DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

We are sinners. It’s a fact. No matter who we are, what we believe, or what we think, we have and do sin….daily! There’s no way around that fact. Even if you thought you had a good day where you didn’t do anything physically to sin, you sure did think something. I know, this seems a bit blunt or harsh but we can never get to the place of repentance if we can’t see the mess that we’re currently in and recognize that we need help; a Savior. Ever wondered why no matter what you do, you can’t stop sinning? Go ahead, try it! I double-dog dare you!!! Go one day without thinking, saying, acting on or wishing (lust) for anything sinful – and not based on what you think is a “white lie” (there are no white lies) or not a sin but what God thinks and says is a sin. Unfortunately, NO ONE CAN DO IT!!!!! It is an absolute FACT!!!!

So what does that say about you and me? What do we think we can keep sinning and there be no consequence for our actions? Can we keep living how we want and it be all good? I’m not God nor can I judge anyone or their lifestyle however, I do believe in the bible and God’s word is clear about how he feels about deliberate and unintentional sin; unrepentant sin. Let’s take this example and see if we can connect the dots: If you have children or ever was a child (so that means all of us), please tell me what your own (earthly) parents would do to you if you sinned against them? That simple means if you did something that they told you not to do. What would happen? Where they cool with it? Did they just forget about it? Did they excuse the fact that they told you multiple times to correct yourself? HECK NO!! I think it goes without saying that they got real intimate with us if you know what I mean *wink-wink*. Now if that is the case with our earthly parents who have tried to raise us up in the direction of doing what’s right, what do you think our Father in heaven (our Creator) will do for our continued disobedience to what he’s told us to do?

The reality is that without Christ, we stand before the Lord covered in our nasty, wretched, and disgusting sin. It looks bad, it stinks, and it needs to be done destroyed. Such impurity can’t be in the perfect presence of God and be acceptable. We need a cleansing.

Today’s scripture jumps right to it but the context of the scripture deals with the rebelliousness of God’s people. In a vision, Isaiah saw that all of our empty praises, rehearsed sacrifices and dirtiness were becoming unbearable. He simply wants us to turn from our evil deed (repent) and cleanse ourselves. This is why he sent Jesus; a perfect, uncorrupted sacrifice whose blood washes away the sins of men (and women). The matter is settled in our obedience to being cleansed by the blood of Christ and repenting of our sins that we still do. Just as our parents raise us to be better and not make the same mistakes of our youth, so does God expect the same from our lives when we make the commitment to living a new life in Christ and being better through repentance as we turn away from the sins we used to perform in our youth.

As we go throughout this day, we pray that our minds are set on not continuing in rebellious acts that God has deemed as sinful and unbearable but begin to move forward in gaining a real relationship with his Son Jesus so that we can be cleansed of the filth we once lived in. We can be clean before the Lord, but do you want to be? Our hope is that you want to and that you rely on the Word of God to help impact your life in that journey. Through obedience and his Word, let your new (clean) life shine for the cause of Christ. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!