“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
When you are tempted to sin, how does it happen? Does a sinful thought just pop into your head (like Wouldn’t you like to taste that cookie your mother told you not to touch?)? Do you give in to temptations to sin right away, or do you try to fight sin?
Our fleshly nature can be very smart. It can invite us to sin. We tell ourselves lies about what sin can do for us, how “little” some sins can be when compared to others, and how it is fine to sin now as long as we live better later on. We can make all kinds of excuses and reasons for sinning. There is a part of each one of us that is inclined to give in to the arguments of sin. We want to be “happy,” even if not truly happy, and even if it is only for a season. And sin sells us a lie that it can bring us happiness.
When we believe the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil, we will eventually discover that sin never brings us the good it pretends it can. Sin always brings destruction. There is an old song that goes, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; slowly, but wholly taking control. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay.”
On the other hand, every sinner always has an open invitation from God, and this open invitation is definitely a better one! God invites sinners to come and reason together with Him, not listen to the lies of the flesh any longer. God offers fellowship with Himself. He offers forgiveness of sin and a “clean slate” that lets us start all over again. When He declares us righteous based on Jesus Christ’s righteousness, He makes us just as if we had never even sinned in the first place.
The next time the world, the flesh, or the devil seem to be calling out to you and throwing out “good reasons” to sin, remember that Someone else is calling out to you, too. He is saying, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Really, isn’t it obvious Whose invitation is better? Isn’t it clear which invitation you ought to accept?
Unlike our enemies, God invites us to be forgiven and to become able to fellowship with Him.
My Response:
» Am I struggling lately with temptation to a particular sin?
» Am I in the habit of saying “yes” to sinful desires instead of considering what God would want?
» How can I show in my life that I believe God’s invitation is more worth accepting?