zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. but rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. for they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. for you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. and the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them. [isaiah 1:27-31]
repentant and redeemed, or rebellious and ruined.
their are two paths, two reactions to the glory of God. one reaction is that of awe and worship, realizing the holiness and majesty of an indescribable and unimaginable King over all things. this reaction leads to humility, realizing that you do not compare in the slightest, because you are full of weakness and sinfulness, of helplessness and human limitation. utterly depraved, you fall down before him in reverence, putting yourself completely at his mercy, for you know there is no other way to survive. seeing his beauty and holiness, you have no desire greater than to know him and be known by him, to give yourself fully to his goodness, to obey his every way, knowing that there is no other way to life, for he is life.
this realization is a gift in itself, for God is the one who has revealed himself to you by his grace and mercy. in this realization you see and accept his gift of forgiveness and mercy, extended to you through the blood of his only Son, Jesus Christ. you are now a son or daughter of this Most High King, adopted and counted among his heirs, promised eternity with him in his glory.
if this is your reaction to God’s glory, praise your Father in heaven!
but some who see God’s glory revealed do not turn and repent. they do not acknowledge his beauty or majesty. they refuse to bow to him as King. they puff themselves up, convincing themselves that they are able to measure up to his greatness, needing no salvation, thinking highly of their own capability to bring themselves life. they have no desire for him, only for their own glory. they see no need for his ways, for they think their own way wise.
but because God is just, he cannot and will not give his glory to another. his wrath toward sin is right and just, and the punishment befitting the crime. rebellion only brings about the sinner’s own destruction. he has chosen the path of death.
perhaps this all seems a bit harsh and dramatic. but this is the reality in which we live. we each are faced with the choice of repentance or rebellion. joshua says to the people of israel, “and if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the amorites in whose land you dwell. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” [joshua 24:15]
israel had seen his glory and they had made their choice. [isaiah 1:2-4]
we have the same choice laying before us, because we too have seen his glory. and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [john 1:14]
we see the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. Creator God, born a man, living a sinless life, dying an all sufficient death, raising to life in power, conquering sin for all who would believe. we have seen his glory. and we all must choose to believe, repent, and follow him, for he has the words of eternal life, and no one comes to the Father but through him.
today, if you are sitting on the fence with your thoughts about Jesus, choose this day whom you will serve! to live life for yourself is rebellion against God. to live life for the world is rebellion against God. you cannot serve two masters. [luke 16:13]
Jesus offers you life. rest. peace. hope. love. everything your soul truly desires is found in him. trust in him! he is calling you!
~arwen eastman