Commentary on the Book of Job part thirty

                                        Job 17:1-16

God made Job typical of the whole human race. The emotions of humans spans a spectrum that runs from utopian joy and bliss to utter despair and hopelessness. God understood that humans would become this way once they had sinned. But God wants humans to understand that these emotions have nothing to do with faith. Job realized this truth when God inspired him to say, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him..."Job 13:15. God holds on to the faith that humans put in Him. This fact happens because God is faithful. "...He cannot deny Himself." II Timothy 2:13. God has given "...to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3; Hebrews 11:3. God created everything to be good, therefore, the image of God in every person has to have faith. Genesis 1:31.

While II Thessalonians 3:2 does state that "...all men have not faith," taken in context, this phrase means that most humans cannot rise to Christian faith and become saved by grace. Most people are atheists, some by philosophy and most by practice. But this attitude toward God cannot change God's faithfulness toward His creations. God has brought all persons saved by His grace to a consciousness of having faith in Christ, but God has not given up on the rest of humanity. Someday, God will bring all humans not already saved by grace back to a conscious faith in Him of their own free will.

Isaiah 45:21-24 and Philippians 2:9-11 prophecy that one day all humans still in their graves will return to conscious faith in God and will be saved but with a lesser form of salvation than that of those saved by grace. Joel prophesied that in the last days, "...I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh..." Joel 2:28. God has to mean exactly that which He states. Revelation 5:13 reveals the fulfillment of these prophecies when, at the beginning of the Tribulation period, absolutely every living being that God ever created will praise Him in a tremendous worship service. This great worship service will begin with the angels and the Church in heaven and will be extended to the earth, to the sea, and to under the earth. Revelation 5:11-14. At this time, God will give all humans still in their graves a lesser from of salvation because they will recognize and praise Christ as "the Lamb." They would not be able to recognize Christ as their Savior unless they employed the faith that God gave them when He created them in His image.