Lucifer: Created, Fallen, Defeated

Question 27: When we talk about God not being able to be in the presence of sin in Roman’s Road, how can God be around Satan in heaven in the book of Job?

That’s a good question because it forces us to examine something many Christians have heard all their lives.

At some point, most believers have heard someone say: “God cannot be in the presence of sin.”

The statement is usually intended to emphasize God’s holiness, and there is certainly truth behind that concern. God is absolutely holy. Sin separates people from fellowship with Him. But before we answer the question, let’s ask an important Bible study question:

Where does the Bible actually say that God cannot be in the presence of sin?

Most people are surprised when they begin looking for that verse because they discover that the Bible never states it in exactly those words.

What the Bible does teach is that God is holy and that sin creates a barrier between sinful people and a holy God. Isaiah 59:2 says:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you...”

Notice the emphasis. The problem is not that God is incapable of confronting sin. The problem is that sin separates sinners from fellowship with God.

That distinction becomes important when we come to the book of Job.

In Job 1:6 we read:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”

A similar scene appears again in Job 2.

Now let’s think carefully about what is happening.

Is Satan present?

Yes.

Is God present?

Yes.

Does God speak with Satan?

Yes.

So whatever we mean by God’s holiness, it cannot mean that God is unable to confront, judge, or exercise authority over sinful beings. If that were true, the events of Job 1 and 2 could not have occurred.

In fact, the entire Bible repeatedly shows God dealing directly with sinners. He confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden. He confronted Cain after the murder of Abel. He confronted Pharaoh through Moses. He confronted Satan in Job. The issue is not God’s inability to be near sin. The issue is God’s holiness in the midst of sin.

Lewis Sperry Chafer pointed out that God’s holiness means He is completely separate from evil in His nature and character. Sin never contaminates Him. Sin never changes Him. Sin never diminishes His holiness. God can confront evil, judge evil, and rule over evil without being affected by it.

This is where the cross helps us understand the issue more clearly.

Many Bible teachers believe the darkness that covered the land during the crucifixion symbolized the judgment Christ was bearing as the Sin-Bearer. Whether one accepts that interpretation or not, Scripture clearly teaches that Christ bore our sins upon Himself (1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). At Calvary, God was not avoiding sin. God was judging sin.

That is a very important distinction.

The holiness of God does not mean He cannot deal with sin. The holiness of God means He must deal with sin according to His righteous character.

John Phillips often emphasized that when Satan appears in Job, he does not appear as God’s equal. He appears as a creature standing before his Creator. The scene is not a challenge to God’s holiness. It is a demonstration of God’s sovereignty.

So why do we need the blood of Christ?

Because the problem is not that God cannot see sinners. The problem is that sinners cannot stand before a holy God on their own merit. We need forgiveness. We need cleansing. We need righteousness that we do not possess naturally.

That is exactly what Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection.

So what conclusion should we draw?

The Bible does not teach that God is incapable of being around sin. The Bible teaches that God is holy and that sin separates sinful people from fellowship with Him. The book of Job demonstrates that God can confront Satan, speak to Satan, and exercise authority over Satan without compromising His holiness. The cross demonstrates the same truth. God does not avoid sin. He judges it. And through Jesus Christ, He provides the forgiveness and righteousness sinners need to be reconciled to Him.

One of the most important lessons from this question is the importance of testing even familiar statements by Scripture. Many Christians repeat phrases that are well intentioned but imprecise. Good Bible students learn to ask, “What does the text actually say?” That habit protects us from confusion and helps us handle God’s Word more accurately.

Key Scriptures: Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-6; Isaiah 59:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.