Intolerant And A Bigotry

                                                       When The Door Slams  

"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."                                                                                  Isaiah 1:18 NIV        

        We live in a time when many people in our culture seem to have been offended not just a  pastime that they pursue with passion. This is the time to speak the truth about the Gospel of Christ and about godly life principles will get you labeled as "intolerant" and a "bigot." 

        People don't like being told that they need Jesus to save them and change them, and they dislike being confronted with their own sins. People really don't understand that there is only one way into the kingdom of God-through Jesus Christ.

        The prophet Isaiah ministered in the kingdom of Judah at a time when the people had fallen into some very grievous sin. They had become both pleasure seeker in their behavior and self-secure toward their God.

        In short, they were very much like us today-lost in sin and without hope...at least they had not been left on their own. One of the great themes of Isaiah's prophecies-and of the entire Bible-is God's willingness to forgive and restore those who recognize their sin and turn from that sin back toward Him.

        The words in today's verse are echoed hundreds of years later by the apostle John, who wrote: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10). 

        We all need God's forgiveness and restoration. He has provided a way for that to happen by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Our part in that equation is to acknowledge that we are sinners and that we need Christ our Lord and Savior.

       Think about this: Would you like a time-tested formula for spiritual growth? Here it is: Keep studying God's Word, keep obeying His commandments, Keep praying and (listening for answers), and keep trying to live in the center of God's will. When you do, you will never be stuck for long. Instead, you will be a growing Christian, and that is precisely the kind of Christian God wants you to be.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                    Never Rest Ministries