Sunday, April 5th, 2009

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

Isaiah 1:13-18
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations-- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It shows me how often I am a hypocrite, bringing for religious shows, but not having my heart close to Christ. Not trying to live for Christ, but living for myself. Seeking my own good and not the good of others. Doing evil, instead of doing good. Thinking that God will hear me and listen to me when my life is not in tune with the precepts of the Lord.

God here makes a very clear call to me. He was speaking, of course to the Judah and Jerusalem in particular, yet this rings true to all Christians, especially me. God is not pleased with shows for Him. He is not pleased with offerings and the fulfillment of rituals. In my own day, relevant to me, He is not pleased with merely an attendance at worship, as if that will satisfy Him. Instead, He wants all of me. If God cannot have all of me, then He doesn’t want any of me, I would just make Him sick as it says in this passage. The worship of one who’s life is not set on Christ, is an abomination, and ultimately a thing of offense. As early last week, God will not listen to the prayers of one who’s hands are full of blood.

Dirty, that is what I am. Dirty, that is what we are. The only way to meet the righteous standard of God, is to be perfect, and that is the rub. I am sinful, stained, selfish, arrogant, ignorant and self-seeking. All of my heart is wicked. I am always seeking my own good.

This is why I need to follow the next section in these verses. I must wash myself. I must wash myself in the blood of the lamb. My sins are scarlet, I need to be white as snow in order to see God. Thus, I must cleanse myself of the wickedness and sinfulness by running to the cross of Jesus Christ. This is an everyday endeavor.

The promise is given, for it is given by the LORD, the Jehovah God, who keeps His promises, that I will be made clean through Jesus Christ.

However, it does not end hear, for after I am cleanses, I am commissioned to remove the evil of my deeds from before the Lord’s eyes, which are everywhere. Thus, I must make every attempt to be righteous, holy and godly. I am also told to cease doing evil, so my actions must change so that I am doing what is right.

Next, I am told that I must do good. I must put off evil, and put on good. I can do this by being just, seeking justice. Attempting to make sure that the weak and oppressed are not being destroyed, but being helped. I must bring justice to the fatherless, whose father may have been murdered or injured unjustly. I must also look after the widow.

My life, in other words, should be a life of service and righteousness and goodness to others. May God help me today. Amen.

When Christ cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” victory over sin was won. All that is required of each of us is to personally appropriate that finished work. To show our gratefulness, however, our response should be, “Thank you, Lord, for giving your life for me. Now I want to live for You and serve You till the end of my days.”[1]

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
[1]Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 108