We enjoy the grace of God in abundance, free from the onerous daily chore of sacrificing animals to atone for sin; Jesus set us free indeed! (John 8:36)
And still we are privileged in the "Old Testament" teachings, as Apostle Paul so lovingly pointed out in Romans 15:4
"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope",
but we are not beholden to the hundreds of specific laws and observances thanks to the Grace of God made available to us through Christ.
Truly there are many wonderful Old Testament scriptures of great teaching that speak into our lives today, eloquently and truthfully.
One such scripture I believe we should heed with all haste in our hearts is found in the book of the Prophet Isaiah. During the reign of several Israel kings, God raised up Prophets to speak to to His people, precisely because they had refused to converse directly with their God at the time of Moses (Exodus 20:19). These Prophets often spoke both to the people of their time and for future reference, to those who would come later.
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
I believe that this is one of those things which was "written before for our learning" that Paul was referring to that has always continued to have affect on peoples lives even when they may not have been aware of it.
While we most certainly DO enjoy the grace and favor of God, and though His love for us is unconditional, this isn't license to sin! Now more than ever, it is imperative to our own well being, that each of us, individually "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) and that we do NOT REFUSE to hear the Lord speak to us personally and directly!
Just as He put it to the Israelites, it is even now a choice put before us much like the choice to choose LIFE over DEATH. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
IF we are willing and obedient.... which refers to what exactly? To the rules and regulations of man? To the statutes and prohibitions of religious leaders? To an American government (or any other government!) that appears bent on destroying the work of the Lord in our lives?
A simple reading of the verse in context puts it all in perspective and makes itself extremely clear and easy to understand.
Isaiah 1: 18 "Come now and let us reason together" says the Lord.
Then, like He already had planned it for all Eternity, (I really think He did!) the Lord makes clear that He speaks to the Israelites, yes, but also to we who would be saved later, by describing our condition so we will recognize ourselves.
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be as wool."
We whose sins that are like scarlet have been washed in the sacrificed blood of Jesus and have been made "white as snow".
This verse is written FOR OUR LEARNING.
Here is the physical and spiritual principle at work.
If this; then that.
We all understand how this principle works in every area of life. If we do this thing then that thing happens.
The law of cause and effect. Each action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Christians, the grace of God, as Apostle Paul so clearly taught in Romans 6:1, isn't a license to SIN, but a method to avoid being enslaved by sin!
Every thinking human being can see clearly that all of our actions have consequences. If we desire pleasant consequences that give us joy, we must choose willingly to be obedient to God. If we choose to rebel; to do "our own thing" then we will suffer the consequences of those choices, good or bad.
With that in mind, wouldn't it be ridiculous for us to then declare that God is not good because we have reaped the unhappy consequence of our own action?
God has instructed us clearly, as any loving parent would a child, on right behavior in order that we will reap the result of good consequence.
Right now you might find yourself asking this question; "How can I know God's instructions so I can choose to follow them?"
READ HIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL.
On the first read through, I know it will sound foreign and difficult to understand. The first time we are introduced to anything it seems hard. Remember arithmetic? When they first introduced long division, I was convinced I'd never understand. I went on to achieve A's in Algebra years later in High School.
The GREAT thing about the Bible is that it is a living work, spoken into being by a Living God who moved on living men to write His will. (II Peter 1:21)
And it gets better. The word has a spiritual life to it. When you are born again of Gods spirit, your understanding is that much greater. This isn't something that can be taught or explained, but only spiritually discerned by those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Reading the Bible regularly you will discover that understanding comes naturally. Understanding increases with each reading.
You can read the Bible in any manner that works for you.
Read straight through from cover to cover.
Start at the Gospels and work through the New Testament first.
Skip around from book to book, or even chapter to chapter.
Or you can join us, using the daily reading schedule we follow, and we can journey together toward deeper understanding and closer fellowship with the Lord. (See the Daily Reading page of this website)
When we know, understand and OBEY Gods commands, we reap all manner of GOOD THINGS! That is a promise directly from God the Father and Creator of all things to His children. By the same token, if we choose disobedience we have no one but ourselves to blame when we reap those negative consequences.
Our prayer for you is that you will KNOW and RECEIVE the goodness God desires you to experience in your life, in Jesus Name, AMEN!
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