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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take
your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek
justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the
case of the widow.
“Come now, let us settle the
matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you
are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you
resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 1:16-20
This ends this
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Want to sum up the first 15 verses
of Isaiah, Chapter 1?
The Lord God Almighty is Master and
Ruler over all nations and any nation who chooses to rebel against Him will
face judgment.
This introduction is directed at
Israel but points backward and forward in time with its message. Going
backward, God reminds the nation of Israel of the utter destruction He brought
on two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, who decided to disrespect Him and His
commands. Moving forward, the opening of this book serves as a warning to any
nation today who would choose to blatantly reject and dishonor God.
Now, if this is where this chapter
left off then the reader would gain an incomplete understanding of whom God is,
a tainted perspective of the nature of God.
For although it’s true and God is a
God of judgment and justice, it’s equally true that He is a God of redemption
and compassion and mercy, grace, and love. It’s this side of God we see as we
continue now looking at the words from Isaiah, Chapter 1:
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop
doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the
cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as
crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat
the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured
by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
God did not wish for His chosen
people to remain in the crosshairs of His ire and its associated consequences.
No, instead God yearned for His people to turn things around and the first good
step in that direction was to turn around, move away from the sin they had
lived under, and move toward God and the righteous living He would lead them
to. He longed for this then and He longs for it today as nations continue to
choose to do their own thing disconnected from Him.
So what steps would Israel need to
take to get back right with God again? What steps would any nation need to take
today to get themselves back in God’s favor?
The scriptures give us the answers.
They include:
1. Seeking purity of spirit.
Wash and make yourselves clean.
Sin defiles a
person and when enough people become defiled then a nation becomes that way.
The only way for a nation to come clean is for each person who resides in that
nation to come clean, to allow themselves to be washed by the atoning and
purifying blood of Jesus, a blood that will make them whiter than snow, pure
and holy in God’s sight (Revelation 7:14). When a nation is in and of Jesus,
then they will be a nation that finds the favor and protection of God the
Father for no one comes to the Father except through His Son, the One who is
the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).
2. Turn away from
transgression.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.
God hates sin and the evil behavior
it manifests in a person. Getting right with Him requires a u-turn from
transgressions and a subsequent beeline toward Him, seeking His guidance and
then living life in accordance with His will for it.
Want to get right with God, whether
you’re a nation or an individual? Turn away from transgression and turn toward
righteousness, the righteousness that comes from obediently and willingly
following the Lord.
3. Learn to do what is right and
just.
Learn to do right; seek justice.
If you are choosing to turn your
life around and leave sinfulness behind, you have to go after righteous living
and the Lord is just the person to lead you there. Study His word regularly,
connect with Him always in prayer, and He will guide your steps and lead you to
a life defined by virtue and morality.
4. Place the needs of others ahead
of your own.
Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
A person immersed in a sinful
lifestyle is a person more focused on their own desires than the desires of
others and, most definitely more than the desires of God for their lives.
God wishes for us to be like His
Son Jesus who lived His life totally self-sacrificially. He was never too busy
for anyone who needed His care and love, even sinners who needed to turn from
their wrongs and do what is right. When we commit ourselves to live as He
lived, then we will die to self and give fully to others, loving them as
ourselves.
Friends, we serve a jealous God who
doesn’t just want a part of us but rather all of us living in complete
obedience to His word, will, and way. A nation of people who choose to live in
sin apart from God will find themselves in the crosshairs of His judgment but
they also will have an opportunity to repent of their sins and turn things
around. For if they seek to be pure, to allow the Lord to wash the scarlet
stains of sin and leave them whiter than snow, and then turn from their wrongs
and seek to learn how to live a righteous and just life, then that nation will
experience redemption and forgiveness from God and serve as examples of His
rich mercy and grace.
Won’t you join me in praying over
your nation today as well as all nations of our world, asking for all people to
turn away from sin to the righteousness that only comes from God?
Amen.
In
Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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