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Let Us Reason Together
Isaiah 1:18-20 "Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. Truly the mouth of the LORD has spoken"
First, when the LORD says that we should come and reason together, it does not mean that this is a negotiation or a give and take proposition. It clearly is the laying down of facts by God by which if we comply and obey, we will receive blessings; but if we refuse to obey, there will be consequences.
Notice that this statement and promise from God is conditional upon our response to His commands. Every word of God in a sense is a promise. God's words are statements that provide an expectation of hope for us. Knowing that His words are truth and will never fail, we have confidence that His word is something we can put our trust upon and confidence in. Let's face it; God has an excellent track record.
The promise to us is conditional upon our acceptance of the terms God has put forth. These are not man made rules to follow, but since God has spoken through His word, it is necessary that we learn His word to know what the expectation God has of us.
God has given every generation the promise of blessings for obedience, and punishment for disobedience. It is sometimes perplexing to see how people react to such a simple thing. When we realize that obedience to God is for our good, and that God will bless us exceedingly above what we expect, why would anyone trade the blessings for a moment's pleasure of sin? It really does not make sense. At least not to a spiritually minded person. Those of the world and who are separated from God because of their sins are more interested in continuing their sin and in some cases increasing the wickedness of their minds. The Bible teaches that these can only have an expectation of the wrath of God.
Only God can purge our sins and remove them. As in our text though they be red like crimson (stained as it were with blood) it shall be as wool (clean and pure). As we read the Bible we find that Jesus died upon the cross bearing the sins that we possess. We were guilty, and our punishment was death; yet Jesus took upon Himself that punishment. And now by working in conjunction with God's gift, and our faith, we can believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and believing on Him, we can have eternal life. This belief is more than just a mental acknowledgement that Jesus is God, it is an obedient faith that responds to what God has done, and it is a declaration of our faith when we put it into action. Actions actually do speak louder than words; they are the proof that we truly believe. Let us thank God for His wonderful gift that provides our salvation.
By Carey Scott

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