us to see is that it is not only sin that could lead to righteous ones suffering.

On another note, some people this day and in the time past may not have been favored like Job, in the sense that there could have been some people who have died in their innocence and who after their deaths people would now discover that they were free of all allegations, but the decisions that have been taken on them could not be reversed again.

Those who have not died who fall into this purview should consider it that God knows about it all and that he designs for that to happen again so that they would be example to some in the future and or at the moment by sharing their experiences from them to learn from.

Those who believed in the Lord Jesus today have become examples to those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because their accepting the Lordship of Jesus they have proved to those who are recalcitrant and heady that what is required of them is a simple faith in God’s only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I class the believers into two group here for explanation and they are the rich and the poor believers.

Those who are poor among us would have no locus standi before God for not given their lives to Jesus Christ, because those who are poor and downtrodden who have given themselves to Christ would stand against them that day. The poor and indigent like Lazarus whose story was shared by Jesus would tell those poor people who have been ignoring the gospel that they have erred in their decision in the last days. (Luk 16:19-31)

Those who have been blessed in the material things of the world and who have given their lives to Jesus Christ has become an example a control specimen for the rich ones among them who do not believe Jesus. An example of whom was Zacchaeus in the bible.

“And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.” (Luk 19:2)

Despite being rich he decide to turn from his old ways of life and embraced the gospel of salvation and by this he has become a control for people who are rich but who are playing hocus-pocus with the issue of salvation like the story shared by Jesus with his disciples in Luke 16:19-31. The man was rich, but despite being preached to, he was recalcitrant, heady, dillydallying and unyielding to the gospel of Jesus.

So, such people like this in our present age would have no basis to defend themselves before God’s judgment seat when the world be over.

God today over the years have been using different means to speak to all and sundry all over the globe that he is not bluffing, that his decision stands and he is encouraging us all to come to him through his son, whether we are rich or poor, even the poorest of the poor like Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, you are still called by God, that there is a place for you with him, if and only if you can decide today to come to him.

We (believers) are used to show God’s disposition to the world about salvation that he is not bluffing, like the two Hebrew spies were control specimen to the 10 who brought untoward news to the people of Israel after viewing the land (Num 13); like Rahab the harlot has become control for the people of Jericho that they have a choice to make after hearing the news (Jos 2; Heb 11:31; Jam 2:25) about Yahweh, but they choose not to choose Yahweh which she chose. In the same wise we are today, a control to others who have not come to Christ, we are by our lives saying, his laws are not grievous.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

“More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

“Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” (Psa 19:7-11)