I am thankful we have a God who uses reason.
In Isaiah 1:18-20 (ESV), God says, "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
I was not around in the day of Isaiah, but if I was given that lesson in reason, I hope I would have chosen obedience over rebellion. I know God still is reasonable, and has rules which he still wants us to obey. I chose rebellion in my earlier adult years, and reaped havoc on my life instead of "the good of the land," but I turned from my rebellious ways, and am now being blessed by God. God does not do a bait and switch. If he says he will reward obedience and punish disobedience, he will. I wish my mom had always been as black and white as that. However, she was always changing the rules.
This passage in Isaiah falls after God asks: "When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?" (Isaiah 1:12, ESV). He goes on to describe the rituals that were performed that he did not like. He said, "Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations -- I can not 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." (Isaiah 1:13-14, ESV). He describes their evil, and reasons with them to start doing good, even giving examples of what "good" looks like: "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" (Isaiah 1:15-17, ESV).
God uses reason. Obedience is rewarded, and evil isn't.
However, our obedience is rewarded in heaven, not here on earth. It is something we do not fully partake of until eternity, after our mortal bodies pass away. Many people expect a Christian life to be perfect here on earth. They are subscribing to lies. A Christian suffers here, for a reward in heaven. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:12-13, ESV). We can play this game to win, here. But "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36, ESV). Luke says it differently: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:25, ESV).
Why jeopardize your true self for the gratification of our "earth suit" or body? Why assume that the short time we have to spend on this earth is all the time there is? Why not look to the eternal?
The Bible says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV). I would rather have God's reward in the parallel universe in which everything happens according to his will than any reward in this parallel universe that chose to falsely accuse and kill him when he came to the very people he said he'd come to. What about you?
In Isaiah 1:18-20 (ESV), God says, "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
I was not around in the day of Isaiah, but if I was given that lesson in reason, I hope I would have chosen obedience over rebellion. I know God still is reasonable, and has rules which he still wants us to obey. I chose rebellion in my earlier adult years, and reaped havoc on my life instead of "the good of the land," but I turned from my rebellious ways, and am now being blessed by God. God does not do a bait and switch. If he says he will reward obedience and punish disobedience, he will. I wish my mom had always been as black and white as that. However, she was always changing the rules.
This passage in Isaiah falls after God asks: "When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?" (Isaiah 1:12, ESV). He goes on to describe the rituals that were performed that he did not like. He said, "Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations -- I can not 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." (Isaiah 1:13-14, ESV). He describes their evil, and reasons with them to start doing good, even giving examples of what "good" looks like: "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" (Isaiah 1:15-17, ESV).
God uses reason. Obedience is rewarded, and evil isn't.
However, our obedience is rewarded in heaven, not here on earth. It is something we do not fully partake of until eternity, after our mortal bodies pass away. Many people expect a Christian life to be perfect here on earth. They are subscribing to lies. A Christian suffers here, for a reward in heaven. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:12-13, ESV). We can play this game to win, here. But "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36, ESV). Luke says it differently: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:25, ESV).
Why jeopardize your true self for the gratification of our "earth suit" or body? Why assume that the short time we have to spend on this earth is all the time there is? Why not look to the eternal?
The Bible says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV). I would rather have God's reward in the parallel universe in which everything happens according to his will than any reward in this parallel universe that chose to falsely accuse and kill him when he came to the very people he said he'd come to. What about you?
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