Though Your Sins Are Like Scarlet

It’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that the God of the universe, Creator of heaven and earth, invites me/us to talk things over with Him.  And yet in Isaiah 1:18 we read “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.”

The first time I saw this scripture, it grabbed hold of me immediately.  Wow!  Is He actually inviting me to sort things out with Him?  Seriously?  Like one on one?  Me and God?  I picture myself sitting down with Him in my living room, on my comfy ash green microfiber couch and having an actual conversation. A smile is bubbling up inside of me.  Can you picture it?  Sounds pretty improbable doesn’t it?  Yet there it is, in black and white, in His Word.  look it up yourself if you doubt me.

Getting together with a trusted friend for lunch or coffee at a local gathering spot, surrounded by other social seeking humans, is a really fun thing for me to do.  We eat pizza, burgers, or pancakes, drink lattes, cokes or shakes as we share tidbits of our lives with each other and attempt in some small way to make a difference in our tiny slice of the world.  We compare opinions about frighteningly volatile world affairs, formidably painful family challenges and usually a story or two about soon to be forgotten trivia.  Remember Seinfield, the show about nothing?  Kind of like that.

But this is God, Jehovah, Elohim, Who calls Himself “I Am”.  He doesn’t have skin like me.  I can’t see Him, touch Him, hear His voice.  So how do I respond to His suggestion that we “reason together?”  To paraphrase His Words, my sins are like scarlet.  He, however, is holy, sinless.   How do we accomplish this unlikely task, He and I?   Then I remember.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5) .

John 1:18 No man hath seen GOD at any time, the only begotten SON, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

There I have it.  He built a bridge in the form of another man, a sinless man, One who walked this earth, sat down with others like me and shared our humanity.  He broke bread with us, drank water and wine with us, listened intently to us, wept with us and responded with understanding  and compassion.  Who else in history ever traveled as far as He did to reach us, gave up his divine privileges and asked nothing except that we accept His selfless act of dying a sinless, undeserved, cruel death for our sinfulness?  All so we could enjoy unencumbered fellowship with His Father and ours.

What a great bargain.  Has there ever been a better “Let’s Make A Deal” in history?  None that I’m aware of.  We don’t even have to make a choice between “Door #1, Door #2 or Door #3.  We get one open door to walk through and behind that door is treasure unimaginable.  We can’t begin to put a price tag on it.  One million?  Two billion?  Nope.  Priceless.   No guess work.

Think about it.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit long ago reasoned it out for us, before we were even conceived.  Our part is simply to reach out and embrace that incredible offer.  I’m so grateful I recognized a good thing when I heard it and answered that amazing call.

Have you?  If not, what is your reason for holding back?