ODJ: spotless
August 31, 2011
Wash yourselves and be clean! (v.16).
READ: Isaiah 1:1-20
I accidentally dropped my cell phone into the garbage can. It slid straight to the bottom, and when I pulled it out, it was covered with some kind of disgusting mystery goo. Horrified, I set to work spraying, scrubbing, and disinfecting. I didn’t stop until the phone was spotless.
God called the people of Israel to “sanitize” themselves. They’d been living as a nation of spiritual renegades (Isaiah 1:4) even as they continued to observe their religious ceremonies. God was seriously fed up with them. He said, “I am sick of your burnt offerings” (v.11), and “When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look” (v.15). God didn’t want an outward show of confession without an inner commitment to act differently.
Fortunately, God outlined a couple of steps to help the nation get right with Him. He began by saying, “Give up your evil ways” (v.16). As believers in Jesus, we have the same responsibility to knock off the sin that separates us from God. Anything less is abusing God’s grace. Paul asked, “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not!” (Romans 6:1-2).
Once we discontinue specific sinful actions, it’s important to replace them with activities that please God. Getting clean involves “[learning] to do good” (Isaiah 1:17). Specifically, we can lend a hand to the poor, defend orphans, or champion the rights of widows.
Like the Israelites, many of us sin like crazy, and then supposedly come clean before God every Sunday. With the Holy Spirit’s help (Ezekiel 36:27), we can stop that cycle and align our actions with our repentant hearts. We can follow God’s command: “Wash yourselves!” (Isaiah 1:16), and He will make us truly spotless. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
How does insincere confession by believers in Jesus affect the way nonbelievers view the Christian faith? Why is it so important to replace sinful habits with God-pleasing actions?
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Ephesians 4:1. May the grace of God give us strength to live pleasing lives unto The Lord- Romans 12:1.