Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
Isaiah 64:1-7 (ESV)
Media
The passage above speaks of Israel and their uncleanness before a Holy God. When speaking to the non-believer who is justifying their sin as being not that bad, we often refer to v6 (albeit a bit out of context) to contrast with what God says about that individual's very best works. But what does God think about the "good works" of the born-again believer who has had Christ's righteousness imputed to him? Consider Michael Kruger's encouraging thoughts: A Word of Encouragement to Weary Pastors: God Does Not View Your Labors as “Filthy Rags”
Burbank - April 15th, 2017
(click or tap on images to expand)
No comments:
Post a Comment